"Oklahoma!" opens this weekend at Town Theatre - a preview by August Krickel

Oklahoma!  - yes, the exclamation point is part of the title - is one of those those shows that everyone knows by heart - or do they?  It's part of our shared cultural heritage, and most of us can probably sing the first line or two of the title song, since it actually begins with the title.  You know, "O-o-o-o-o...klahoma, where the... something something goes something something..." and that's where our memories start to cloud.  It's actually now  the official state song of Oklahoma. A few of us may also connect the familiar song "Oh What a Beautiful Morning," to the musical, and might even know the next line "oh what a beautiful day," and the basic tune. We may even have heard or used the expression about the corn being "as high as an elephant's eye," whether or not we knew its source. Having been a mainstay of high school and community theatre repertoires for decades, Oklahoma! is something we all know backwards and forwards.

Or is it?  I fell into that trap too, realizing only recently that I have never seen the show live, and to my knowledge have only seen the famous film version once, when I was in 5th grade or so.  And in those days I was much more interested in spotting the mom from The Partridge Family  (i.e. Shirley Jones) in the lead, playing opposite the real-life father of one of the girls from Petticoat Junction (i.e. Gordon MacRae, father of Meredith), with Mr. Douglas from Green Acres (Eddie Albert) providing comic relief.  Then I realized that for years, I've been mistakenly thinking one of the big hits from the show, "People Will Say We're in Love," was from South Pacific!  That's not too bad a lapse, though, since the same composers, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, wrote both.  Along with Sound of Music, The King and I, and the tv Cinderella. Wait, the same guys wrote all of those?  Exactly.  Meaning that Oklahoma! may be worth a little more attention than we might naturally be inclined to give something that we think is so familiar already.  Especially since it's opening at Town Theatre in just a few days, featuring some of Columbia's top talent.

Would you believe Hugh Jackman - yes, The Wolverine - starred as the lead, heroic Curly the cowboy,  in a London revival in 1998?  Yep, he was doing big musicals long before the film of Les Miserables. When that version transferred to Broadway in 2002, Curly was played by Patrick Wilson.  Yes, the second Nite Owl in Watchmen!  That revival was nominated for many Tony Awards; the Tonys didn't exist yet when the musical first came out in 1943, but it's a frequent nominee and winner whenever it's revived. Harry Groener was even nominated for a Tony as Will (the juvenile love interest in a subplot)  in a 1979 revival, and yes, that's the guy who later played the evil Mayor of Sunnydale on Buffy (well golly!)  so there's that.

So why is Oklahoma! such a big deal?  The music of Rodgers and Hammerstein is certainly a large part.  This was their first collaboration together, after many hits with other writing partners. How it came into being is fascinating though. The story was originally a non-musical play from 1930 called Green Grow the Lilacs, that wasn't a big hit, even though it was about settlers in Indian Territory only a few decades removed from when that was actually happening, and even though there was serious star power in the cast:  future film star Franchot Tone as Curly,  future country music star Tex Ritter (yes, father of John!) as a cowpoke, and Lee Strasberg (yes, the Method acting teacher, and Hyman Roth in Godfather II !) as a comic peddler.   Producers saw a summer stock production of Lilacs, years later, that incorporated authentic square dancing and folk music from the period/locale, and thought this might make a better musical than straight play.And boy did it.   It ran for more than five years, a  record for Broadway in those days, unbroken for twelve years, and was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize. And this was right in the middle of World War II, when there were plenty of other things on the public's mind, and not a lot of disposable income for entertainment.  The two biggest components that both critics and audiences raved about then, as now, were the way in which the songs and dances became an integral part of the story-telling process - previously musicals often just stopped the action long enough for the leads to break into song, as a chorus entered to back them up - and an unheard-of extended ballet sequence (it's part of a dream that plays out live on stage) choreographed by Agnes DeMille, one of the titans of the dance world in those days.

So that's the show.  What's special about this production?  I'd say the people - lots of good folks that Jasper loves are in this one.   Frank Thompson directs - he's better known as a prolific comic actor, appearing as everyone from Captain Hook in Peter Pan to Igor in Young Frankenstein,  but he has directed shows like Chicago and A Christmas Story at the Kershaw Fine Arts Center,  Ho Ho Ho at Columbia Children's Theatre, and 9 to 5,  Stand By Your Man, and South Pacific at Town Theatre.  Plus he brought his Chicago cast to perform at the first even Jasper ever held at the Arcade, back in early 2012.   I had just recently met him, after reviewing him in Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, and making some wisecrack about how ironic hipsters from the Whig would douse themselves in lighter fluid and look for lighters rather than sit through that show's wholesome Christmas music... and he still thought he got a good review!  Well, he did, after a fashion.  Christy Shealy Mills choreographs, and we interviewed her last spring for this blog; you can still read all about her here. Daniel Gainey is music director, and he's done outstanding work as both actor (in In the Next Room at Trustus and Legally Blonde at Workshop) and as music director for shows like Songs for a New World and Camp Rock the Musical at Workshop. Lori Stepp is costumer,  Danny Harrington is scenic designer, and we profiled  him in the July 2012 issue of Jasper - there's an expanded version of that story here.

Then there's the cast. Heroine Laurey is played by Haley Sprankle.  Yep, one of Jasper's new interns, whose work has already appeared on this blog twice in the past week.  The first time I ever saw her on stage was in the ensemble Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; as the curtain opened, she and several other dancers were frozen in place, and her extension went up to Mars.  A few months later I wrote of her in Grease:   "She has one of the stronger voices in the cast (you can always tell where she is in group numbers) and is one of the better dancers as well. Add comic timing to that, and Sprankle is a remarkable triple threat."    Two years after that I wrote this about her performance in Biloxi Blues:  "Winsome Haley Sprankle shines as Daisy, the adorable sort of red-headed Catholic school girl that we’d all go fight Hitler for in a heartbeat."  In other words, I was a fan long before she came aboard the Jasper team.  Bryan Meyers, who was in the cast of Les Miserables (winner of the Free Times Best of Columbia award for best production) plays Curly opposite her.  Will Parker, the second lead, is played by Parker Byun, who's done good work in plenty of shows recently, including playing the lead in Tarzan the Musical last year.

But wait, there's more!  Haley's father Rob Sprankle, who joins Jasper as a staff photographer in the issue that comes out in about 48 hours, plays the peddler Ali Hakim.  He's had roles ranging from the King in The King and I  to Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Opposite him (in a triangle with the Will character) as Ado Annie  is Sirena Dib, seen as Fiona in Shrek the Musical this past spring, as the lead in Cinderella at Workshop, and as Martie in Grease when Haley Sprankle was playing Frenchy, and Frank Thompson was Vince Fontaine.   She too will be joining the Jasper staff, plus we featured her in the centerfold of the November 2012 Jasper,  along with some other talented young performers.  That same issue also profiled Will Moreau, who plays Annie's father. Other principal roles include Kathy Hartzog as Aunt Eller,  Kevin Loeper as Jud Fry, and Kristy O’Keefe dancing the ballet role of Dream Laurey.

And that, parders, is why I think Oklahoma! is worth checking out. Good people, good material, and the chance to see it done live.   Oklahoma! opens this Friday, September 19 and runs through October 11;  Thursdays through Saturdays are at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.  Tickets are $15-25 and may be purchased by calling the box office at 799- 2510. For more information, visit www.towntheatre.com.

 ~ August Krickel

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Five Guys Named Moe: Workshop Theatre Opens New Season at 701 Whaley - by Haley Sprankle

New beginnings spark for Workshop Theatre as they open their 2014-2015 season with the  jukebox musical Five Guys Named Moe.   The biggest change the company is facing is their new  performance location in The Market Space at 701 Whaley Street.

"Five Guys Named Moe is the first production in this new space," says the show's director, Lou Boeschen.  "No precedents have been set indicating how we should transform this completely empty space into an intimate theatre. This  can be both good and bad. You are open to think outside the box and set the stage any way you  like, but you don't have the experiences of a prior production to show what works or doesn't  work in the space.”

This new space opens up vast opportunities for inventive, fresh new staging opportunities, which add a new level of artistry that audiences may not have seen at Workshop before. Each director is able  to completely create his or her desired environment, allowing a lot of liberties with blocking and  staging.

“When I first started to visualize Five Guys Named Moe, it was difficult not to see it in the  familiar setting of Craft Auditorium at the corner of Bull and Gervais Streets," said Boeschen.  "After meeting with  set designer, Lee Shepherd, I was able to quickly adjust my thinking. I came to Lee with several  ideas about how I wanted the stage area to be arranged with different levels and a dedicated  place for the band. He took those ideas and, using his expertise for building a set off-site and  moving it into a performance space, came up with a fantastic design.”

Not only will the new space be created to fit the musical and the vision that Boeschen has, but it also  must accommodate a live band, which is not always the case with every theatre.   “There will be a live band led by our musical director, Roland Haynes, Jr. He's assembled a quintet of  talented musicians, a few of whom he plays jazz gigs with regularly," explained Boeschen. "The music is the core of this  piece, a character in a sense. It is important to me that the band be a part of the action on stage.  From their bandstand on the right side of the stage area, the cast members are able to interact  with Roland and the other musicians.”

The cast has been rehearsing in the Workshop Theatre rehearsal space on Elmwood Avenue, and will be able to  move into the theatre just a short four days before they open.

“Throughout the rehearsal process, I referred to the ground plan design often when explaining  blocking and spacing to the cast," Boeschen recalls.  "The cast is using some of the smaller set pieces already in the  rehearsal space, which is not much smaller than the area that will be set as a stage at 701  Whaley.  Joy Alexander, the choreographer, has worked hard to create perfect choreography for  this style of show, but she has also kept it very flexible. The first night on the set, Sunday, will  be used for blocking and adjusting choreography spacing. I am anticipating needing to  make a few adjustments, but nothing major,” said Boeschen.

Along with all the adjustments and accommodations that the theatre faces as they debut in their  new performance space, Boeschen will also debut as a director.

“I felt it was time to get my feet wet and direct a show. I didn't want to tackle a huge musical  production my first time at the helm, however, so a small revue-style show seemed like a good  starting point. I submitted my interest to direct and was chosen by the play selection committee  at Workshop to direct Five Guys Named Moe. I love Louis Jordan's music, and the story written  by Clarke Peters that connects the songs is genuine,” said Boeschen.

Although Workshop has produced Five Guys Named Moe before, this new cast brings a fresh  take on the musical.  “There are a couple of names and faces in the cast that audiences will recognize from previous  productions at Workshop, Town Theatre, Trustus and even Opera USC, but we have some  newcomers as well. The guys all have rich musical backgrounds, which is a blessing for a show  like Five Guys Named Moe. I've enjoyed working with both the seasoned performers and the  first-timers, as they each bring a distinct energy and eagerness to the process,” Boeschen said.

Five Guys Named Moe runs September 18-21 in The Market Space at 701 Whaley. Regular priced adult tickets are $22, senior and active military tickets are $20, student tickets are $16,  and children (12 & under) are $12.  Come out for a new experience at a new location with an old friend, Workshop  Theatre.

~ Haley Sprankle, Jasper intern

From press material:

The Story: His woman left him, he’s broke, and it’s almost five o’clock in the mornin’. But don’t be worryin’ ’bout our hero, Nomax. Out of Nomax’s ’30s-style radio pop Five Guys Named Moe. They cajole, wheedle, comfort and jazz him with the whimsical hit songs of Louis Jordan, one of the most beloved songwriting talents of the twentieth century. With more than fifty top ten singles on the rhythm and blues charts, this great composer and saxophonist brought a popular new slant to jazz that paved the way for the rock-and-roll of the 1950’s.

Five Guys Named Moe show dates and times: Thursday, September 18 @ 8 pm Friday, September 19 @ 8 pm Saturday, September 20 @ 3 pm and 8 pm Sunday, September 21 @ 3 pm and 8 pm

Go to workshoptheatre.com to purchase tickets online or call the Box Office at 803-799-6551 between noon and 5:30 pm. Workshop Theatre’s Box Office is located at 635 Elmwood Ave., Columbia, SC, 29201. Box Office hours are from noon to 5:30 pm. Reservations can be made online 24 hours a day through the website.

A sneak peek at the upcoming Midlands theatre season

School has started, football season has started, annual festivals (SC Pride, Rosewood Arts, Greek Festival) are only weeks away, which can only mean one thing:  Midlands theatres are about to kick off their new seasons as well! That's right - while you were lounging at the lake or the beach, or visiting Disney World or your great-aunt Sophie, several hundred local singers, dancers, actors, musicians, and behind-the-scenes artists and technicians were in rehearsals at the numerous professional and community theatres that fill Columbia, just so that you will have plenty of opportunities for live entertainment this fall.  Here's a very quick, incomplete, and imperfect roster of some of the shows coming up.  (Disclaimer: these are simply some of the local theatre groups that have announced seasons, but this is not meant to represent anything definitive. )

Lexington Arts Association (at the Village Square Theatre)

• Grease - September 26 - October 12

• Cheaper by the Dozen - November 7 - November 16

• Christmas in Lexington (non-season, holiday-themed revue) - December 5 - December 14

• Disney's Peter Pan, Jr. - January 30 - February 15

• Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (female version) - March 20 - March 29

• Annie Get Your Gun - May 1 - May 17

Town Theatre

• Oklahoma! - Sept. 19 - 11 Oct. 11

• White Christmas - November 14 – December 7

• Always...Patsy Cline (non-season show) -  January 8 – 18

• Driving Miss Daisy - January 30 – February 14

• Sugar (the musical version of the film Some Like It Hot) - March 6 – 21

• Spamalot - May 8 – 30

Workshop Theatre  (now performing at the 701 Whaley Market Place, i.e. the one-story structure adjacent to the main event hall, facing Whaley Street)

• Five Guys Named Moe - September 18-21

• The Dining Room - November 6-9

• Neil Simon's Broadway Bound (3rd in the trilogy that has included Biloxi Blues and Brighton Beach Memoirs) - January 15-18

• Stick Fly - March 12-15

• Lend Me a Tenor - May 7-10

South Carolina Shakespeare Company

•  King Lear - October 1 -11 at Finlay Park

• The Taming of the Shrew - May (dates tba)

On Stage Productions (located at 680 Cherokee Lane in West Columbia)

• Legends Country Music Show (a country music revue  from Broadway to the Grand Ole Opry)  - September 19- 28

• A Very Second Samuel Christmas - December 12 -20

• Twelfth Night (yes, the Shakespearean comedy!) - February 13-22

• The Secret Garden - April 17-26

Columbia Children's Theatre  (upstairs in Richland Mall)

• How I Became a Pirate - September 19-28

• Jack Frost - December 5-14

• Bunnicula - Feb. 20 - Mar. 1

• Skippyjon Jones in Cirque de Olé - April 10-19

•  Brer Rabbit - June 12-21

Chapin Theatre Company   (performing at the Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College)

• Last Stop Chapin - Sept. 5 - 20 

• 'Tis the Season - October 31 - November 9 (non-season show, performed at the Firehouse Theatre at the American Legion Post - 102 Lexington Avenue in Chapin)

• Suite Surrender - February 2015

• Into the Woods - June 2015

• Noises Off - Sept 2015

USC's Theatre South Carolina (main stage season)

• Ajax in Iraq - October 3-11 - Longstreet Theatre

• Thornton Wilder's Our Town - November 14-22 - Longstreet Theatre

• Brian Friel's Translations - February 20-28 - Longstreet Theatre

• The Three Musketeers (by Alexandre Dumas; adapted by Ken Ludwig) - April 17-25 - Drayton Hall Theatre

USC's Lab Theatre (at 1400 Wheat Street)

•  Good Boys and True -  October 9-12

• The Women of Lockerbie - November 20-23

• The Trojan Women (by Euripides) - February 26 – March 1

• Player King (original play, written and directed by student Ryan Stevens) - April 23-26

USC's Center for Performance Experiment

• Balance (original play by Robyn Hunt, conceived/directed by Steven Pearson, both faculty members) - February 23 - 28

• Macbeth - April 27 & 29

Theatre Rowe's Southeastern Theatrical Arts Bandits (S.T.A.B.)  (not a traditional season, and presenting shows in alternating venues)

• Going Once, Going Twice...Murder!  - August 22 -  October 3

• Haunting at the Old Mill - October 10 - November 1

• John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men - November 8 - 23

Trustus Theatre - Thigpen Main Stage

•  Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike - Sept. 12 - 27

• A Christmas Carol - Nov. 21  – Dec. 20

• In the Red and Brown Water - Jan. 23  – Feb. 7

• Godspell - Mar. 27– Apr. 11

• Other Desert Cities - May 8- 23

• Dreamgirls - Jun. 26  – Aug. 1

• Big City (Playwrights' Festival winner) - Aug. 15-22

Richard and Debbie Cohn Side Door Theatre at Trustus

• The Other Place -  Oct. 17 -  Nov. 1

• Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays -  Jan. 3 - 17

• You Better Sit Down: Tales from My Parents’ Divorce - Feb. 27 – Mar. 14

• Bill W. and Dr. Bob -  May 29 – June 13

...............

Additionally, there are a number of performing groups that do one or more shows a year, including High Voltage Theatre,  the NiA Company, Blythewood Community Theatre, WOW (Walking on Water Productions), La Tropa, and New Life Productions - click on the links to their sites for details on upcoming productions. WOW, in fact, has an event this coming weekend, Fri. Sept. 5 - Sun. Sept. 7, with scenes from past and future productions; details are here.

~ August Krickel

A Train Leaves a Seed - a guest blog by Todd Kemmerling, author of "Last Stop Chapin"

It was January of 2010 and my younger son, Jared, was participating in his first play – Cheaper  By the Dozen - with director Tiffany Dinsmore and the Chapin Theatre Company - CTC’s final production at their long-time venue on Columbia Avenue in downtown Chapin.  Jared was 11 at the time.  Most nights I would be the one to drive him to rehearsal, and typically I would sit near the back of the theatre and read. You might be thinking, “Yeah? So what?”  I know.  Bear with me.

Two things stand out from that time: First, the theatre was unheated, and sometimes the room felt like a winter’s day in New Jersey.  Second, a couple of times each night, a freight train would barge through Chapin, sounding its horn at each and every railroad crossing. As the theatre was located not a hundred yards from the nearest crossing, the rumble of the train – and its horn – would overwhelm all other sounds as it crossed Columbia Avenue.

On one of those nights, when I happened to be standing outside as a train came through, the whisper of a story idea wandered into my mind ... What if?

And so it was on that cold January night that the seed of a story took root in the recesses of my  brain; a seed that wouldn’t begin to grow until the summer of 2012 when I started sketching out the themes, storylines, and characters who would inhabit its world. Upon completion of the first “storyboard,” I quietly shared the premise and scene flowchart with experienced thespian Jim DeFelice. After receiving some quality feedback from Jim and others, I starting writing the story and four weeks later, a clean rough draft of Last Stop Chapin was born.

“So,” you might be thinking, “What is this story about? Will it relate to me?”  Well, the over-arching theme is at the same time simple and complex.  Should I reach for my dreams and risk failure, or should I follow a safer route that provides a more realistic chance for a stable, secure life.  For just about all of us, this is a dilemma that we have faced – or will face – in some form or fashion.

“Okay, but... what’s it about?” Alright -  here’s a synopsis of what you will see and hear on stage:

Since he was a small boy, Tripp Corbett has watched with wonder as the trains powered through his small, rural hometown, all the while dreaming about the amazing places to which they might be headed. Encouraged by his Uncle Mike, Tripp learned to use a battered old guitar and an uncanny ability for songwriting to vocalize those dreams. Now, within weeks of his high school graduation, Tripp’s talents have gained the attention of a major record company. But the promise of travel and a career in music hangs in the balance as Tripp is forced to decide between his dreams and the realities of life – his love for his girlfriend, the demands of a father who lives by a strict code of personal responsibility, and a web of family secrets that threatens to tear the Corbett family apart.

Better?  Good. So, here we are, under two weeks away from the Sept. 5, 2014 world premiere of Last Stop Chapin at the Harbison Theatre on the Midlands Technical College campus in Irmo, SC.  And all I can tell you is that the cast is strong, and, under the directorial leadership of the talented and experienced Jocelyn Sanders, the first edition of the show is coming together nicely. So, for more information and to reserve your tickets,  go to ChapinTheatre.org.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Last Stop Chapin, an original play by Todd Kemmerling, will open Friday, Sept. 5, 2014, at the Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College, 7300 College St., Irmo, SC 29063.

Staged by Chapin Theatre Company and directed by Jocelyn Sanders, this will be the show's debut production after a staged reading last year at Trustus Theatre. Show dates are: Sept. 5-6, 11-14, and 18-20, 2014. All performances are at 8 pm, with the exception of the Sept. 14 performance, which is a 3 pm matinee. Visit www.chapintheatre.org for tickets and more information, and visit the

Cast

Harlan Corbett -- Merritt Vann Abby Corbett -- Cathy Carter Scott Tripp Corbett -- Tyler Kemmerling Rose Pollard -- Shelby Beasley Mike Corbett -- George Dinsmore Walt Harris -- Jim DeFelice Emma Corbett -- Eliza Schneider Cody Bass -- Logan Baldwin Jed Lewis -- Kyle Myers Daryl Matson -- Jared Kemmerling

Production Staff:

Jocelyn Sanders -- Director Jim DeFelice -- Producer Kara Pound -- Stage Manager Tiffany Dinsmore -- Costumer

Show Dates: Sept. 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 (8 pm) Sept. 14 (3 pm) Sept. 18, 19, 20 (8 pm)

FolkFabulous! Festival on the Horseshoe celebrates Native American heritage

The University of South Carolina’s McKissick Museum will present the 2nd annual FOLKFabulous festival on August 23, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in front of the museum on USC’s historic Horseshoe.

This event is free and open to the public.

FOLKFabulous 2014 is the largest gathering of Southeastern Native American artists in the history of the University of South Carolina. The program celebrates the vibrant and diverse traditions of Native American communities in the Southeast by providing Native musicians, artisans, and community leaders a chance to share their stories, songs, and crafts with the interested public. FOLKFabulous is a free, interactive event for the entire family, complementing the exhibit Traditions, Change, and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast.  FOLKFabulous is an outdoor festival where Native American musicians, artists, and community leaders from more than ten different Southeastern tribes will share their cultural traditions.  Participating artists include Keith Brown demonstrating Catawba pottery, Tuscarora music by the Deer Clan Singers, and Cherokee storyteller and stonecarver Freeman Owle.

The Deer Clan Singers of the Tuscarora Nation are led by Dave Locklear with Mark Deese and Chad Locklear from North Carolina. The group, which represents the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina, plays complicated harmonies that are distinctive in the Indian genre including the singing Tutelo-Tuscarora and Iroquois Social Dance Songs. They have performed at Merle Fest, Shakori Grassroots Festival, and the River People Festival. Traditional food will be available from the Native American Café and Pollywogs, and attendees will have numerous opportunities for direct dialogue with artists and community leaders.

Cherokee storyteller Freeman Owle will spend the afternoon telling ancient stories of the Cherokee.  Owle was born in 1946 on the Qualla Indian Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. Owle became a Cherokee historian and storyteller in 1990, and he is an authoritative lecturer, Cherokee elder and demonstrator of Cherokee culture. He has received many awards, including the North Carolina Folklorist of the Year award in 2001, and the Preserve America Presidential Award in 2004. He has lectured to many groups of all ages at the community, state and national levels. In December 2008, he taught the art of storytelling at the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

At FOLKFabulous , enjoy the beauty, skill, and majesty of the flamboyant Fancy Dance, featuring free-style movement with lots of energy, spectacular regalia, and sacred songs from the Northern Plains at this year's FolkFabulous on August 23.  Vibrant-colored headdresses... pulsating drumming... fancy FOLKFabulous 2014 footwork... experience the excitement of a Native American powwow, with the Cultural Arts Ensemble  of the Cherokee Indian Tribe of SC!

Since November 1994, the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois &  United Tribes Cultural Arts Ensemble have been doing performances and outreach in Columbia. The ensemble, lead by Native folklorist Will Moreau, have been sharing Native American dance, music, art, history, and poetry with audiences around the state of South Carolina as an Approved Artist on the SCAC Roster.  They have performed in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina and throughout the southeast region. Their programs entertain, educate and foster a contemporary  image of our nation’s first culture. ECSIUT-Cultural Arts Ensemble’s program combines traditions from various nations, help audiences understand the vast differences between Native American Nations. By sharing the origin and history of the dances, as well as the meaning of their traditional regalia, they provide the audience with authentic interpretations. At FolkFabulous, the Cultural Arts Ensemble will feature specialty dances of the SubMerged Cypress Singers and Dancers from the Tuscarora Indians of North Carolina. The Tuscarora, like the Cherokee, are a southern Iroquois people in this southeast.

By combining live singing and drumming with traditional dances, social dances, and articulate verbal interpretation, they are able to create high energy, exciting programs. Inter-tribal Powwow dance traditions and Iroquois Social dances will be the focus of the performance at FOLKFabulous this year for these dancers,  as they dance to the drum beats of the Edisto Rivers Singers from Ridgefield South Carolina. The Edisto River Singers are the premier Native American Indian drum group in South Carolina. The Edisto River Singers are a southern plains style drum group with a unique sound. With lead singer Andy Spell, each member is an enrolled tribal member of the Edisto Indian Tribe from Ridgeville, South Carolina, from Natchez and Kusso cultural heritage. The group started in 1991.

Native American tribal community leaders, and representatives from their respective tribes, will be hosting interpretive tables directly outside of the Museum’s steps at FOLKFabulous. In addition, the following community leaders will be participating in interactive discussions inside the Museum in the 2nd floor gallery at the following times:

11:35 – 11:55 am

•  Ralph Oxendine, Chief – Cheraw Tribe of South Carolina

•  Lynette Allston, Chief and Potter - Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia

12:55 – 1:15 pm

• Lisa Leach Collins, Tribal Chief and Administrator - Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians

• Peggy Scott, Tribal Vice Chief - Santee Indian Tribe

For a full listing of participants, please visit artsandsciences.sc.edu/mckissickmuseum/folkfabulous-2014.

FOLKFabulous will open McKissick’s newest exhibition,  Traditions, Change, and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast. This exhibit represents year two of McKissick’s Diverse Voices series, which celebrates the traditional arts and folkways of the Southeastern United States. The South is home to a wide variety of deeply-rooted Native American tribal groups, each with its own dynamic history.

Traditions, Change, and Celebration pays particular attention to five primary culture groups: Iroquoian, Muskogean, Algonquin, Mobilian and Siouan, and features the expressive culture of over forty Native tribes throughout the Southeast.   "As artists we celebrate our tribal culture, the family, our heritage, our ancient symbology, the earth, spirituality and the ancient ones, with works of art that brings celebration and joy. The world today is still ‘Native' in the southeast, and we have vibrant new leaders with artistic roots in Native communities. Artistic expression is necessary for spiritual replenishment, revival, renewal and rebirth within our tribal communities and cultures,” explained Guest Curator and 2008 SC Folk Heritage Awardee, Will Moreau Goins.  The historic "Five Civilized Tribes" are featured in FOLKFabulous 2014, and have significant presence in the exhibition including the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and  Seminole. Over 149 objects from 75 artists of over 29 different tribes from the Southeast on display.

There is also a wonderful collection of Pamunkey Indian Pottery from Virginia, who just recently gained federal recognition, highlighting their Chief Kevin Brown's pottery. There is also art from the Poarch Band Creeks of Alabama, The Alabama Coushatta of Texas, the basketry of John Paul Darden of the Chitimacha Indians of Louisiana, and pottery by Bill Harris of the Catawba Indian Nation.

We hope that you will absorb all these individuals have to offer, and use these experiences as ways to reflect upon the diversity of the American South. FOLKFabulous is the opening ceremony for McKissick Museum’s year-long exhibit, Tradition, Change, and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast. All attendees are encouraged to view the exhibit in the 2nd floor  north gallery during your time at FOLKFabulous.

The production team for FOLKFabulous is comprised of:

• Saddler Taylor, Chief Curator of Folklife and Fieldwork, McKissick Museum

• Dr. Will Moreau Goins, CEO of Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina

• Ja-Nae Epps, Visitor Services and Operations Manager, McKissick Museum

• Doug Peach, South Carolina Folklife Program Coordinator, McKissick Museum and the South Carolina Arts Commission

McKissick Museum is located on the University of South Carolina’s historic Horseshoe, with available parking in the garage at the corner of Pendleton and Bull streets. All exhibits are free and open to the public. For more information, call Ja-Nae Epps at 803-777-2876.  This program is funded in part through the support of the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Humanities CouncilSC.

FOLKFabulous 2014 Schedule:

The FOLKFabulous 2014 schedule is as follows! We will be splitting the action between the outdoor stage and the 2nd floor gallery space where you can view our newest exhibit, Traditions, Change and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast.

10:00 - 10:30 - Festival Introduction/Freeman Owle Storytelling (outdoor stage)

10:35 - 10:55 - Gallery Talk on Traditions, Change, and Celebration (2nd floor gallery)

11:00 - 11:30 - Edisto River Singers / ECSIUT -Cultural Arts Ensemble (outdoor stage)

11:35 - 11:55 - Conversation with Ralph Oxendine, Cheraw Indians and Lynette Allston, Nottoway

Indians of Virginia (2nd floor gallery)

12:00 - 12:30 - Interview with Roger Amerman (outdoor stage)

12:30 - 12:50 - Storytelling with Freeman Owle (outdoor stage)

12:55 - 1:55 - Conversation with Lisa Collins, Wassamasaw of Varnertown Indians and Peggy Scott,

Santee Indians (2nd floor gallery)

1:20 - 2:00 - Deer Clan Singers (outdoor stage) ....ECSIUT -Cultural Arts Ensemble& SubMerged Cypress

Dancers (outdoor stage)

2:05 - 2:25 - Gallery Talk on Traditions, Change, and Celebration (2nd floor gallery)

2:30 - 3:10 - Welch Family Singers, Cherokee Gospel Music (outdoor stage)

3:30 - 4:00 - Edisto River Singers / ECSIUT -Cultural Arts Ensemble & SubMerged Cypress Dancers (outdoor stage)and Closing of Festival (outdoor stage)

Sondheim’s “Follies” presented in concert Friday at Town Theatre (Pt. 2) - a guest blog by Charlie Goodrich

 

(In Part 1, Charlie Goodrich discussed his desire for years to produce Stephen Sondheim's Follies live on stage. Here he continues with the casting process.)

I now had 5 more major roles to cast among the “Present Day” characters: Roscoe, Ben, Phyllis, Vincent, and Vanessa.  Several months back, I had approached Jeremy Buzzard about being my musical director.  Buzzard, a brilliantly talented operatic singer, had appeared with me in Les Mis as the Bishop of Digne.  Jeremy enthusiastically agreed.  When it came time to find an “aging” tenor to portray Roscoe, the singer that opens the show with “Beautiful Girls,” it dawned on me that I had Jeremy already involved, and could make use of his gorgeous vocals, despite the fact that he is 40 years too young to play Roscoe.  With a little aging up though, he would be perfect, and Jeremy gladly agreed.  I was having a hard time figuring out whom to cast as the cool and sophisticated couple, Ben and Phyllis.  In my mind, I had 2 great candidates, but they are in their 30’s, not 50’s.  I finally realized, just as with casting Jeremy, that age is only a number, and looks can be adjusted to suit the part.  For Phyllis, I needed an actress that possessed poise, class, a beautiful singing voice, and strong dancing skills.  Phyllis not only taps in “Who’s That Woman,” but also has a tour de force dance solo in “The Story of Lucy and Jessie.”  I approached my own sister Rebecca Seezen, recently seen as Fantine in Les Mis, to take on the part, and she accepted.  For Ben, I needed an actor that is tall, attractive, and intelligent.  I worked with such an actor in Les Mis, Bryan Meyers, who I found to be all of those things, and to possess a beautiful voice.  Bryan enthusiastically took on the part, his first major lead in a theatrical production.  Awesomely enough, he found out last week that he will be starring as Curly in Town’s season opener, Oklahoma, and he joked that I was his talent scout.

Finally, I needed two ballroom dancers to play Vincent and Vanessa, and dance the beautiful “Bolero D’Amour.”  The number, which originated in the first production, has since been cut from most subsequent productions and deemed unnecessary to the plot.  I disagreed.  I find the beautiful dancing embodied by these characters to be a wonderful addition to a score made up primarily of emotional ballads.  My go-to for Vincent was Tracy Steele, who has choreographed me in several productions, and has the perfect sophistication and grace needed for the role. He also is an instructor at Columbia’s Ballroom Company.  He not only agreed to dance the role of Vincent, but to also choreograph the number. For the role of Vanessa, I thought of my friend and frequent director and costar, Jamie Carr Harrington.  I remembered Jamie stating that she enjoys dancing immensely and unfortunately does not have the chance to do so often.  She told me, “To me, dancing is fun because it is freeing.”  I agree with her 100 % and jumped on the opportunity to get her back on the dance floor.  With both of them cast, I was elated and excited to see this dance come together.   While I will touch on rehearsals and choreography in more detail in upcoming paragraphs, it is more relevant to mention the developmental process of “Bolero,” now rather than later.   I watched over a period of several Saturday mornings this summer as Tracy intricately pieced the Bolero together.  With each rehearsal, my excitement grew because this number is going to be a smash! Seeing Tracy’s choreography come to life reinforces exactly why I put this number in my production, because, as Tracy stated recently, “Dance represents a type of freedom.  It’s another language of expression used to convey emotion.  Dance is a conversation without words.”

Then it came the time to cast the younger counterparts of the mentioned “Reunion Attendees.”  All of these casting choices became easy, because once again, there is an abundance of twenty-something and teenage talent in Columbia:  Richard Hahn, a local singer, would portray Young Roscoe; familiar faces from dozens of productions, Sophie Castell and William Ellis, would play Young Emily and Theodore; Erika Bryant, most noted for her portrayal of Cosette in Les Mis, agreed to play Young Solange.  Awesomely, Abigail Smith Ludwig (recently seen in Trustus’ Evil Dead: the Musical) agreed to play the younger version of her mother, Young Hattie.  Ashlyn Combs, fresh from playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid at Workshop,  would also play the younger version of her mother as Young Meredith.  She is joined in the tap dance by immensely talented teenage dancers Kimberly Porth, Zanna Mills, and Alli Reilly, who will portray Young Christine, Dee Dee, and Carlotta, respectively.  Allison Allgood (Shrek, Les Mis, and Lenny in Crimes of the Heart) will lead them as Young Stella.  Matt Wright, fresh from his performance as Donkey in Shrek and newly local ballerina Melanie Carrier, will dance the Bolero with their older counterparts as Young Vincent and Young Vanessa.  Karly Minacapelli, praised as Ellen in Miss Saigon, will beautifully accompany Mrs. Carmella Martin as Young Heidi.  Finally, Kristy O’Keefe, fresh from her performance as Tiger Lilly in Peter Pan will humorously bring to life the lyrics of “Foxtrot,” while her older counterpart sings, as Young Sandra.

The largest “youthful” parts however, belong to the younger versions of our four principles. Ben. Phyllis, Buddy, and Sally.  Young Ben needed the same qualities as his older counterpart, and it was easy for me to envision Anthony Chu, memorable as Bahorel and a Sailor in Les Mis, to take on the role.  Young Buddy, too, needed to be like his older counterpart, and I cast Drew Kennedy.  Drew is most noted as a local singer and guitarist, and was last seen on stage at Town in Joseph.

For Young Sally, I fortunately got to make use of another mother daughter pair and cast Beth Allawos Olson in the part.  Beth not only resembles her mother, but perfectly brings to life the happiness and gaiety of Young Sally.  Unlike her 3 costars, Young Phyllis is the polar opposite of her older counterpart.  She is full of life, bubbly, pert, and ever hopeful.  Susie Gibbons, with whom I have worked with in Annie Get Your Gun, Les Mis, and Shrek, and who possesses a beautiful voice and amazing dance skills, was a natural choice.

The last character I had to cast was neither a former Weismann performer nor a ghostly apparition, but rather a figment of Buddy’s imagination: his young mistress in Texas, Margie.  Usually in most productions of Follies, Margie is played by a member of the ensemble, and is only seen in “Buddy’s Blues.”  However, she is mentioned and addressed by Buddy in “The Right Girl.”  A great idea hit me: why not cast an actress as Margie, and have her appear out of Buddy’s imagination during the aforementioned number.  The very talented Emily Northrop agreed to portray Margie, and is sensational.

Now that I had Follies perfectly cast, it was time to organize my plans for the production.  I made a schedule to get Jeremy working with all of the performers on their music.   Knowing how talented they all are, I knew that even Sondheim would not be too much of a challenge to their wonderful musical skills.  Dance wise, I knew that I wanted to recreate original Michael Bennett choreography/blocking for the majority of the numbers, especially in “Who’s That Woman,” and “The Story of Lucy and Jessie.”  But could I do it myself?  My only experience choreographing to date was one number, “No Time at All,” in the Pippin segment of my Damn Sweet Pajama Cabaret.  But I decided to jump in feet first and tackle the intricate Bennett choreography.  This decision would create my biggest challenge as a director/performer to date.  Luckily, the majority of it is available on YouTube.  Watching the original cast perform these dances hundreds of times, I was able to teach myself the choreography, while perfecting it in front of the mirror in the Town Theatre Green Room.

“The Story of Lucy and Jessie,” is a complicated, quick, but exhilarating song and dance that ultimately won Alexis Smith the Tony Award for Best Actress in 1971.  The choreography that Michael Bennett gave her to work with has been unmatched since, and to me, is the only choreography that makes the number as effective as it should be.  However, for my production, instead of having Phyllis backed by a dozen chorus dancers, I am having her backed by only 2 specifically chosen males. One of them is Young Ben, who embodies the youthful personification of her husband, and represents the reason in which Phyllis fell in love.  The other is Kevin, also played by Matt Wright, who, in the libretto, is a young waiter that Phyllis fools around with at the reunion.

“Who’s That Woman,” the original showstopper in the 1971 production, is perhaps, my favorite number.  Seven former chorus girls began to tap dance, and as the number increases in intensity, the ghosts of these women appear in the background upstage dancing the same dance.  In a burst of brilliance, past meets present as the number reaches a shameless climax.  As the 14 ladies finish the dance, the lights go out, and we see the seven “present day” ladies alone on stage, the ghosts having vanished.

I found this use of past meeting present to be simply amazing, and decided to incorporate in all the numbers that I could.  Therefore, all of the “younger” characters have solos as they perform songs and dances with their older counterparts.  This illusion is seen now not just in “Who’s That Woman?” but also “Beautiful Girls,” “The Rain on the Roof,” “Ah Paris,” “Broadway Baby,” “Bolero D’Amour,” “One More Kiss,” and “Can That Boy Foxtrot.”  While “Bolero,” and “Kiss,” traditionally have always made use of this illusion, the other mentioned numbers have not, and I am excited to bring this innovation to them.  It was important to me that each actor appearing in Follies have his or her time and talent utilized as much as possible.  By doing so, all of my performers can exhibit to the audience why they are 38 of the most talented folks in Columbia.

Now that you know the background on the show, and my reasons in casting, there is nothing else for you to do but see the show! I can assure you that this is going to be a fantastic show.  My actors have worked so hard throughout the summer to present Sondheim’s classic to the Columbia audience for the first time.  Rehearsals have come together brilliantly.

Just to recap, the numbers that you will see performed are: “Beautiful Girls,” (Roscoe and Company) “Waiting for the Girls Upstairs,” (Buddy, Ben, Phyllis, Sally, Young Buddy, Young Ben, Young Phyllis, Young Sally) “The Rain on the Roof,” (Emily and Theodore; Young Emily and Young Theodore) “Ah Paris,” (Solange and Young Solange) “Broadway Baby,” (Hattie and Young Hattie) “The Road You Didn’t Take,” (Ben) “Bolero D’Amour,” (Vincent, Vanessa, Young Vincent, and Young Vanessa) “In Buddy’s Eyes,” (Sally) “Who’s That Woman,” (Stella, Meredith, Christine, Dee Dee, Phyllis, Sally, Carlotta, & Their Youthful Counterparts) “Can That Boy Foxtrot,” (Sandra and Young Sandra) “I’m Still Here,” (Carlotta) “Too Many Mornings,” (Ben and Sally) “The Right Girl,” (Buddy and Margie) “One More Kiss,” (Heidi and Young Heidi) “Could I Leave You,”  (Phyllis) “You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow,” (Young Ben and Young Phyllis) “Love Will See Us Through,” (Young Buddy and Young Sally) “Buddy’s Blues,” (Buddy, Young Sally, and Margie) “Losing My Mind,” (Sally) “The Story of Lucy and Jessie,” (Phyllis, Kevin, and Young Ben) and “Live, Laugh, Love.” (Ben and Company).

The show goes up on Friday, August 15, at 8:00 PM at Town Theatre. Tickets are $10/General Admission, and are available by phone (799-2510) or at the door. Thank you for taking the time to read about a project that is of the utmost importance to me, and I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at Follies!

Selections from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies in Concert

Friday, August 15, 2014 at 8:00 PM

Directed by Charlie Goodrich

Musical Direction by Jeremy Buzzard

All Choreography (After Michael Bennett) by Charlie Goodrich

Except: Bolero D’ Amour Choreography by Tracy Steele

Costumes by Christy Shealy Mills

Scenic/Tech Design by Danny Harrington

Lights by Amanda Hines

Sound Design by Robert Brickner

Stage Manager: Jill Brantley

Assistant Stage Manager: Russell Castell

Dance Captain: Allison Allgood

Pianist: Susie Gibbons

Photography by Rebecca Seezen, Britt Jerome, and Charlie Goodrich

Bringing to life Stephen Sondheim’s "Follies" in concert (pt. 1) - a guest blog by Charlie Goodrich

It all started with Yvonne De Carlo.  Yes the actress, Yvonne De Carlo.  I happened to pick up a book entitled Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time one afternoon in the spring of 2009 during my final semester of grad school in the USC Russell House Bookstore.  I opened it up, looked through a few pages, and knew I had to have this book in my personal library.  That evening, I began to flip through and read about all of the various shows that the authors had designated as “The Greatest.”  When I got to the “F’s,” I noticed a rather long article about a musical simply entitled Follies.  As I read, what caught my eye immediately was that the Stephen Sondheim musical had starred Yvonne De Carlo. De Carlo was an actress that I had been a fan of for as long as I could remember, beginning in elementary school, when I would watch reruns of The Munsters on Nick At Nite. As I went through middle and high school, I became what one might call a “film buff,” and began to watch every classic movie that I could get my hands on.  I began to notice De Carlo in such films as The Ten Commandments and McLintock!  Remembering my fondness for The Munsters, I always watched any and every film I came across with her name in the credits.  Not only was De Carlo beautiful, talented, and a joy to watch perform; she had something so engaging about her, a quality that surely had a lot to do with her stardom.  It always baffled me that such a beautiful and classy lady took on a role as a Bride of Frankenstein-esque horror film housewife, but I was extremely grateful that she did.  Her approach to the role of Lily Munster was by all means brilliant.  I noticed De Carlo’s name and photo in Broadway Musicals, and began to read the article on Follies more in depth.

Follies, as I found, was designated by many critics, as perhaps THE greatest Broadway musical ever produced, despite the fact that it was a financial failure when originally staged in 1971.  It had a very loose script, and primarily focused on a group of former chorus girls and boys attending a reunion at the fictional Weismann Theatre, the night before its demolition.  I began to read about all of the classic show-stopping moments in the original production, including De Carlo’s marvelous rendition of the now classic Sondheim tune, “I’m Still Here.”  I had to hear one of my favorite actresses belt this number, which I read was written specially for her about her life.  Within 10 minutes, I had downloaded the Original Cast recording off ITunes and in less than 24 hours was hooked on Follies.  I began to research the show obsessively. My research was aided in part by the definitive tell-all book on the original production entitled Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies, by Ted Chapin, who worked as the Production Assistant.

The first thing about the 1971 production that I noticed had made it so great was the casting. Everyone among the cast of actors had in one way or another lived the life of the characters that he or she portrayed.  De Carlo, for example, was a former chorus girl that transitioned into movie stardom and now appears on a campy television series, just like her alter ego Carlotta Campion.  Alexis Smith had started out as a ballet-dancing chorine, who went onto a successful career in films that showcased her dramatic and sophisticated capabilities.  This career was not a far cry from the cool Phyllis, her stage counterpart, a chorine turned society woman.  Dorothy Collins, also formerly a chorine and now a warm, witty, and talented television personality, singer, and devoted mother, embodied perfectly Sally, the “everywoman housewife,” with an emotionally crippling vulnerability lurking beneath the surface.  Gene Nelson was a former tap dancing acrobatic movie star, best known for his portrayal as Will Parker in the film adaptation of Oklahoma.  Now retired from acting and dancing and primarily a director and family man, he too mirrors his character Buddy all too closely.  I could go on forever about how each original cast member WAS in fact his or her character, but to save time, I will quickly mention a few noteworthy personalities.  Fifi D’Orsay, former French Canadian chanteuse and comedienne, portrayed Solange, also a chanteuse and comedienne.  Ethel Shutta, a huge Broadway musical star from the 1920’s, played Hattie, who had the same history.  Ethel Barrymore Colt, the daughter of Ethel Barrymore, portrayed Christine, a former chorus girl.  While Colt spent the majority of her career appearing in straight plays and singing soprano arias in supper clubs, she started out as a chorine in The George White Scandals.  Finally, Helon Blount, now a seasoned character actress, portrayed Dee Dee, another former chorus girl.  Before drifting into character work, Blount had been a dancer and Off-Broadway musical star for a number of years.

I soon began thinking about the perfect actors in Columbia to portray this plethora of interesting characters.  I wanted to  direct a production of Follies with the same intricate casting as the original production.  A number of names popped into my head, and while I soon had the entire show cast in my mind, I set my plans aside for a few years.  The time didn’t seem right, and I was not sure of an available venue to direct such a show.  And I didn't feel confident in my directorial skills yet.  It was not until I went back to school to study Theatre,  finishing in 2011, that I felt ready.  I directed a production of Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer at USC’s Benson Theatre.  I also directed an original Bob Fosse revue that I entitled Damn Sweet Pajama Cabaret, while working professionally at The Lost Colony in the Outer Banks.  Upon returning to Columbia in the fall of 2011, I again became super-involved in local theatre.  While performing in numerous productions, Follies always remained in the back of my mind.  With each show I worked on came one or two more perfect candidates for my dream production.  Finally, in 2013, I spoke with a friend, local actor and director Frank Thompson, about the many fundraisers that he organized to benefit Town Theatre, all of which contained his original ideas.  He then encouraged me to approach Sandra Willis, Executive Director of Town, with my vision of Follies as a fundraiser that could benefit the theatre.  Fortunately, Mrs. Willis loved my idea, and we made plans for the production to occur in the summer of 2014.  Obviously mounting the entire show was too big an undertaking for a fundraiser.  However, a concert version of the major hits from the show would be perfect for August, a month between Town’s summer show and its next season opener.

It was now time to choose what numbers from Sondheim’s score I wanted in my concert, and which actors to  invite.  Being faithful to James Goldman’s original Libretto for the show, I wanted to use all original 38 characters, because I knew that there was enough talent to fill these parts in the Columbia area, and then some.  19 of these characters are the reunion attendees that I spoke of earlier, former chorus girls and boys that sang and danced enthusiastically in their youth, but were now retired for the most part.  The other half are the ghostly “young” counterparts of these characters.  Part of the brilliance of Follies is the fact that while the former Weismann performers are attending this reunion, the ghosts of their youth wander throughout the action, sometimes performing, sometimes not, but always serving as a constant reminder, a memento mori if you will, of the natural human occurrence of aging and decay.  These youths physically embody the major metaphor of the show: “all things beautiful must die,” a line from “One More Kiss.”  The innocent rapture of our youth gradually gives way to the harsh and abrasive reality of adult life. Marriages careers, families, etc are never what we envisioned them to be.  Using this brilliant dichotomy, Goldman and Sondheim fashion a show that reflects upon the decay of our society as a whole, particularly in post-World War America.

When casting the “reunion attendees,” I needed 19 local actors of a certain age that had been doing theatre for a number of years and seemed to embody their characters as well as the original Broadway cast members did. The first part I cast was easy, Ruth Ann Ingham as Sally Durant Plummer.  Ruth Ann has been my music teacher, vocal coach, and friend for going on twenty years now.  I could not wait to hear her beautiful operatic voice tackle the classic Sondheim ballad, “Losing Mind.”  Then I asked Andy Nyland, an expressive and talented singer and actor with whom I had appeared in 6 productions to play Sally’s husband Buddy.  Andy has the perfect voice for the part and agreed to join the project. Next, it was extremely simple to cast Kathy Hartzog as Carlotta.  Kathy has been entertaining audiences in Columbia theatres for many years with her impeccable comedic timing and warm personality.  “I’m Still Here,” would be a piece of cake for her.  The rest of the soloist casting began to happen even more quickly:  Nancy Ann Smith to sing “Broadway Baby,” as the wry and witty Hattie; Jami Steele to portray the fabulous Solange and sing “Ah Paris;” Frank Thompson and Shannon Willis Scruggs to portray the fun and adorable vaudevillian couple, Emily and Theodore Whitman, and sing “The Rain on the Roof;”  and Will Moreau to play the humorous former director Dmitri Weismann.   All of these actors are staples at Town Theatre, and the audience will recognize each of them from the numerous memorable roles that they have created over the last twenty years.

I then enlisted Christy Shealy Mills to portray Stella Deems, a former tap soloist and ensemble leader in the former Weismann showstopper, “Who’s That Woman,” which Stella and her friends recreate at the reunion.  Stella is backed up by 6 former chorine tappers in the number, including Sally, Carlotta, and the yet to be cast Phyllis.  The other female characters in the number are: Meredith, the youngest former Weismann Girl; Christine, the former leader of the parade of beautiful girls in the follies opening numbers; and Dee Dee, a serious and confidant former chorine.  I easily found 3 women that could tap dance and bring to life these ladies: Becky Lucas Combs, who I had grown up with, to play Meredith; my cousin and frequent costar Agnes Babb as Christine; and my friend and co-performer Robin Blume as Dee Dee.

I still had a few more roles to cast.  I also decided to expand upon the role of Sandra, who in the original production was a swing understudy, portrayed by the retired Russian ballerina and pin-up girl Sonja Levkova.  I cast a highly talented actress that I had worked with in Elvis Has Left the Building and Les Mis, Resi Talbot, who was relatively new to Columbia theatre, in this role.  I also chose a song that was cut from the original production for Resi to perform: the hilariously smart “Can That Boy Foxtrot.”  “Foxtrot” was intended as Yvonne De Carlo’s big moment, but when the actress couldn’t make the largely euphemistic lyrics work, it was cut and replaced with “I’m Still Here.” The song has become a cult classic over the years, and was included in the Sondheim Revue, Side by Side by Sondheim.  Knowing Resi had the comic timing necessary, I gladly offered her the chance to sing it, and she took me up on my offer.

I also needed to cast the role of Heidi Schiller; an 80-year-old retired opera singer, and the oldest attendee at the Weismann Reunion.  I approached Mrs. Carmella Tronco Martin, the retired owner of Villa Tronco (also my place of employment.)  Mrs. Martin is the daughter of the late Sadie Tronco, who founded the restaurant in 1940.  In her 80s, Mrs. Martin is just as sharp and witty as ever, and at first nervously dismissed my offer, stating, “I can’t sing.”  What Mrs. Martin didn’t know was that I had heard her sing karaoke at an event I helped the restaurant cater a few years back, and knew that she possesses a lovely voice.  When I informed her that she would share the stage with the “ghost” of her younger self, she seemed more confident, and agreed to make her stage debut at the age of 89 (!!) in Follies.  I was delighted, because it is a rare in a production of the show, including even the 1971 production, to have an actress actually in her 80’s play the part.

Coming up in Part 2:  more casting challenges!

Selections from Stephen Sondheim's "Follies" in Concert  goes up on Friday, August 15, at 8:00 PM at Town Theatre. Tickets are $10/General Admission, and are available by phone (799-2510) or at the door.

Selections from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies in Concert

Friday, August 15, 2014 at 8:00 PM

Directed by Charlie Goodrich

Musical Direction by Jeremy Buzzard

All Choreography (after Michael Bennett) by Charlie Goodrich

Except: Bolero D’ Amour Choreography by Tracy Steele

Costumes by Christy Shealy Mills

Scenic/Tech Design by Danny Harrington

Lights by Amanda Hines

Sound Design by Robert Brickner

Stage Manager: Jill Brantley

Assistant Stage Manager: Russell Castell

Dance Captain: Allison Allgood

Pianist: Susie Gibbons

Photography by Rebecca Seezen, Britt Jerome, and Charlie Goodrich

Looking back on six years of reviews and 100+ shows

Six years and six weeks ago - i.e. in May of 2008 - I returned to the world of local theatre reviews.  I had written plenty in the early years of the Free Times (along with interviews, essays, previews of shows, plus reviews of movies, books, even museum exhibitions.)  James Harley was starting a website for independent reviews, OnstageColumbia.com, as The State was scaling back its arts coverage, and he realized quickly that one person can't see everything, and so a number of folks pitched in to help.  (Then Cindi Boiter started Jasper, and asked me to help, which led to even more reviews.)  Since then I have seen a whopping 108 shows(!)  This includes: - 31 of the last 38 shows at Workshop;  27 of the last 47 Main Stage shows at Trustus, 7 shows in the Trustus Side Door (plus a Late Night production, and a staged reading of a new play); 16 of the last 34 shows at Town; 8 of the last 19 shows at Columbia Children's Theatre (plus 2 YouTheatre productions, i.e. performed by children for children); 6 plays at USC, 2 at High Voltage, 2 at SC Shakespeare (including a one-act excerpt done at the Rosewood Arts Festival); one each at Theatre Rowe, On Stage Productions, and Stage 5; a semi-improv dinner theatre performance by the Capital City Killers, and a reading of a new play by the Chapin Theatre Company. That’s a LOT of theatre!

95 of those I reviewed.  The majority of the reviews were written for Onstage Columbia, 68 in fact, and 20 of those were picked up by the Free Times.  Two were online exclusives for the Free Times  - interestingly, both were world premieres of  High Voltage shows - 25 more were for this blog, i.e. What Jasper Said, and one of those was also rerun by the Free Times.  Somehow I managed to see 30 shows last year (including the 2 readings and the one-act) and 17 so far this year.  A conservative estimate is that there were 350 or more shows done locally in that period, i.e. close to 60 done each year, not even counting children's shows, recitals, drama ministries at churches, marionette shows, burlesque, circus and cabaret performances, etc.  So as above, no one can see everything, least of all me.  What follows then is some off-the-top-of-my-head reflections on what I have seen, and what I enjoyed.  (Disclaimer: the following is solely a personal opinion, and not representative of the views of this site, nor this publication, nor anyone involved with it, nor is it meant to represent anything definitive.  And this only refers to shows I did see, not those I didn't.  So if I missed your nephew or niece's appearance as the third daffodil from the left, I'm sure it was dazzling nevertheless. )

Some interesting stats: a dozen plays that I saw were new works, most written by local authors, including Chris Cook’s new adaptations of Dracula and Night of the Living Dead,  Columbia  Children’s Theatre’s original commedia productions of classics like Snow White, Cinderella and Rapunzel, and assorted winners of the Trustus Playwrights’ Festival.  More than half of the shows I saw in this period had roles for actors of color, and many of those shows in fact benefited from color-blind casting. And about time, I might add.

What did I like?  Well, believe it or not, I've seen very few if any bad shows. Columbia has evolved over the decades to where there are literally several hundred talented performers here in town, although some don't do shows that frequently anymore.  More often than not, I see actors' performances surpass mediocre or at best adequate material.   I think this stems from a combination of odd programming choices, dated shows that don't always stand the test of time, and the relative weakness of much of contemporary Broadway.   There have only been maybe 7 shows that I haven't enjoyed that much, and 3 were really old shows (an average of 50+ years old) that were showing their age, 2 were rarely-produced works that came out of regional theatre (i.e. never made it to Broadway, and in retrospect there may have been a reason) and 2 were original plays that might benefit from some re-writing (to my knowledge neither has ever been done since.)  But even those had their moments, primarily due to some great folks in their casts.  I'm not saying everything was a classic, or great literature - but seeing an age-appropriate cast do an energetic production of, say, Disney’s Camp Rock, or elementary-school age kids do an adorable 25-minute production of the Charlie Brown Easter Beagle show, can still be fun if you accept them for what they are.

Yet there were easily 20-30 more that I would feel no need to see again unless there was some particular performer I really wanted to see.  A lot of those weren't really plays - they were musical revues, even if they had dialogue and an ostensible plot.  These too can be enjoyable to listen to, since there are so many gifted singers around.  Still, often I'd be just as happy if they tossed the framing devices and just let the performers just do a cabaret show.

But seriously, what did I enjoy most?  Hands down, Victor/Victoria at Workshop in March of 2011.  Perfect casting, and lightning-fast timing and choreography made this a great experience for me.  Close behind that would be The Producers, also at Workshop, and Avenue Q and [title of show], both at Trustus. Interestingly, some combination of Kevin Bush, Laurel Posey, and Matthew DeGuire were in each of those productions.

Then again, it's hardly surprising to anyone who knows me that my favorites were shows from Blake Edwards, Henry Mancini, and Mel Brooks, a show about muppets, and a show about making a show, since those would have been my favorites at age 10 or 15 too.   It's hard to escape one's own preferences.   Broad comedy, done rapid-fire, with lots of double entendre, has always appealed to me.  Case in point:  I admired the professional quality of shows like Next to Normal at Trustus (I feel sure that I saw a production exactly like I'd have seen in NYC) and Miss Saigon (I suspect Town's elaborate production would rival that of a touring company - maybe not the original one in the 80's, but certainly one that might play the Koger or Township now.)    But I didn't rush out to buy the script or the original cast album.  I appreciated the artistry  and professionalism, even though it may not have been my cup of tea.   And I don’t even consider myself that much of a musical lover – but sometimes the spectacle on stage and memorable songs that set your toes a-tappin’ make for a great experience.

Actually, what I normally enjoy most is quirky, character-centric shows with something to say (which would  be an apt description of [title of show] too), and the very best of those that I have seen in years and years was The Shape of Things, directed by Bakari Lebby - at age 22!! - in two separate and equally excellent productions, first at USC and then at Workshop with a different cast.  Close behind would be the NiA Company’s production of Fat Pig, and A Behanding in Spokane, both done in the Trustus Side Door space, and the Trustus Main Stage production of The Little Dog Laughed.  All  were done on a virtually bare stage with a cast of four actors, which is all you need as long as you have good people.  While I'm at it, I do want to mention the very magical and moving production of Caroline, or Change, at Workshop, quite inspirational in its own way. Honorable mention goes to Dracula at High Voltage and Second Samuel at On Stage Productions for doing an incredible job with very limited resources (i.e. sets, space, and budget.)

Here's another interesting stat:  I have seen Vicky Saye Henderson and Frank Thompson more than any other performer locally in that period:  12 times each (although that's just a fraction of the shows each has done - remarkable, since all of Frank's that I saw were in a period of only three and a half years, as were all but two of Vicky’s.) Charlie Goodrich is close behind with 11, Will Moreau with 10, Bobby Bloom and Giulia Marie Dalbec with 9, followed by Kyle Collins, Elisabeth Baker, Chad Forrister, George Dinsmore, Patrick Dodds, Elizabeth Stepp and Hunter Bolton, all tied at 8. But again, I stress that these were just the ones that I saw them in.

USC's Theatre South Carolina  and the SC Shakespeare Company  both have missions to produce the great works of the stage and thank goodness, because apart from shows there, I have seen only a couple of genuine classics, i.e. things that are taught in English classes. More and more local theatres have to be conscious of box office, which isn't always a good thing, especially if a show chosen for its potential to sell tickets doesn't live up to financial expectations.   So the alternative is to do name-brand shows, straight from NYC, and while I've enjoyed the chance to see these, I just wonder how many will hold up over the next few decades? Romeo and Juliet, for example, is going strong after 400 years, and recent productions of works by Tennessee Williams and Edward Albee still worked just fine. But to me something like Miss Saigon now seems less ground-breaking and more of a traditional doomed love story.    We've unquestionably seen top-notch local productions of some of the biggest-name and biggest-reputation shows from the last few decades,  including lots of big award-winners.  But I keep finding myself writing variations on "well that was fun, but how on earth did it win so many awards?"  And I think back to Pulitzer winners of yore, like Of Thee I Sing, Men in White, Beyond the Horizon, Fiorello, and Seascape.  Wait, what are those shows?  Exactly.

As above, a lot of productions contended with their age, with varying levels of success.  If you've never seen it, it's new to you, as NBC used to remind us during rerun season, and if a theatre knows their audience will support a show that some might think has been done to death, there's no shame in bringing it back, as long as it's done well.   But I have to stress - there were a LOT of fairly recent and disposable pop hits like High School Musical, Drowsy Chaperone, and Shrek which were nevertheless quite entertaining, and which gave plenty of good people good roles in which to shine.

Most promising trend I've seen over the last six years:  talented child and teen performers maturing into adult leading roles.  Also performers migrating from theatre to theatre; everyone benefits when the best actors land the roles they are best suited for.  It's very gratifying to see people from one cast attending a performance of a show at a nearby theatre on their only night off in order to support their friends.  Another terrific trend:  actors normally seen in lead roles being willing to  appear in ensembles; again, everyone benefits, and as anyone who's done live theatre knows, it's not the size of the role... it's how fun your castmates are over 6-8-10 weeks of rehearsals, performances and cast parties.

Most disturbing trend I've seen:  audiences over-inflating their experience.  I've occasionally been accused of "liking everything," but read what I write more closely - I usually say that something is good if that's what you're looking for.    And explain who might enjoy a particular show - fans of country music, fans of slapstick, senior citizens, families with children under age 7, drunk people.   What I see far too often, however, is audience members saying that every show they see is ground-breaking, trend-setting, transcendent, transformative or life-changing.  More likely, the best show you've ever seen in Columbia is about as good as a hundred other good shows that have been done here over the years.  You may just need to get out more, see more live theatre, and read more plays.  I think we also may tend to confuse hitting a high note in a solo with something unique, when hundreds and hundreds of singers in church choirs do it every Sunday morning.

So there are some thoughts after the most recent six years of reviews.  Have I learned anything?  Yes.  A) there are a ton of talented people in the Midlands, and B)  there are thousands of potential audience members who will come see the right show if they are in the mood for it, and will come back for more if it lives up to their expectations.    Yet how much influence does a critic's review have on box office?  Or is the critic's role to interpret and help find meaning in a particular work?  Does one even need a critic's review, and does some random writer's opinion even matter?    All valid questions.... all of which will have to be addressed in some future blog post.  In the meantime, those were some of the shows I enjoyed - what about you?  What did you like?  The comments section below awaits your input!

~ August Krickel

"Body of Work: Faces and Figures" opens at Gallery West Tuesday, July 8

Just as any vibrant summer gathering should be, Gallery West’s fast-forthcoming show is destined to take on qualities of a reunion and a first meeting of new friends – referring to both art and patrons. For a reunion with the past, work - created over three centuries - grace the walls at 118 State Street in West Columbia. New friends will show up as new work in all media; featured will be new work by outstanding Columbia artist Pat Callahan. Patrons will converge for the show opening Tuesday, July 8 with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception hosted from 4 to 8 p.m.

Many Columbians are already familiar with the sensitive and beautifully-crafted figure drawings by Pat Callahan. On view for this summer exhibition will be a selection of Pat's work that showcases her refined viewpoint and poetic drafting skills. Callahan comes to art and to craft through graphic design. Perhaps to balance her computer-based career, Callahan draws a classical subject - the body - in traditional drawing media. She works from life, capturing beauty and strength embodied in her subjects. With descriptive line and gesture she captures exquisitely bodies of weight, ruled by gravity and time.

Among the many other highlights in Body of Work is a small, elegant photograph by internationally acclaimed photographer Edward Weston. This intimate, wistful portrait of Weston's friend, Mary Buff, is contrasted by a large, flashy oil on canvas by New York society portrait painter, Mabel Hatt. Hatt's painting of Evelyn Siegel looks like a direct descendent of John Singer Sargent, and for good reason - Hatt's father was a student of Sargent's. More contemporary is a brightly-colored painting by well-known South Carolina artist Jonathan Green of a family enjoying the beach.

In addition to paintings and photographs, there are numerous works on paper in Body of Work. Of note is a haunting etching by nationally-acclaimed printmaker and former head of the Yale University Art Department, William Bailey. A forceful graphic note is struck in Sigmund Abeles and his print of a mother and child. Among the most geometric works in the show is a large original print entitled, Builders, by renowned American artist Jacob Lawrence.

Side-by-side with these well-known artists will be paintings, photographs, prints, drawings and sculpture by artists of great talent. Gallery visitors will note a 1930s portrait of a young girl by Elsie Budd, an astonishing wood engraving by Alfred Tinayre, or the whimsical sculpture of Tom Soumalainen.

Gallery West has quickly become characterized by its director’s innate talent for unearthing affordable treasures and spotlighting them evocatively in the gallery. Several area artists are also featured in the exhibition, including Russell Jeffcoat, Philip Hultgren, and Bonnie Goldberg.

The exhibition remains on view through August.  Gallery West is located at 118 State Street in West Columbia.  For more information, call (803) 207-9265,  e-mail gallerywest.sara@aol.com , or visit their Facebook page.

~ Rachel Haynie

Horror, Camp, Comedy, and Splatter Come Together in Trustus Theatre’s Gloriously Gory "Evil Dead: The Musical" - a review by Jillian Owens

What could possibly go wrong? Ash (played by Michael Hazin) is just an average S-Mart employee who wants to spend a relaxing spring break at a creepy abandoned cabin in the woods. Joining him on this vacation are his sweetheart, Linda (played by Elisabeth Baker), his jerk of a friend, Scotty (played by Patrick Dodds), his jerk of a friend’s recent hookup, Shelly (played by Abigail Ludwig), and his socially-awkward buzzkill of a little sister, Cheryl (played by Jodie Cain Smith.) When a mysterious trap door in the floor flies open, the fellas decide to investigate.

Unless you’re -- as Scotty would say (and says repeatedly) -- “a stupid bitch,” you’ve probably figured out that this is the standard set-up for countless horror movies, and that there is no possible way for this to end well for our young friends. The group discovers a tape recorder and a very strange book, written in Latin. The bizarrely helpful voice on the tape (contributed by Scott Blanks) reveals that they hold the Necronomicon, a book of the dead bound in human flesh and written in human blood that has the power to unleash an army of some pretty catty Candarian demons upon the world. They, of course, play the transcription of the cursed words and release these aforementioned demons. And what do you do when being attacked by demons? You sing a song (“You stupid bitch!”)

Even the most pedestrian lovers of campy horror films can guess that this musical is based on the three films of the Evil Dead franchise: Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead 2 (1987), and Army of Darkness (1992.) The musical version, (created by George Reinblatt, Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla, and Melissa Morris) was originally produced in 2003 in Toronto, Ontario where its success lead it to Off Broadway in 2006. The musical version combines the plots of the first two films, and contains several Army of Darkness references as well.

The songs in the show are silly and fun, and reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Song titles include, "All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons," “Bit-Part Demon","Do the Necronomicon", and –my personal favorite- “"What the F*ck Was That?" The music isn’t particularly challenging, and it certainly isn’t brilliant, but it’s also not trying to be. The simple score allowed director Chad Henderson to assemble a cast of very funny actors, some of whom are also very strong singers.

Michael Hazin pulls off the role of Ash with a terrific Bruce Campbell (star of the film series) swagger and a commanding voice, and Elisabeth Baker was an obvious choice for the role of Linda, his sweet love interest. She’s also no stranger to musical theatre, and it shows. Matthew DeGuire seems an unlikely Jake (a rugged and sort of sketchy Mountain Man) which makes his role all the funnier and he nails every note. The rest of the cast’s strength lies primarily in their comedic abilities...and that’s okay. Jodie Cain Smith’s Cheryl is hilarious, both pre- and post- Deadite (the term for bodies possessed by Candarian demons), even if some of her numbers pushed her out of her comfortable vocal range. Amy Brower is the most melodramatic archaeologist you’ll ever meet, with some serious wardrobe malfunctions that lead to much laughter, and Patrick Dodds is a complete and utter jerkoff as Scotty, which in this case is a compliment.

Evil Dead: the Musical is the definitely the first musical I’ve ever been to that featured a “Splatter Zone.” That’s right - this stage adaptation maintains the high levels of campy gore established in the films, and if you’re feeling particularly fearless, you can choose to be covered in fake blood as the body count rises. You’ll also get to see a beheaded corpse with a grudge, a feisty dismembered hand, and a really unpleasant evil moose. Scenic Designers Brandon McIver and Baxter Engle and Prop Designer Jillian Peltzman have made this production a 4-D experience.

Evil Dead: The Musical is a must-see for horror fans, fans of all things funny, and fans of really strange musical adaptations. Go ahead...heed the calling of the Deadites...Join Us...at Trustus Theatre.

~ Jillian Owens

Evil Dead: The Musical runs through Saturday, July 26; call 803- 254-9732 or visit www.trustus.org for ticket information.  Also, be sure to check out the artwork of Sean McGuinness, aka That Godzilla Guy, the featured artist in the Gallery at Trustus for the run of the production.

"Simple Cindy" - Melissa Swick Ellington reviews the new original children's musical at On Stage Productions

On Stage Productions presentsSimple Cindy: A Full Fledged Musical? at their West Columbia  location with five more performances June 19-22. This original musical represents a unique collaboration between writer and theatre director Robert Harrelson and his young niece Sydney Porth. About five years ago, Harrelson wrote the book and lyrics for Simple Cindy and offered his then eight-year-old niece the opportunity to compose the music. Just fourteen years old and attending Governor’s School for music this summer, Porth has musical theatre experience well beyond her years.

Celebration of youth and emphasis on learning characterize the welcoming theatre community of On Stage Productions.  In addition to providing a forum for a young teen composer’s appealing music to be realized in full production, Simple Cindy also features the capable work of a high school student (Ryan Rogers) as the show’s director. The cast of Simple Cindy includes first-time actors as well as youngsters with more extensive theatre backgrounds. All performers are valued and encouraged in this engaging production, as Harrelson and his company of hard-working parents and theatre supporters create potentially life-changing opportunities for young people.

Simple Cindy’s script brings numerous classic tales together; children in the audience will be delighted to recognize familiar characters such as Dorothy, Snow White, Wendy, Goldilocks, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and more. With the help of an energetic Narrator and a friendly Musician who endeavor to manage the lively characters, Cindy explores “the real story” of her life. Clever revisions to the well-known tale abound, such as silver slippers because “glass is so dangerous.” Families will appreciate the gentle nature of this play that encourages kids to “make a wish with all your heart, and you will see the magic start.” The performers’ sincerity is strong and touching.

Hannah Presor plays the role of Cindy with great charm. She exudes comfortable stage presence during interactions with fellow performers as well as appreciative viewers. (My young daughter eagerly volunteered to follow Cindy onto the stage during an audience participation sequence, and was determined to give Cindy a rose after the show.) Macey Coats shares infectious energy and a lovely singing voice as both the Narrator and the Godmother; she also does fine work as the show’s choreographer. Katie Edelson creates memorable characters as the Musician and Glenda, Olivia Lesniak becomes an expressive Dorothy, and Grace Beasley plays a sweet Wendy. Emma Yankowitz is charming in three roles (Rapunzel, Young Cindy, and Old Lady), while Danielle Mejias (StepMother), Gracie May (Antasheneezia) and Mia Coats (Drowzilla) embrace their outrageous characters with gusto and flair. James Conner Rabon as the Prince communicates volumes with his humorous facial expressions while dancing with the would-be princesses.

The cast also includes Izzie Cruea, Carrissa Mejias, Maddie Cruea, Pierce Mejias, Alana Armstrong, Dominick Campbell, Victoria Harbin, and Brianna Northcutt. Every performer appears confident on stage. Take it from this former drama teacher – that is one remarkable achievement.

Opportunities for audience interaction abound but never overwhelm. Viewers are invited on stage to help open a fairy tale book and later to fold clothes with Cinderella. The friendly Narrator thrilled my six-year-old by giving out invitations to the ball during intermission.  Participants can also join the cast photograph following the performance, which was a big deal  for my daughter. (Small children will benefit from front row seats, as the sight lines can be challenging for shorter audience members.)

Simple Cindy is a homegrown delight. Harrelson shares that “We try our best to make everyone feel special at our shows,” and the On Stage community succeeds. When the Prince quizzes her on possible identifying characteristics, Cindy responds with the simple and powerful statement  “I’m just me.” At On Stage Productions, anyone can be “just me” and feel welcomed, included,  and celebrated. During the car ride home following the performance, my daughter confided that On Stage makes her “feel the happiest.” Happily ever after, indeed.

~ Melissa Swick Ellington

Upcoming performances:

Thursday June 19 - 7:30 pm

Friday June 20 - 7:30 pm

Saturday June 21 - 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Sunday June 22 - 2:30pm

For more information, visit htp://www.onstagesc.com, or call 803-351-6751.  The On Stage Performance Center is located at 680 Cherokee Lane in West Columbia.

Columbia Children’s Theatre’s Spaghetti and Meatball Players Stir Up Delicious Fun - Melissa Swick Ellington reviews "The Commedia Snow White"

We’re smack in the middle of that sweltering heat for which Columbia is famous, so thank goodness for the cool, original commedia play at Columbia Children’s Theatre. A rollicking band of players bring to life the meaning of commedia dell’arte, or “the very creative comedy of actors,” as described by the gifted (and hilarious) director and writer Jerry Stevenson. The collaborative nature of this Italian theatre tradition soars through the vibrant efforts of an exceptionally talented cast. Melding popular culture, current news items, Broadway musicals, and classic fairy tales with high energy slapstick, the ensemble sparkles in this gem of a production. Skillfully staged by Stevenson with special commedia choreography by Cathy Brookshire, The Commedia Snow White and the Seven Dwarves features five excellent actors who play traditional commedia characters: Punchin (Paul Lindley II), Rosetta (Beth DeHart, with Kendal Turner in the role for certain performances), Pantalone (Julian Deleon), Columbine (Elizabeth Stepp),and Arlequino (Anthony Harvey). These “Spaghetti and Meatball Players” take on various roles within the story, leading to some nifty meta-theatrical moments (such as Stepp’s matter-of-fact observation on what can’t happen if she’s playing Snow White instead of another role.)

The actors capitalize on the fun interplay of the commedia characters’ tension and discord through the fairy tale framework. Lindley realizes his character’s desire to star in a musical with brilliant commitment and impressive vocals; musical theatre fans will be particularly enthralled by his Broadway mash-up. DeHart’s gift for physical comedy fuels zany sequences like an uproarious running gag with sound cues. Her wicked queen is a hoot, especially in scenes with the magical mirror (the delightful Harvey) who belts out hit singles with attitude. Harvey’s considerable talents are put to good use throughout the engaging production. In a charming performance, Deleon creates effective rapport with the audience as Pantalone the narrator. Stepp achieves both the ridiculous (in a good way) and the sublime in her hilariously enchanting portrayal of the title role. One of the veterans from past commedia productions, Stepp is a marvel onstage; you don’t want to miss her magnificent “All By Myself” breakdown among other triumphs.

Some of the wit (Voltaire, anyone?) will be over the heads of younger children, but there are plenty of jokes that land for the kids while the grownups giggle over references to Instagram, Photoshop, Divergent, and Twitter. My six-year-old loved the wordplay of homonym humor such as “hair/hare” and “pi/pie.” This is definitely a show that works on multiple levels. When Snow White can’t eat gluten or high fructose corn syrup, hilarity ensues. The ingenious staging of the seven dwarves is simply too good to describe – go see the show and be ready to laugh yourself silly.

Production design choices hit all the right notes. Ragtag patched curtains frame anappealing proscenium with simple backdrops for efficient scene changes. Costumes by Donna Harvey and Stevenson evoke the stock commedia characters vividly while also giving a nod to contemporary figures such as a certain well-known animated female mouse. Extraordinary attention to detail went into the sound design (Stevenson) and operation (Jim Litzinger), and David Quay provides effective light board operation. Stage manager Crystal Aldamuy must possess superb organizational skills to keep track of all the mayhem this production instigates.

These actors are quick-witted, clever, and multi-talented (singing, dancing, the ability to turn awesome cartwheels in a big puffy princess gown...) They are also experts at connecting with the child audience members who seek autographs after the show. I continue to be impressed by how the CCT performers relate to individual kids. It is no small feat to deliver a raucous performance and immediately thereafter exude kindness and intuitive understanding of young people.

The only thing I’d like more than attending a performance of The Commedia Snow White and the Seven Dwarves? Watching what must have surely been a laugh riot of a rehearsal and development process. CCT has produced commedia offerings for five consecutive summers; let’s hope for more delicious fun in future from the Spaghetti and Meatball Players.

~ Melissa Swick Ellington

Show Times:

Friday, June 20: 8:00 p.m. Late Night Date Night for Mom and Dad Saturday, June 21: 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. Sunday, June 22: 3:00 p.m

Weekday matinees (perfect for day cares & camps):

Thursday, June 19, 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, June 26: SOLD OUT Thursday, July 10: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 17: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 24, 10:30 a.m.

Call 691-4548 to reserve seats for your campers at a discounted group rate.

For more information, visit http://www.columbiachildrenstheatre.com/.

The cast of "Commedia Snow White" tell all to intrepid reporter Kat Bjorn (age 6 and 1/2)

First Grader Kat Bjorn Interviews the Cast of Columbia Children’s Theatre Commedia Snow White

by Kat Bjorn (with some help from Papa)

Kat’s Papa:  Hey folks, technically this isn’t a review of Columbia Children’s Theatre’s latest production, Commedia Snow White (although visit Jasper early next week for just that - a review by Melissa Swick Ellington) but seriously, you have to see this show—even you adults without kids.  After all, there’s a dwarf named Truculent.  And Paul Lindley II (Punchin) performs several numbers from Cats.  And Anthony Harvey (Arlequino) gets stuck in an infinite regress watching himself as The Mirror.  And Elizabeth Stepp (Columbine) as that “Really Pale Brunette Girl” does cartwheels around Beth DeHart’s (Rosetta) smoking tan Evil Queen.  Also, Julian Deleon (Pantalone) has a Spanish pirate hat that belongs in a Captain Morgan commercial.

Kat Bjorn:  Papa, shhh!!  I’m starting the interview now.

Papa:  Okay, time to turn into a transcriber.  Gotta go.  Seriously, see this show!

Jerry Stevenson, CCT Artistic Director:  How old are you now, Kat?  This is like your 30th interview.

Kat:  I’m six and a half.

Arlequino :  You seem old.

Kat:  I’m just tall for my age.  Who is your favorite dwarf and why?

Pantalone:  Effervescent.  No, Truculent.

Punchin:  Or did you mean the Disney ones?

Really Pale Brunette Girl (aka Snow White):  Dopey.  He’s got a purple hat.

Punchin:  Duck.

Kat:  Duck?

Punchin:  Duck!

[Entire Cast ducks.]

Kat:  Did you mean Doc?

Punchin:  Hee-hee.

Kat:  If there were an 8th Dwarf, what would his or her name be?

[Kat whispers to Really Pale Brunette Girl (aka Snow White).] 

Really Pale Brunette Girl (aka Snow White):  Plumpy?

[Entire Cast exchanges looks with one another.]

Entire Cast:  Plumpy.

Evil Queen:  Hairy.

Kat:  If Snow White wears a yellow dress, why isn’t she Snow Yellow?

[Pause.  Laughter ensues.]

Kat:  What is Commedia dell’arte?

Really Pale Brunette Girl (aka Snow White):  Commedia dell’arte is a form of theatre that originated in Italy in the 1500s—

Punchin:  [in an outrageous Italian accent]  That’s why we have these outrageous Italian accents!

Really Pale Brunette Girl (aka Snow White):  Ahem.  All the characters are stock characters—

Pantalone:  We go great with soup!

Really Pale Brunette Girl (aka Snow White):  Sigh.

Pantalone:  I mean, I run the troupe!

Kat:  Next question.  My Papa said your Commedia dell’arte shows have lots of “ChapStick” comedy.  What does that mean?

Really Pale Brunette Girl (aka Snow White):  Something to do with Ruby Lip Smackers, I imagine.

Arlequino:  Did he mean “slapstick”?

Punchin:  I think she knows what she means.

Arlequino:  [standing]  You minda your own-a business!

Punchin:  [standing, grabs Arlequino’s nose]  No, you minda your own-a business!

[Arlequino roundhouses Punchin.]

Evil Queen:  I think you get the picture.

Kat:  Moving right along.  What’s the next project for the Spaghetti & Meatball players?

Jerry Stevenson:  Commedia Our Town!

Papa:  [to himself]  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Jr.

Kat:  I don’t remember seeing puppets at the Columbia Children’s Theatre before.  What was it like to work with puppets?

Pantalone:  Jerry and Jim have been using more and more puppets lately.

Arlequino:  Apparently they work for practically nothing and don’t complain about union violations.

Kat:  Guess my favorite part of the show.

[Entire Cast spends several hours guessing.]

Punchin:  [exhausted]  I give up…my excerpt from Godspell?

Kat:  When the Evil Queen was on fire.  I also liked it when Pantalone came and sat next to me.  I tickled him with my magic rose.

[Shameless Plug:  Bring $3 so your kid can buy a Magic Rose.]

 

Kat:  Okay, last question.  What does the fox say?

Entire Cast:  Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! / Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! / Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

Kat:  That’s a wrap!  Another slice of pizza, please!

................................

Kat Bjorn is a rising first grader who loves Riverbanks Zoo and Fancy Nancy chapter book mysteries—and math, if you can believe it.

Commedia Snow White runs through June 22 with performances at the following dates and times:  Saturday, June 14 at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.  Sunday, June 15 at 3 p.m.; Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. (late night date night for grown-ups, with possibly a little more mature humor added in); Saturday, June 21 at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.; Sunday, June 22 at 3 p.m. There are additional Thursday matinee performances at 10:30 a.m. on June 19, June 26 (sold out), July 10, July 17 and July 24. Tickets are $10 for adult and children 3 and up. Seniors & Military ticket prices are $8. Tickets are $5 for the Saturday 7 p.m. performance. The Columbia Children’s Theatre is located at the Second Level of Richland Mall, 3400 Forest Drive (corner of Beltline and Forest Drive) - or as they say in Forest Acres, over where the old S&S Cafeteria used to be. Enter the Second Level parking garage walkway and park in Level 2-L for easy access. Call 691.4548 for more information or to reserve tickets for groups. To learn more about Columbia Children’s Theatre , visit http://columbiachildrenstheatre.com/ .

Expecting Goodness Short Film Festival Showcases Columbia Talent

If you're in the mood for a short road trip and short films this weekend then travel up to Spartanburg for the third year of the Expecting Goodness Film Festival. Two films from Soda City will be screened as part of the program this year. So Beautiful, by filmmaker Joshua Foster is adapted from Jasper Editor Cindi Boiter's short story "Alvin & Alvie." So Beautiful tells the story of a father and his struggling relationship with his daughter after the death of his wife. The film is a touching slice of time between father and daughter.

Columbia filmmaker Jeff Driggers presents his short “Happy Hour”. The film centers around the thoughts of one woman in a bar. It is a simple story about a complex character. This is Driggers' second year participating in the festival.

The Expecting Goodness Film Festival will present two shows on Saturday, June 14^th at the Chapman Cultural Center. The first screening starts at noon, and the second will take begin at 7 PM. Tickets may be purchased through the Expecting Goodness website at www.expectinggoodness.com.

"A New York Minute: An Original Musical Revue" - a review (of the revue) by Melissa Swick Ellington

A high school junior. A film producer. A graduate student. A physician assistant. An elementary school administrator. A ten-year-old. These are just a few of the talented cast members lighting up the stage in the vibrant and polished production A New York Minute: An Original Musical Revue at the Village Square Theatre in downtown Lexington. The show provides an enjoyable education in musical theatre history, spanning from the early days of vaudeville up through hits like The Producers, Hairspray, and The Book of Mormon. While familiarity with the full musicals will help audience members connect with some of the humor, anyone can enjoy this show, regardless of musical theatre background. Produced by Fred Holbrook, Janice Holbrook, and Courtney Long, A New York Minute involves over fifty dedicated theatre artists in the cast and crew.

Directors Leslie Dellinger and Vicky Jackson demonstrate the admirable ability to compress a vast amount of Broadway musical theatre history into an entertaining performance. Their combined expertise and knowledge propel wise song choices and clever arrangements. Fluid transitions and skillful staging choices are noteworthy, especially with a large cast in tight quarters. The clever Sondheim versus Webber scene directed by Jolie Frazer-Madge offers a delightful frame for exploring the works of two renowned composers. In a cast of this size and variety, skill levels differ, yet the directors emphasize the ensemble’s diverse strengths.

One of the great challenges in a musical revue involves capturing character depth and particular styles of different shows within just a brief glimpse, and this production succeeds. Rachel Rizzuti reveals magnetic stage presence and a supple voice as beloved characters including Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady and Elphaba from Wicked. Melissa Hanna revs up Thoroughly Modern Millie with gutsy boldness, as Christian McClaran demonstrates remarkable range in contrasting roles -  earnest Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors, and the decadent Emcee in “Wilkommen” (Cabaret.) Tim Privette delivers El Gallo’s wistful wisdom in “Try to Remember” (The Fantasticks) and T.J. Daley becomes a marvelous Nicely Nicely in “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” (Guys and Dolls), while a “women in musicals” sequence brings characters to life from shows like Funny Girl (Courtney Long), Wildcat (Mellie Boozer), and Sweet Charity (Ingram Trexler). Young performers share sweetness and sincerity in well-known numbers including “Where is Love?” (Paul Woodard) and “Castle on a Cloud” (Caroline Quinn). Although the narrative interludes are somewhat uneven and less confident than the musical numbers, actors such as Harrison Ayer, Rae Fuller, and SuzAnne Smithson are particularly successful by engaging viewers as if their monologues are conversations with the audience.

Musical director Camille Jones leads the way for a cast with inspiring singing voices. Group numbers highlight beautiful vocal blend and musicality, as in the melodious “Carolina in the Morning,” and a sprightly Rodgers and Hammerstein sequence. Particular standouts include Jody Jackson’s hauntingly genuine “I’m Still Hurting” (The Last Five Years), Zack Hill’s mesmerizing Pippin solo, a poignant Cole Porter duet by Brian Andrews and Olivia Johnson, and a truly lovely “Tonight” quintet from West Side Story with the extraordinary Katie Gatch and Stephen Fisher, both of whom dazzle in several featured roles (Urinetown, Spamalot). Even short bits of songs can become gems, as in the exquisite “Someone to Watch Over Me” (Gatch and Jody Jackson). Many other individual and group performances are equally notable in this talent-packed triumph.

Strong choreography by Hanna and Vicky Jackson provides solid visual appeal, including demanding dances such as the Fosse number “Steam Heat” (Hanna, McClaran, Emma Rocheleau) as well as effective musical staging for large group medleys. A rock opera montage (choreographed by Kendall Hutcheson) and a Disney montage feature impressive work by highly skilled dancers, although I must admit feeling a bit deflated at recorded vocals in these sequences; with such capable performers, I would have loved to hear the music sung live. However, that is a minor quibble in the light of well-crafted dance sequences. From crisp tap numbers in the Cole Porter and Gershwin medleys to a spirited romp of “Run Freedom Run,” the choreography sparkles.

Simple, classy set design choices by Daniel Woodard and Debra E. Leopard’s lighting design offer attractive support for the production. Sound engineer Becky Croft achieves a clean balance for the singers. Costume design by Barbara Bise, Nancy Huffines, and Heidi Willard is quite an accomplishment: there are a lot of people to clothe, and the costumes evoke movement through time with familiar styles and recognizable lines. Stage managers Kayla Checkovich and Aryel Toup make it all happen backstage – a big job done well.

My six-year-old daughter enjoyed a more thorough musical theatre history education in two and a half hours than I could give her in months, perhaps even years. (This child was so impressed by A New York Minute that she has been studying the program with devoted interest ever since we attended the Sunday matinee.) As for me, I savored the opportunity to imagine casting dozens of musicals with the talented ensemble. Musical theatre lovers will be delighted by A New York Minute, and I’ll wager that plenty of folks who might walk in thinking they aren’t crazy about musicals will leave this show singing a different and appreciative tune. A New York Minute: An Original Musical Revue runs through Sunday, May 18 at the Village Square Theatre; call 803-359-1436 for ticket information, or visit www.villagesquaretheatre.com.

~ Melissa Swick Ellington

"The House of Blue Leaves" at Trustus Theatre - a review by August Krickel

There's a speech at the beginning of the second act of The House of Blue Leaves, the new show at Trustus Theatre, delivered by Philip Alexander as the son in the story's central family. Speaking directly to the audience, he details a missed opportunity for stardom; as a child, he had the chance to be cast as Huck Finn in a Hollywood film, and so naturally he tried to impress the director by dancing, singing, and cavorting about with a child's typical joyous lack of inhibition. The director assumes he must have some emotional or developmental challenge, and the boy's ambitions, along with his ego, are crushed.

That's a fair representation of the themes addressed in the show. Ordinary people aspire to greater things, sometimes with great self-deception, while struggling with the emotional burdens they carry. Rarely do things work out as planned, although sometimes fate seems to give them a break - but only if they are paying attention. Scott Herr takes the lead role of Artie, a mild-mannered New York zoo employee who composes and performs songs, partly as a hobby (which he thinks is his passion) and partly to distract him from his home life. His wife, whom he called "Bananas," suffers from some form of mental illness, which is only getting worse. As Bananas, Monica Wyche drifts in and out of incoherence, sometimes passively crumpling into a ball, sometimes delivering rambling monologues that are occasionally quite poetic, and sometimes giving us glimpses of the well-adjusted wife and mother she must have once been.

The third principal character is Artie's new mistress Bunny, as loud and brassy a New Yorker as her name implies. Sumner Bender, normally a willowy, chic and sophisticated young actress, somehow manages to play a significantly older and frumpier character through mannerisms and line delivery alone, although costume design by Dianne Wilkins helps. Resembling a younger version of a Far Side lady, Bender dominates the stage whenever she appears, engaging in non-stop chatter. She's annoying, yet ultimately she grows on you, sort of like Snookie. Part of that appeal derives from her (seemingly) genuine desire to help Artie move on to a better place in his life. Unfortunately that involves placing Bananas in an institution, which Artie describes as surrounded by trees full of lovely bluebirds, creating the illusion of the title's blue leaves. All three performers employ every trick in the actor's handbook to create nuanced characters, and their accents, especially those of Bender and Alexander, are just perfect (if a little grating to the Southern ear.)

With that inter-personal backdrop, the play begins in 1965 as the Pope is visiting New York. Most of the characters are Irish Catholic, and see this as a potentially life-changing event. Artie's connection is vastly more important, as he not only hopes that he will somehow be blessed/forgiven/vindicated as he prepares to leave his wife, but also that the Pope will somehow convince the country to end the Viet Nam War, in which his recently-drafted son will otherwise soon be involved.  The story I have just described seems quite realistic, but there is a pervasive tone of the Absurd (with a capital A, signifying the dramatic form) as events that technically could happen transpire, but become progressively surreal. Among the visitors to Artie's home in the second act are three nuns (Becky Hunter, Rachel Kuhnle, and Erin Huiett) Artie's childhood friend Billy, now a Hollywood bigshot (Bernie Lee), Billy's girlfriend (Kayla Cahill), and a couple of authority figures (Robert Michalski and Clark Wallace.) Everyone is perfectly cast, and Lee especially looks the part, with simple things like a turtleneck and facial hair instantly defining his character.  Cahill in particular has some incredible moments where she's not saying a word, but her silence and pained expression speak volumes.

Then a lot of wild comedy breaks out, and there are some good laugh lines, as well as a lot of eloquent ones. Especially poignant is Herr's realization that "I'm too old to be a young talent." If at any time we lose track of a particular character's purpose or motivation, playwright John Guare incorporates a number of revealing and sometimes soul-baring monologues, spoken directly by the characters to the audience. Director Robin Gottlieb is a master of timing, and she has her actors working every possible detail of their roles, making unlikeable characters accessible to the audience.  All of this is significantly enhanced by Heather Hawfield's wide, expansive set design. It's just a realistic interior of a shabby apartment in a big city, but she somehow manages to open the stage up, as if she's taking a dollhouse and unfolding it, allowing us to see every corner. I can think of a half dozen shows or more at Trustus that would have benefited from this type of staging.

As I have said previously, actors hate it when you review the material, not the performance. After all, they can't rewrite the script. So let me be clear: there is not a single flaw in acting or staging - everything is done quite proficiently and professionally, and I think everyone involved can be proud of their work on this show. That said... gentle reader, I just didn't get it. The play is a famous work from an important author; its original production won both the Obie and the Drama Critics' Circle Awards for Best Play, and subsequent revivals have garnered multiple Tony nominations and wins. Lots of famous people have appeared in versions of this show over the years. It's usually described as a comedy, or a dark comedy. There were certainly funny moments, and funny lines, but to me this was a serious drama that involved some witty characters and some surreal moments where you had to laugh. I'm told the audiences the night before and the afternoon after I saw the show were boisterous and laughing throughout the performance, whereas it was a much quieter house the night I attended.  This may well be. And given the fame and reputation of both the work and its author, I'm inclined to think I just somehow missed something.

There is certainly a broader theme of hope vs. reality, and the perils of life's curveballs. At some level I'm sure Artie represents humanity, with Bunny as the voice that tells us "you can do it," even if we can't. Bananas is probably the hurt child within us, the never seen Pope is surely symbolic of the redeeming panacea we all wish for, while the naughty nuns can probably be seen as representations of the random chaos surrounding and affecting us all. But again, let me be clear - while there are some Absurdist moments, this is by and large a straightforward, realistic play with a linear plot.  Possibly my tastes are changing as I get older, because parts of this play reminded me of Pinter's The Caretaker, Fugard's A Lesson from Aloes, even Beckett's Waiting for Godot, all difficult and challenging works which I enjoyed and admired as a young man. But for whatever reason, and no matter how well the cast delivered the author's well-chosen words, it never all came together for me in a way that I could understand, or benefit from some message or realization.  So that probably means it's just me. There are only seven shows remaining, and I encourage anyone who wants to be challenged by thought-provoking drama to go see the show right away.  I want to hear that you loved the comedy and were touched by the pathos, and I want you to tell me what I missed.  And I want you to tell me if the ending is literal or metaphorical. Seriously - we have a "comments" section below that is almost never used. So have at it, and tell me how I completely missed the boat on this one. And either way, enjoy some great actors while sipping on a tasty adult beverage in a cool, intimate performance venue.  The House of Blue Leaves runs through Saturday, May 24; call the box office at 803-254-9732 or visit www.trustus.org for ticket information.

~ August Krickel

Transylvania Mania at Workshop Theatre - a review of "Young Frankenstein" by Jillian Owens

It seems appropriate that the last show ever to be performed by Workshop Theatre at their Gervais and Bull Street location would be Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein. Emotions surrounding their move to 701 Whaley run high among the Columbia theatre community. Only something silly and fun will do for this occasion. Adapted from the 1974 film of the same name, Young Frankenstein tells the story of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fron-ken-steen”!), grandson to that other Frankenstein who terrorized the townsfolk of Transylvania with his monsters for decades.

Frederick is summoned to Transylvania to claim his inheritance when his Grandfather dies. At first, he has no intention of “joining the family business” of creating monsters, but then he meets Igor (played by Frank Thompson), a masterless hunchbacked stooge who pronounces his name “Eye-gor,” and who softens his resolve in the song "Together Again (for the First Time."  A visit from the ghost of his dead grandfather (played by Hunter Boyle), and the temptation of taking on a sultry local by the name of Inga (played by Courtney Selwyn) as his lab assistant remove it altogether. With the assistance of Igor, Inga, and his horse-scaring housekeeper Frau Blucher (played by Elena Martinez-Vidal, he builds a monster that-- you guessed it--ends up terrorizing the village.

This is one of the best put-together casts I’ve seen. Kyle Collins is a delightfully neurotic Dr. Frankenstein, and Thompson is a brilliantly hilarious Igor. Vicky Saye Henderson delivers a standout performance as the Doctor’s madcap socialite fiancée, Elizabeth Benning, who is more than a bit frigid with the good doctor in the song "Please Don't Touch Me." Selwyn is an exciting and relatively new talent, having only one other production under her belt (the recent Ragtime at Trustus.) With impressive vocal chops and other…ahem…assets, she is perfectly cast as Inga, and I look forward to seeing her talent grow in future productions. Martinez-Vidal earned the most laughter as Frau Blucher, sometimes without havingto say a thing.  Jason Kinsey is perfectly cast as The Monster, and his “Puttin’ on the Ritz” number does not disappoint.

This is one of those rare Columbia productions that has somehow managed to capture the best of our local talent, and has showcased it fantastically well. Even the ensemble is comprised of actors and actresses whom I’m accustomed to seeing in lead roles. And I’ve never seen a show where the cast is so clearly having such a ridiculous amount of fun.

That’s what this show is. Pure fun. Well, not all that pure. There are plenty of bawdy jokes, songs (such as the song, “Deep Love,” which is referring to exactly what you think it’s referring to) , and silly sight gags. But this is nothing that would surprise anyone who’s ever seen a Mel Brooks film.

Young Frankenstein is a big show, both in cast size, and technically speaking. Randy Strange has done a phenomenal job with the challenging set requirements, most impressively in Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory. This is a bittersweet compliment, as this is to be Strange’s last show in his decades-long career-- but what a way to go out. What couldn’t possibly be built on such a small stage is created through the clever use of projections by Baxter Engle, also credited as Sound Designer for this show.

Director Chad Henderson, Choreographer Mandy Applegate, and Music Director Tom Beard have created a production that is truly a triple threat. Great direction, great choreography, and great musical talent have come together to make the last show on this stage something truly special.  Young Frankenstein runs though Saturday, May 24;  contact the box office at 803-799-6551, or visit www.workshoptheatre.com for ticket information.

Shakespeare's Epic Romance "Cymbeline" - a review by Jillian Owens

When I heard the South Carolina Shakespeare Company had chosen Cymbeline for their spring show, I was excited. This is one of Shakespeare’s least-performed plays.  I had never seen a production, and can’t remember the last time it was produced here in Columbia.

The South Carolina Shakespeare Company describes Cymbeline as an “epic romance,” and I have to agree that it certainly is. From its wildly complicated plot involving murder, kidnapping, attempted murder, gender-bending hilarity, deception, jealousy, battles, and a bizarre deus ex machina plot twist, “epic” seems an apt descriptor for this show.

The play opens in Ancient Britain. King Cymbeline’s daughter, Imogen (played by Katie Mixon) has married Posthumus Leonatus (played by Bobby Bloom) against her father’s wishes. Posthumus is banished, but the two vow to work this all out somehow. Meanwhile, Cymbeline’s new wife, the Queen (played by Libby Campbell Turner) has great plans to make Imogen marry her son from a previous marriage -- the loutish Cloten (played by Scott Means) -- and then to poison Cymbeline (played by Chris Cook) and Imogen in order to secure Cloten’s position as King.

Are you following along so far? Good -- because things are about to get weird. While in exile in Italy, Posthumus encounters Iachimo (played by Wela Mbusi) who  wagers that he can seduce Imogen. Posthumus, full of pride for his wife’s chastity, agrees to the bet. Iachimo meets with Imogen, who refuses his advances. Being the weirdo creepster he is, Iachimo hides in her bedroom to steal a token that will make it look as though he has been successful in his seduction while she sleeps.  Posthumus, not being the forgiving sort, sends his servant Pisanio (played by G. Scott Wild) to kill Imogen. However Pisanio, not being the murdering sort, warns Imogen, who then escapes, disguised as a young man.

What follows is one of the most bizarrely complicated plots I’ve seen since LOST. Someone gets beheaded. Someone is given a potion that was meant to kill them but only makes them seem dead for a bit. A battle is fought and people are imprisoned. And I promise you won’t see the twist at the end coming.

There’s a lot to like about the SC Shakespeare Company’s performance of Cymbeline. As I mentioned before, this play is rarely performed anymore, and it’s very different from most of Shakespeare’s other works. Theories exist that he didn’t even write Cymbeline entirely on his own. Its scarcity makes it a special treat to scholars and enthusiasts alike.

There are also some impressive performances, most notably by Bobby Bloom as Posthumus and Katie Mixon as Imogen. Bloom’s commanding resonance and passion are perfect for his role, and Mixon makes a lovely and surprisingly empowered Imogen. Wild’s role of Pisanio may be a small one, but his moments with Imogen show a beautiful empathy that is impressive to achieve with such little stage time. Scott Means has lightened what could have been a disturbingly dark role in his interpretation of Cloten, and this choice gives this production of Cymbeline moments of much-needed frivolity.

The extremely misogynistic themes of Cymbeline are difficult to watch, though. The men (those who don’t die anyways) have seemingly - and at times literally - earned favor with the gods, whereas Imogen, the most honorable person in the play, is continually victimized, preyed upon, and objectified. The plot is needlessly confusing at times, as if Shakespeare was just seeing how many strange things he could throw into a play. Who knows? That might be the case. You should also be warned that this is a long show, clocking in at about three hours with a 15 minute intermission, so be sure you’re prepared to make a night of it.

Even though I can understand why it isn’t one of the Bard’s most popular works, I admire the South Carolina Shakespeare Company and director Linda Khoury for taking on such a work as Cymbeline and bringing it to a public that might otherwise never see this strange part of his canon.

~ Jillian Owens

Cymbeline runs Wednesday through Saturday, May 7—10, 2014 at 8:00 PM in the amphitheatre in Finlay Park.  Admission is free, although  a donation of $10 is a suggested. If you will attend with a large party, please arrive early for the best seating.  The Finlay Park Amphitheatre is at 930 Laurel Street, Columbia, SC 29201.  So hie thee hence from thy computer screen and sally forth post-haste to Finlay Park!

For more information, please call 803-787-2273 or visit www.ShakespeareSC.org .

Come early (6:00PM) before the Thursday May 8th performance, and you and your family can also enjoy Shakespeare’s Kidz (the SCSC’s new school-aged company, directed by Imogen actress Katie Mixon) as they take the stage with a re-telling of a classic using humor, some modern language, and sword fighting in Don’t Say Macbeth!

Jasper Goes to the Library with the SC Shakespeare Company, Tues. 5/6 at the Cooper Branch!

 

In the latest installment of the popular "Jasper Goes to the Library" series, theatre is the featured art form, with scenes from Shakespeare's Cymbeline performed by members of the South Carolina Shakespeare Company on Tuesday, May 6 at 6:30 PM, at the Cooper Branch of the Richland Library, located at 5317 N. Trenholm Rd., Columbia, SC 29206,  in Forest Acres.

Over the last six months, Jasper – the Word on Columbia Arts – has partnered with artists in each of six disciplines – visual art, film, literary art, music, dance, and now theatre – in special events at different locations of the Richland Library. The goal has been to engage community members, arts enthusiasts, and library patrons in an intimate setting, allowing for them to enjoy presentations by artists, and develop a better understanding of each discipline.

Join Cymbeline cast members and veteran local actors Chris Cook (founder of High Voltage Theatre), Libby Campbell Turner (recalled as the mother in August: Osage County), Katie Mixon (a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) and Bobby Bloom (a finalist for the 2013 Jasper Theatre Artist of the Year) as they present scenes from the play in the intimate setting of the Cooper Branch. This library event takes place at 6:30 PM on Tuesday May 6, 2014, will last approximately 45 minutes, and is FREE!

The South Carolina Shakespeare Company will perform Cymbeline in its entirety live in Finlay Park,  Wednesday through Saturday, May 7—10.

Cymbeline features forbidden love, mistaken identity, banishment, and a magic potion; Shakespeare weaves multiple threads into this endlessly inventive tapestry of ancient Britain. You will also find laughter, betrayal, and of course an evil queen. When the brave princess Imogen is falsely accused of betrayal, she escapes her father’s court and sets forth on a treacherous journey to redeem her place and reunite with her true love—but it might take a miracle or two. Shakespeare companies around the country are re-discovering this stirring and poetic tale. The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC produced the play to popular success last season, and now director Linda Khoury has assembled a top-notch cast right here in SC, and local audiences have a rare opportunity to see Cymbeline.

The title character, King Cymbeline, is played by Christopher Cook. He is joined by Katie Mixon as Imogen, Libby Campbell-Turner as the Queen, Wela Mbusi as Iachimo, and Robert Bloom as Posthumous, with Jeff Driggers as Guiderius and G. Scott Wild as Pisanio. The professional cast is supported by costume designer Alexis Doktor, scenic designer Lee Shepherd, and lighting designer Rufus Carson.

For more information on the performance in Finlay Park, visit http://www.shakespearesc.org/cymbeline.html

The Cooper Branch of the Richland Library is located at 5317 N. Trenholm Rd., Columbia, SC 29206; phone: 803-787-3462.

Crystal Gleim talks with Jasper about "Psycho Beach Party" at Stage 5

Jasper:  Psycho Beach Party represents your debut as director locally, correct?  What's your background?

Crystal Gleim: I have been involved with theater off and on since I was 8 years-old. I’ve acted, staged managed, lighting/sound, and directed. This will be the 12th play I have directed in my life. I am originally from Pennsylvania and got involved with the theater scene here in Columbia when working with Shamrock Shapeshifter Productions on the two runs of Plan 9 From Outer Space. I got involved with Stage 5 Theatre last year when I starred as Golde in Bark! The Musical. From there I assistant directed, staged managed and appeared in Macbeth as First Witch, First Murderer and English Doctor. I then went on to stage manage and play Judge Walker in ‘8’, played Rosencrantz in Hamlet 93, played my favorite role of the year, Marie Lombardi, in Lombardi, and I just finished playing LaVonda in Sordid Lives. I am currently the Assistant Artistic Director and Executive Stage Manager at Stage 5 Theater, and the Managing Producer of Sideshow Productions.

Jasper: You also perform with the Art Bar Players; how did that come about?

Gleim:  I was introduced to the Art Bar Players through some friends and eventually became a regular audience member. It wasn’t until some close friends became players that I was invited to a rehearsal, and the gang has been stuck with me ever since. Improv comedy is something I highly enjoy doing. It’s free therapy for me.

Jasper: What are some challenges you have faced as director?

Gleim: Being a director is never an easy task; however I have to say that it’s been pretty easy going so far (says the lady going into tech week on Easter Sunday.) I couldn’t have asked for a better cast and crew. I specifically hand-picked people that I know I can work with and I knew would be able to help convey the material the way I see it. If I would have to pick a challenge to share, it would be probably handing over stage managing reins to someone else. It’s just in my nature to stage manage, However, I have brought on Trinessa Dubas as my stage manager, and she has been great. She has handled the ever-wanting –to-do-everything-herself me very well!

Jasper:   Psycho Beach Party has a long history as a cult hit off-Broadway, and was previously done at Trustus some 24 years ago. While it could probably be marketed simply with the description "From the author who gave us Vampire Lesbians of Sodom..."  nevertheless, how would you describe the show?

Gleim:  It’s funny you ask that, because I have recently had to explain Psycho Beach Party to several people who have been interested in the work I have been doing. The most recent description I gave went a little something like this:  “Psycho Beach Party is a quirky parody of the beach movies of the 1960s. The lead character is a young girl with multiple personality disorder and she doesn’t even know that she has it. Hilarity ensues has her personalities all come to life”.

Jasper:  How did you arrive at producing this particular show?

Gleim:  The idea to do Psycho Beach Party came about during a Facebook conversation between myself, Brock Henderson, and the late Michael Bailey in regards to shows we would like to produce. Brock suggested Psycho Beach Party, and it just took off from there. Eventually we needed someone to direct it, and Michael had been trying really hard to get me interested in directing something, anything.  So, I stepped up and said I would like to direct the play. Having my comedy background, I thought it would be a fun play to tackle. This production has become a big deal for me.  I sought out performers, crew, and musicians that I really thought would work well together.

Jasper: Tell us about your cast,  and where we might have seen them previously.

Gleim:  Rachel Lewis stars as Chicklet;  some may recall her from Stage 5’s production of Macbeth as the Second Witch, and she has also worked at other theaters locally.  William Boland is the Great Kanaka, and he  has done theater at Workshop and USC as well as several productions at Stage 5 (including directing Hamlet.) Ember Love plays Marvel Ann, and is a local model and talent who was just in Sordid Lives.  Catherine Christian (Mrs. Forrest) is a local actress who has worked with Stage 5 and Village Square.  Marques Moore (Provoloney)  has acted in Pride and Prejudice and Much Ado About Nothing with the South Carolina Shakespeare Company and Night of the Living Dead with High Voltage Theatre, and in Us Grown Men recently at Stage 5.  Erin K. Crenshaw from Irmo High School plays Berdine.  Rachel James Kosbar, who plays Bettina Barnes, is making her return to the stage after a several-year hiatus.   Ellery Jordan Waggoner (Star Cat) is a Chapin High School actor, and Brock Henderson (YoYo) is a company member /actor of Stage 5.

Jasper:  What can audiences look forward to?

Gleim:  I asked my friends Thomas and Ross to create some beach-themed music for the play, and what came about was a great collaboration of three musicians who created original music specifically for this play.   So, cast and audiences will be able to enjoy their very own beach band on stage.  Audiences can expect a wonderfully talented cast, great music, and great laughs.

~ August Krickel

Psycho Beach Party opens this Friday, April 25 at Stage 5 Theatre, 947 S. Stadium Road,  in Stadium Park, and runs for 6 performances only through Sunday, May 4th.  The Facebook "event" page is here. For more information, visit http://mbfproductions.net/ or call the box office at 803.834.1775.