Emerald Entertainment is looking for individuals that like to serve on the twelve member jury in it’s play A MOTHER’S PLEA. We are in need of six (6) indiviuduals to be part of the 2pm performance at the Fairfield Community Arts Center on Saturday April 25th. If interested please email Greg at emeraldtrulyblessed@yahoo.com
Monthly Archives: April 2015
SPRING AWAKENING Review
Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.
Tyler Kuhlman as Melchior and The Boys.
SPRING AWAKENING presented by Xavier University through April 19. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the Friday performance.
For its final show of the school year, Xavier mounts an impressive production of SPRING AWAKENING. The show is smartly directed by Stephen Skiles. The tone and emotion of the show is spot on throughout the performance.
Griff Bludworth as Moritz & Molly Hiltz as Melchior’s mother.
The entire ensemble is strong, focused and fully-committed to their performances. Both Maya Farhat as Wendla, and Tyler Kuhlman as Melchior, are vocally-strong in the roles. Their scenes together work very well. Gliff Bludworth’s turn as tragic Moritz is moving and emotionally touching. Megan Hostetler has a great stage presence and a powerful voice as Ilse. Molly Hiltz and Sean Burlingame show great versatility in their numerous adult roles. Hiltz gives Wendla’s mother and Melchior’s mother two very distinctive and easily identified personalities.
Megan Hostetler as Ilse and the Girls.
Favorite musical numbers include “The Bitch of Living,” “Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind,” and “Those You’ve Known.” The staging of the finale, “The Song of Purple Summer” was a very satisfying end to the production. The choreography by Dee Anne Bryll pays homage to the Broadway production while keeping it unique. Music director Scot Buzza does great work with the vocalists and in leading the orchestra. Thanks to sound designers Cam Mitchell & August Dice there was a great balance between the music and vocals.
Molly Hiltz & Sean Burlingame as The Administration.
On the visual side, the subtle church theme of set designer Alana Yurczyk was complimented by the work of lighting designer Alice Trent. Costume designer Kathleen Hotmer kept the show rooted in the proper time period.
This is the second production I’ve attended at Xavier University. Trust that I will be coming back for their upcoming season.
Congratulations to all on a great night of musical theater.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
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DEATH AND THE MAIDEN Review
Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.
Annie Fitzpatrick as Paulina Salas. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
DEATH AND THE MAIDEN presented by Diogenes Theatre Company through May 2. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening performance.
I’ll give you four excellent reasons to see this show: Annie Fitzpatrick, Michael G. Bath, Giles Davies & Lindsey Augusta Mercer.
Annie Fitzpatrick as Paulina Salas & Michael G. Bath as Gerardo Escobar. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
Paulina Salas begins the show as an emotionally-damaged shrinking violet. Fitzpatrick does excellent work in transforming Paulina into an emotionally-damaged women driven to confront and overcome the abuse she has experienced. Perhaps with a small side of crazy. 🙂
Giles Davies as Roberto Miranda. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
As Paulina’s rising politico husband Gerardo, Bath strikes a great balance as put-upon husband, caregiver and negotiator. The scene between the couple, where the events of 15 years ago are finally addressed, is emotionally charged.
I am always excited to see Giles Davies return to the Cincinnati stage. And for me, rare are the times I get to see him in a contemporary role. As Roberto, the victim of Paulina’s, umm…ire, Davies excels in projecting an innocent man, while still having audience members question Roberto’s truthfulness. The physical demands of the role are well-met as well.
Annie Fitzpatrick as Paulina Salas & Giles Davies as Roberto Miranda. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
The staging by director Lindsey Augusta Mercer is simple, yet effective. Mercer has a talent for bringing out dynamic and exciting performances from her actors. This show, combined with her work at New Edgecliff Theatre and Queen City Queer Theatre Collective has, for me, made the young director one to watch.
Annie Fitzpatrick as Paulina Salas & Michael G. Bath as Gerardo Escobar. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
The ocean sounds and blowing fabric nicely establish the locale. The lighting design by Richard Riley Noble works extremely well with Sarah Beth Hall’s scenic design. Great work by sound designer Doug Borntrager, prop master Tenley Pitonzo and stage manager Zavarie Z. Irons.
Overall, an excellent, intense, gripping drama that is a highlight of the season.
Please note that after this weekend, there are no performances the week of April 20. DATM returns to the stage April 29-May 2 for it’s second and final week of performances.
My rating: 4.75 out of 5
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HONOUR Review
Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.
Hannah Rahe as Sophie & Peggy Allen as Honor.
HONOUR presented by Women in Theatre through April 18. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening Sunday performance.
Peggy Allen is strong as Honor, a woman who is abruptly left by her husband after 30+ years of marriage. Her portrayal through the “stages of grief” is emotionally true and very believable. Dennis Blom did well as Gus, but there were times when the script seemed to get away from him. As Claudia, Patricia Mullins does well with the ambition and self-assured arrogance of the character. At times, her line delivery lacked a bit of spontaneity. I also felt a bit of apprehension by the actors in the scenes where Gus and Claudia are together as a couple. Hannah Rahe’s performance of Sophie immediately reminded me of someone I’ve worked with in the past. The character choices were spot on for the role, I just wanted a bit more vocal variety in your speech.
Dennis Blom as Gus & Patricia Mullins as Claudia.
Directed by Donna Hoffman, the tone and blocking of the show were well done. The re-figuring the set pieces and simple additions of few items worked well for the location changes. There is an old, local, community theatre joke about using a couch center stage, facing the audience, due to sight-line issues. The cast did well in keeping themselves open to the audience when using it. In a couple scenes, when the actors stood in front of, and parallel to the couch, they tended to stay in profile a bit too long. If one actor could pull downstage on the diagonal a bit, it would help.
Despite some limitations of the found performance space, the production is solid and offers an interesting look at love vs. passion.
My rating: 3.5 out of 5
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Xavier University Theatre Announces 2015-16 Production Season
(CINCINNATI, April 17, 2015) – In its second year as a degree program, Xavier University Theatre announces its largest production season to date. Featuring two Broadway musicals, a world premiere, two classics and an edgy contemporary drama, Xavier Theatre’s 2015-16 season continues to be an exciting place for educational and professional collaboration.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this upcoming slate of shows,” says Xavier Theatre Director Stephen Skiles. “Not only are we bringing to the stage a series of important and diverse stories, but we also will be working with some of the best directors our region has to offer. Next year’s season embodies the professional collaborations and challenging productions that Xavier Theatre seeks to bring to its students and audiences.”
The season opens with the popular and hilarious Broadway musical THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. Ever wanted to fit in? Ever thought that second place wasn’t good enough or that winning could finally help you figure out who you are? THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is the story of a group of socially awkward kids finding joy, heartache and a purpose competing at the regional spelling bee. Winner of the Tony and Drama Desk awards for best book, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience. The 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE will run Oct. 22 to 24, 2015, and is directed by Stephen Skiles.
Xavier Theatre will welcome former Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Producing Artistic Director Ed Stern to campus to direct Kenneth Lonergan’s THIS IS OUR YOUTH from Dec. 3 to 6, 2015. THIS IS OUR YOUTH follows three wayward young people as they navigate 1982 New York, recreating their broken homes in both their dysfunctional friendships and their bungled attempts at finding love. THIS IS OUR YOUTH is a living snapshot of the moment when young people first find themselves on the threshold of adulthood — when they are far more sophisticated than their parents realize and far less effectual than they themselves can possibly imagine. THIS IS OUR YOUTH reminds audiences why The New York Times calls Kenneth Lonergan “arguably the most important American playwright of the last 20 years,” and why Slate calls him “the most potent dramatic voice of his generation.”
From Feb. 17 to 28, 2016, Xavier Theatre will present a series of three plays in repertory, including two classics and a world premiere written by theatre major Tatum Hunter. First is August Strindberg’s MISS JULIE. On Midsummer’s Eve, Miss Julie, a young noblewoman, enters into an illicit affair with her father’s valet, Jean. Worldly and cultured, Jean by turns spurns and encourages Miss Julie’s flirtation, eventually initiating a relationship of disastrous consequences. Written in 1888, Strindberg’s masterful exploration of sex, class and power asks who in the battle of the sexes is really the servant and who the master. MISS JULIE is directed by Torie Wiggins.
Bruce Cromer will direct Harold Pinter’s BETRAYAL. For seven years, Emma and Jerry engage in a passionate love affair, deceiving their spouses, each other and, at times, even themselves. It is ultimately revealed that Emma’s husband, Robert, has known about the affair for years without ever saying a word. Was this his betrayal, or his revenge? As memory reels backward toward the moment the affair started, the lies tangle into a web of deception, and betrayal begets betrayal. One of the 20th century’s most influential dramatists, Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter innovatively explores the complexities of love, guilt and duplicity in this Olivier Award-winning classic.
The world premiere production of EVE, by Tatum Hunter and directed by Bridget Leak, rounds out the repertory offerings. After losing everything in an apartment fire, Marianne and Aaron are forced to get serious about their lives and their relationship. However, their decision to reach out to Aaron’s wealthy parents for help only makes things more complicated as painful memories resurface and threaten their future. While Marianne and Aaron’s mother Eve fight to keep him close, both women struggle to reconcile what they want with what they’ve lost. EVE is a sharp examination of how motherhood shapes the lives of two women and asks what it really means to lose a child.
The 2015-16 season closes April 21 to 24, 2016, with Jonathan Larson’s rock musical RENT. RENT follows a group of bohemian artists as they struggle to maintain their friendships, ideals and way of life in New York’s East Village. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, RENT is an inspiring story about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today that has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates.
Tickets for 2015-16 season productions are available now through the Xavier University Theatre Box Office. Tickets are $17 each for adults and $12 each for students, as well as Xavier faculty and staff. Subscription packages also are available. To purchase tickets, visit www.xavier.edu/theatre or call 513-745-3939.
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Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 