#theatreworkssiliconvalley

[brothermarc7theatre]

"Tuck Everlasting" show #768

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is closing out 2018 with a sterling production of Broadway’s short-lived musical, Tuck Everlasting. Chris Miller’s music paired with Nathan Tysen’s lyrics brings an elegant beauty to the musicalizing of this, literally, timeless tale. The songs soar, harness a folk feel, and have a few dance turns to truly diversify the audience’s interest. Adapting Natalie Babbit’s novel of the same name, book writers Claudia Shear and Tim Federle ensure the literary rhythm and gravitas is well-represented and dramatized in their script. Working in TheatreWorks’ favor is Robert Kelley’s sensitively intimate direction pairing well with Alex Perez’s appropriate and well-accenting choreography to make this Tuck Everlasting a perfect choice for the family this holiday season.

(Katie Maupin (Winnie Foster); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

The central figure is young Winnie Foster who decides to run away from home in search of adventure. Played by Katie Maupin the night I attended, (the role is alternated by Ms. Foster and Natalie Schroeder) I couldn’t help but be swept into Winnie’s world when Ms. Maupin belts out her lyrics in the opening “Live Like This.” Not just your typical Annie, Dorothy, or Tiny Tim, this child role has depth, subtext, and layers that can be likened to that of Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden. It is no easy task to carry the show as Winnie; however, Ms. Maupin’s young maturity and incredibly smart use of her vocal talents are synced perfectly as part of Mr. Kelley’s direction. Once Winnie runs into Jesse, and subsequently the rest of the immortal Tuck family, her immediate chemistry with the family, and more pointedly Jesse, is believable and develops well through the course of the play. The drama of whether Winnie will or will not drink from the special spring may be the main plot of importance, but it is through the relationships and journey for Winnie, and those in the Tuck family, that it is successfully developed through Mr. Kelley’s staging .

(L to R: Eddie Grey (Jesse Tuck), Kristine Reese (Mae Tuck), Travis Leland (Miles Tuck), Jonathan Rhys Williams (Angus Tuck); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Eddie Grey delivers an energetic, sincere performance as the 102-year-old youngest member of the Tuck family, Jesse. Appearing to be 17 years old, Mr. Grey couples the wit of a youth with the tenacity of an experienced, secretive traveler effectively well. Mr. Grey’s voice is tops, especially in the dance-y duet with Ms. Maupin, “Partner in Crime,” a choreographic highlight for Mr. Perez. Mr. Grey creates an alluring family dynamic when in the presence of his parents, Angus and Mae, and especially with his older brother, Miles. Taking on the head of the household is Jonathan Rhys Williams as Tuck father, Angus. Mr. Williams’ genial demeanor as the ever-giving father and understanding voice-of-reason is genuine in his delivery, and culminates in a serenely staged “The Wheel.” Playing the mama Mae is a fantastic Kristine Reese. Her timbre is that of a young mother with every care in the world regarding her sons’ safety and her family’s survival. Ms. Reese endows Mae with a backbone, quick wit, and motherly strength that are approachable and respectfully intimidating, making her journey a delicious track to follow. Ms. Reese blesses the Lucie Stern Theater with a gloriously tuned duet of “My Most Beautiful Day” opposite Mr. Williams. Rounding out the Tucks is older brother Miles, played with depth and well-motivated acting chops by Travis Leland. Mr. Leland has the long game to play when it comes to depicting the drama surrounding the Tuck family curse of never aging. He makes it worth it when he delivers the emotional monologue leading up to the heartbreaking tale of his son in the front half of “Time,” a solo-turned-quartet with the rest of the family that serves as a harmonious triumph in Act Two.

(Jonathan Rhys Williams (Angus Tuck) and Katie Maupin (Winnie Foster); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Featured standouts come at the hands of David Crane as deputy-in-training, Hugo, and Colin Thomson as Constable Joe. Mr. Crane shines in his quirky, introductory solo, “Hugo’s First Case.” Mr. Crane and Mr. Thomson steal the show in the second act with a much-welcomed song-and-dance turn in “You Can’t Trust a Man.” Mr. Thomson’s infallible comedic chops are on fine display leading up to this song, and pay off magnificently during, and after, the duet. Matching the comedic timing skill is Lucinda Hitchcock Cone as Nana. A spitfire-written character, Ms. Cone handles the timing and delivery with expertise and strength. Michael Gene Sullivan does well as the Man in the Yellow Suit, a true show stopping role when performed right. Mr. Sullivan certainly has the villainous charm permeating his performance, but is vocally lacking in the song-and-dance department when it comes to the Act Two romp, “Everything’s Golden.”

(Standing: David Crane (Hugo), Kneeling: Colin Thomson (Constable Joe); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

The designs for Tuck Everlasting truly make the difference in communicating the magic and whim of this tale, and the team at TheatreWorks is more than up to the job. Joe Ragey’s tree-filled, woodsy scenic design creates an environment that serves as a comfy home for the audience to live in for the two hour production. It’s decorated nicely and cozily while still giving the impression of being a vast forest. Fumiko Bielefeldt’s costume design is great across the board of characters, endowing a palette of colors and frocks which complement the 1893 New Hampshire period and location, while still adding pop and color to each character, especially that (appropriately so) ghastly Yellow Suit. And what would this story look like if it weren’t for a splendid, mood-setting lighting design? Not good, that’s what. However, Pamila Z. Gray is the right designer for the job, as the musical never lacks in properly illuminating the action, emotion, and story.

(L to R: Marissa Rudd, Michael Gene Sullican (Man in the Yellow Suit), Giana Gambardella; Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

As I said at the beginning, Tuck Everlasting didn’t last long on Broadway, and truly, I don’t know why. I went into the Wednesday night performance completely in the dark as to plot and music. By intermission, I became a huge fan of this story. Do yourself and your family a huge favor and purchase your tickets to this musical, because it’s not often stories this good are staged this well. Go see this show!

Details:

Tuck Everlasting runs through December 30th

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley at the Lucie Stern Theater, Palo Alto

www.theatreworks.org

[brothermarc7theatre]

Season Announcement Wednesday...errr...Thursday

Hello and welcome to a delayed season announcement; the grind of school and work and rehearsal (choreographing Heathers, the Musical at Pacifica Spindrift Players) are colliding, but in the best way possible. However, when time allows, I do find myself sitting in a theater, eagerly waiting for the curtain to rise on a show I’m seeing. This week’s highlighted company is one that I always attend with enthusiastic glee. Their production values, talented casts, choice of titles, and technical designs make them a standout for West Coast regional theatre. Without much more ado, I am pleased to highlight the 2019/2020 season at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley!

Shows/Dates: The Language Archive (July 10th - August 4th); The 39 Steps (August 21st - September 15th); Mark Twain’s River of Song (October 2nd - 27th); Pride and Prejudice (December 4th - 29th); The Pianist of Willesden Lane (January 15th, 2020 - February 9th, 2020); They Promised Her the Moon (March 4th - 29th); Ragtime (April 1st - 26th); The Book of Will (June 3rd - 28th)

Also, keep an eye out for their New Works Festival, running from August 7th - 18th!

Venues/Addresses: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts @ 500                                            Castro Street, Mountain View 94041

                                Lucie Stern Theater @ 1305 MIddlefield Road, Palo Alto                                      94301

Website: www.theatreworks.org

Facebook: “Like” them at- TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Twitter: “Follow” them at- @TheatreWorksSV

Description: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has been a staple company for me to enjoy some sterling theatrical productions. Over the years I have the absolute joy to see their productions of The 39 Steps, [title of show], Outside Mullingar, The Prince of Egypt, Daddy Long Legs,The Bridges of Madison County, and Tuck Everlasting, among many others. With the mix of premieres, returning favorites, and musical epic-ness, there is sure to be several (if not all) titles which you find captivating. See you at the theater!

[brothermarc7theatre]

“Frost/Nixon” show #775

Peter Morgan must have known that he landed on an inherently juicy, dramatically inclined story when he decided to dramatize the famous David Frost and Richard Nixon interview. With the legacy Nixon has left behind, whether you remember his positives, controversies, or both, his presidency is forever marked with a big ‘ole splotch of Watergate, deception, and a resignation. Now, it’s not like 2019 audiences need any more political-media drama than what’s already infiltrating television, radio, and Twitter feeds, but Mr. Morgan’s play is just as timely today as it was during its Tony-nominated New York run in 2007, and subsequent 2008 Oscar-nominated film. With a streamlined approach to introducing the main players, building up to the interviews happening, then having the actual interview sessions take place is incredibly tense, as enthralling as watching a championship tennis match in its final set. Director Leslie Martinson has helmed a thrilling, enticing production at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, a production that serves a healthy dose of political drama and media showboating in the most entertaining of fashions.  

(Jeremy Webb (David Frost); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

The difficulty in casting the roles of Frost and Nixon go beyond just finding talented, age-appropriate actors, but they must be actors who look like and sound just like them. These are two pillars of the political and media landscape in 1977, and they garnered heavy TV ratings because of who they were and what the subject matter was. Thankfully, Ms. Martinson has two perfectly-cast gentlemen in Allen McCullough as Nixon and Jeremy Webb as Frost. The boisterous charisma and ever-glowing smile that streams from Mr. Webb’s Frost is filled with energy, nuance, and presence. Mr. Webb’s confident delivery of the more cocky lines juxtaposes his careful approach when interviewing Mr. McCullough’s Nixon towards the end of the play. The journey Frost goes through is all in how Mr. Webb carries himself in the beginning versus at the end. It truly is like watching a journalist going into battle as a positive, wide-eyed, happy-go-lucky, smart-alecky reporter and coming out as a triumphant veteran who has respect and admiration for his opponent.

(Allen McCullough (Richard Nixon); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Mr. McCullough is domineering as Nixon, giving audiences the former president we all knew or knew of, without limiting his performance to strict mimicry. Rather, he personifies the crooked politician by crafting this Nixon into an artistically human personality. In fact, some of the play’s best laughs come from Nixon’s awkward humor, self-deprecating comments, and confusion as to what social cues are currently acceptable. The phone conversation about “cheeseburgers” that Frost and Nixon share is a highlight scene that captures both of these men at a very vulnerable, exhausting moment, just before the final interview session. Mr. McCullough’s timing and cadenced delivery, slackened by the drink(s) Nixon has had, is a master class in slow burning the wick, which makes for a breathtaking admission and offer up of a showdown.

(L to R: Kenny Toll (James Reston), Stephen Muterspaugh (Bob Zelnick), Jeremy Webb (David Frost), and Adam Shonkwiler (John Birt); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Supporting highlights come from the well-rounded ensemble, namely by Elena Wright’s alluring, quirky Caroline Cushing; Craig Marker as the no-fuss, cautious, strong Col. Jack Brennan; and Kenny Toll as the bookish, passionate, intelligent James Reston. Mr. Toll’s balance between main narrator and Frost adviser/researcher through the interview is delivered and developed well, giving audiences deep insight to his motives and obsession with getting Nixon to admit he abused the powers of his presidency.

(Allen McCullough (Richard Nixon); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

David Lee Cuthbert has outdone himself with his scenic and media design. Honoring the screens and technology of the late 70’s, the aesthetic is there, but is upped a level with his subtle-yet-effective projection design and use of television monitors, cameras, and revolving stage where the two titular characters spend their time together. Steven B. Mannshardt’s lighting design is a huge complement to the intimacy of the interviews and the urgency of the responses to those interviews. The design highlights the moments Ms. Martinson gives focus to, while still illuminating the bigger scenes effectively.

(Jeremy Webb (David Frost) and Allen McCullough (Richard Nixon); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

This play is important, and I’m convinced that it will be just as relevant in 2029, 2039, 2049, and so on, as it is today, and a decade ago. Mr. Morgan knew exactly how to tell this story in a theatrical way, and Ms. Martinson and company have done the script, and historical figures, justice. Go see this show.

Details:

Frost/Nixon runs through February 10th

Mountain View Center for the Performin Arts in Mountain View

www.theatreworks.org

[brothermarc7theatre]

Season Announcement Wednesday...errr...Thursday

Hello and welcome to this week's semi-delayed Season Announcement. This week's company is a group that continues to add to its already sterling reputation of producing professional, enjoyable theatre, no matter what the genre of play/musical is on stage. They have been a consistent part of my audience-going years, and I see no end to that in the future. Here is the 2018/2019 season for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley!

Shows/Dates: Hold These Truths (July 11th - August 5th); Native Gardens (August 22nd - September 16th); Fun Home (October 3rd - 28th); Tuck Everlasting (November 28th - December 23rd); Frost/Nixon (January 16th, 2019 - February 10th, 2019); Maria and Rosetta (March 6th - 31st); Hershey Felder: A Paris Love Story (April 3rd - 28th); Archduke (June 5th - 30th)

Venues/Addresses: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts @ 500 Castro Street, Mountain View 94041

                                   Lucie Stern Theater @ 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto 94301

                                   Lohman Theatre @ Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills

Website: www.theatreworks.org

Facebook: "Like" them at- TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Twitter: "Follow" them at- @TheatreWorksSV

Description: For many seasons now, I have been attending shows at TheatreWorks. It has been my pleasure to see their productions of Opus, [title of show], The 39 Steps, The Light in the Piazza, The Mountaintop, Once on This Island, Outside Mullingar, Daddy Long Legs, and most recently, The Bridges of Madison County, among others. It doesn't matter the venue and it doesn't matter the title: with TheatreWorks, you know you're going to see the production done extremely well. Make sure you bookmark their website and/or follow them on the social media outlets so you don't miss a single production in their upcoming season. Go see a show!

[brothermarc7theatre]

Season Announcement Wednesday

This week's season announcement post highlights one of the Peninsula's premiere theatre companies. This has been an artistic haven for professional, exciting, thought-provoking, and all-around outstanding theatre for Bay Area audiences to enjoy. Come along with me to check out the 2017/2018 season for Theatreworks!

Shows/Dates: The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga (July 12th - August 6th); Constellations (August 23rd - September 17th); The Prince of Egypt (October 6th - November 5th); Around the World in 80 Days (November 29th - December 23rd); Our Great Tchaikovsky (January 11th, 2018 - February 5th, 2018); Skeleton Crew (March 7th - April 1st); The Bridges of Madison County (April 4th - 29th); Finks (June 6th - July 1st)

Venues/Addresses: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts @ 500 Castro Street, Mountain View 94041

                                 Lucie Stern Theater @ 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto 94301

                                 Lohman Theater @ Foothill College (12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills 94022)

Website: www.theatreworks.org

Facebook: "Like" them at- TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Twitter: "Follow" them at- TheatreWorksSV

Description: TheatreWorks is a theatre company for those wanting top-quality productions, stellar casts, and a diverse selection of titles. Over the years I have had the pleasure of seeing their productions of Opus, [title of show], The Light in the Piazza, The Mountaintop, Once on this Island, 2 Pianos 4 Hands, Jane Austen's Emma, and Outside Mullingar, among others. Never have I ever left a Theatreworks show disappointed, and I feel like this exciting season coming up will bring no exceptions. Check out the dates for their current season, and start making your season plans for next year. Go see a show!

[brothermarc7theatre]

"Fun Home" show #755

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley continues their 49th season with the Tony-winning musical, Fun Home, a musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s incredibly vulnerable, biographical graphic novel of the same name. A brilliant and, at times, catchy score by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron matches the well-paced, smart book by Ms. Kron, and director Robert Kelley brings out all the emotional stamina this musical has to offer, showcasing Alison’s nuanced and intimate coming-of-age story at three points in her life.

(Kneeling-Lila Gold (Young Allison), James Lloyd Reynolds (Bruce), Standing-Moira Stone (Alison); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Lila Gold as Young Alison delivers a tender, intelligent, sweet performance as the one who actually gets to experience some love from her father, Bruce. Ms. Gold’s big voice is perfectly calibrated for Ms. Kron and Ms. Tesori’s score, highlighted well in sound and acting in “It All Comes Back,” and a fully-realized “Ring of Keys.” The depth of understanding Ms. Gold gives is mature beyond her years, a product of smart casting and sensitive direction. Throughout the college years, the audience gets to enjoy Erin Kommor’s performance as Medium Alison. Ms. Kommor has a keen sense of comedic timing in her delivery of the book’s more snarky one-liners, and nails the genuine ignorance of what it means to be a newly-out lesbian in a college setting. Ms. Kommor’s journey of coming to grips with and understanding what being a lesbian means to her, to her parents, and to her first love, Joan, is palpable and alluring, a journey the audience wants to go on with her. Her vocals are sublime, especially in the exhaustingly loving, “Changing My Major.”

(Erin Kommor (Medium Alison); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Moira Stone delivers a complicated-yet-approachable performance as Alison, the narrator/character who utters captions throughout the play to further the subtext of a particular moment or image. With enough musical time to not just be an acting turn, Ms. Stone’s inflection and tone in “Telephone Wire” is a culminating realization of what opportunities she’s missed with her dad, and a haunting foreshadowing of the little time she has left with him. Alison’s brothers, who we only see alongside Small Alison, serve as excellent comedic relief. The opening night performance I attended brought Jack Barrett as Christian and Billy Hutton as John to the stage for a gloriously rousing performance in a rocking rendition of “Come to the Fun Home.”

(On Floor-Billy Hutton (John); In Casket- Lila Gold (Young Alison), Jack Barrett (Christian); Standing- James Lloyd Reynolds (Bruce); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Ayelet Firstenberg and Michael Doppe deliver excellent supporting performances as Joan and Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy, respectively. From her first entrance, Ms. Firstenberg embodies the natural subtleties of being a self-titled dyke without falling into stereotype. Ms. Firstenberg’s chemistry opposite Ms. Kommor is immediate, flirty, and dramatically believable throughout her performance. Mr. Doppe is the king of chameleons in his multi-role track. His vocals receive the shimmering highlight they deserve in his leading of a psychedelically lively “Raincoat of Love.” His chemistry, as Roy, opposite James Lloyd Reynolds’ Bruce has a layered distinction between willingness and expectancy that colors the scene nicely.

(Ayelet Firstenberg (Joan) and Erin Kommor (Medium Alison); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Mr. Reynolds’ Bruce is a dynamite performance, one that carries the show in an appropriately callous fashion. Bruce’s self-involvement and desire for more/new is made crystal clear in scene and song, and Mr. Reynolds delivers Bruce’s cold-hearted, academically condescending demeanor extremely well. Every song Mr. Reynolds embarks on gives the audience more and more insight into Bruce’s true character and internal struggle; and it is in the unsuspecting “Bruce at the Piano” scene and song where his inevitable downfall starts to take hold of the audience, Medium Alison, and Alison as she watches and reflects. Mr. Reynolds delivers a phenomenal “Edges of the World,” making a choice to garner the little amount of sympathy his character is entitled to have rather than just using the song as a reflective piece. Crissy Guerrero is an incredible Helen, mother to the Bechdel children and wife to Bruce. Ms. Guerrero masterly portrays the inner turmoil of being in a marriage that is ridden with affairs and other secrets with a sequence of well-chosen moments to unleash her anguish. Her torch number, “Days and Days,” is an acting class in how a soliloquy can be more than just notes and phrasing, but a monologue of emotion and revelations.

(L to R: Ayelet Firstenberg (pictured as a Back-up Dancer), Michael Doppe (pictured as Bobby Jeremy), Erin Kommor (pictured as a Back-up Dancer); Kneeling: Lila Gold (Young Alison); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Giving balance to Mr. Kelley’s excellent direction is Dottie Lester-White’s wonderful choreography and associate direction. “Come to the Fun Home” and “Raincoat of Love” serve as necessary turns of bouncy tune and fun-loving amusement breaking from the dramatic telling of Alison’s story. Andrea Bechert’s scenic design is deserving of its own applause, as she maintains the intimacy of Fun Home while still accenting the extremely polished and supreme cleanliness and look Bruce demands of his household, with strong emphasis on “demands.” Steven B. Mannshardt’s lighting design is incredibly smart, knowing when to flash the washes and specials and when to pull back in a less-is-more type computation. The back-and-forth between spot and shadow in “Telephone Wire” is so perfect it makes the intimacy of the duet/scene flourish with simplicity and dynamic attention.

(L to R, Sitting: Billy Hutton (John), Jack Barrett (Christian), Crissy Guerrero (Helen); Standing: James Lloyd Reynolds (Bruce); Photo credit: Kevin Berne)

Fun Home is only as fun as you make it; it’s a story grounded in truth and vulnerability, it will make you laugh, think, cry, and applaud. Mr. Kelley and company have done justice to this important musical, and I can’t stress enough that it is in your best interest to come visit the fun home.

Details:

Fun Home runs through October 28th

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts in Mountain View, CA

www.theatreworks.org

[brothermarc7theatre]

Season Announcement Wednesday

This week's highlighted theatre company is one that I ALWAYS come back to. Their production values, their title selections, and the talent they cast are reason enough to commit to seeing every show they do. I had the pleasure of seeing their season opener last weekend (review coming later this week/weekend) and was very moved by the play and the performance. It is with glee that I present the 2016/2017 season for TheatreWorks!

Shows/Dates: Outside Mullingar (Currently running - October 30th); Daddy Long Legs (November 30th - December 31st); Crimes of the Heart (January 11th, 2017 - February 5th, 2017); Calligraphy (March 8th - April 2nd); Rags (April 5th - 30th); Hershey Felder, Beethoven (June 7th - July 2nd)

Venues/Address: Mountain View Center for Performing Arts @ 500 Castro Street, Mountain View 94041

                             :Lucie Stern Theater @ 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto 94301

Website: www.theatreworks.org

Facebook: "Like" them at- TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Twitter: "Follow" them at- TheatreWorksSV

Description: The renowned name of TheatreWorks is a Bay Area staple of professional theatre. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of attending their productions of Opus, title of show, The 39 Steps, The Light in the Piazza, The Mountaintop, Once on This Island, 2 Pianos 4 Hands, and most recently, Outside Mullingar. I can't stress enough how blessed the Bay Area, specifically the Peninsula, is to have TheatreWorks in its backyard. Take advantage this season by hurrying onto their website and book tickets to the next show you can see. Go see a show!