Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "california musical theatre"

'Forbidden Broadway' vet Selby sings praises of Cosmopolitan Cabaret's game-for-anything cast

2012-01-27T03:04:26Z

William Selby remembers well when he first heard about a little cabaret show that was generating buzz among New York theater fans.

“I was a full-time actor at the time, and I had a roommate who was a waiter at this place – Palsson’s (Supper Club) on West 72nd Street,” Selby said. “He came home one night raving about something called ‘Forbidden Broadway’ and did a number for me.

“I fell off the bed laughing – I knew I loved it right then and there.”

Selby wasn’t the only one who embraced Gerard Alessandrini’s concept of a satiric revue that both celebrated and skewered musical theater.

Since its opening 30 years ago this month, “Forbidden Broadway” played almost continuously in New York (after more than 9,000 performances and 20 editions) before closing in 2009. Additionally, Alessandrini’s parodies of both popular and pompous Broadway tuners have spawned a worldwide cult fueled by a continuously updated score and countless tours and special engagements.

One such production, directed by Selby, opens in Sacramento Jan. 27 for an eight-week run at California Musical Theatre’s Cosmopolitan Cabaret.

Selby joined his first “Forbidden Broadway” cast in 1985 when he was selected for a Washington, D.C., production.

Just as he imagined, Selby found it was love at first spoof.

Beyond the joy of performing twisted versions of the Great White Way’s greatest hits to wildly appreciative audiences, Selby said he became a part of something more permanent than a Playbill listing.

“One of the nice benefits of being part of ‘Forbidden Broadway’ is that it’s a family,” he said. “I’ve made some of the truest friends I’ve had.”

“I’ve always come back to it because I love it,” Selby continued.

After 15 years of playing dozens of theater legends in their best and worst roles from San Diego to Singapore, Alessandrini and producer John Freedson suggested Selby join the team’s directorial staff.

“By that time, you know what works,” said Selby.

Since making his directorial debut in Minneapolis in 2001, he has led shows in New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Long Island, N.Y., and at sea onboard a Regent Seven Seas Cruise Lines voyage.

The production at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret marks his 15th show at the helm.

While he said he keeps “pretty busy” with “Forbidden Broadway,” both as a director and performer, the Emerson College alumnus continues to take acting gigs that are far from his “FB” roles, including playing the prompter opposite Keith Baker in “Barrymore.”

Selby said working on both sides of the “Forbidden Broadway” footlights gives him invaluable insight on what works – and who works – on stage.

He said he was quick to pick the four performers ultimately selected for Sacramento’s production from the L.A.-based auditions.

“I know in the audition if they can do it – it’s a matter of confidence,” Selby said.

Freedom from fear of failing is an important trait shared by successful “Forbidden Broadway” cast members, he continued. Most of those who try out aren’t professional impressionists, “But as we always say, you don’t have to be a great impersonator, just be willing to try.”

Selby gushed about the way his cast (Marc Ginsburg, Jerry Lee, Jessica Reiner-Harris, Melissa WolfKlain) has shed all self-doubts and vanity to take on the diverse numbers (and costumes) demanded of “Forbidden Broadway” performers.

Jerry Lee and Jessica Reiner-Harris have River City roots, and WolfKlain recently spent eight months at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret performing as the soubrette in “A Grand Night for Singing,” and Cindy in “Suds.”

Ginsburg is a Philadelphia native and former New Yorker now living in Los Angeles ~~Sacramento~~ .

“These guys have totally nailed it,” Selby said of the quartet that escorts their audiences through a whirlwind tour of classic and contemporary musicals from “Hello, Dolly!” to “Hairspray,” and from “Man of La Mancha” to “Jersey Boys.” “Even after all of these years, I don’t take the show lightly. They have to perform the numbers as if they’re actually doing the original shows.”

Selby stressed that one does not need to be a fan of said original productions – or musical theater in general – to enjoy a “Forbidden Broadway” revue.

“You don’t even need to be aware of all of the shows,” he said. “The costumes alone are hysterically funny.”

Selby said Alessandrini and his creative team are very conscious that their audiences aren’t all New Yorkers with easy access to the Times Square TKTS booth, and dismiss more-obscure titles from their list of shows ripe for mocking.

One of the things his New York-based team does in tailoring a “Forbidden Broadway” show for a particular city is to look at what tours recently played in that area. (“Mary Poppins,” which recently played at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre under the California Musical Theatre banner, is featured in Sacramento’s “FB” revue.)

But he also said they try not to underestimate audiences as they’ve found audiences in the hinterlands who were crazy for numbers culled from lesser-known shows.

Call “Forbidden Broadway” a parody, a spoof or a mock-musical, but Selby said it’s not an all-out farce.

“You can play it too broadly,” he said, switching gears to offer up an example of a Carol Channing impression gone awry.

“It can be grotesque,” he said. “There’s a level, and you have to keep that level.”

It’s a balancing act his current cast has perfected, he said.

“They’ll give you what you ask for – they’ve found capabilities even they didn’t know they had.”

Selby said all four shine as newly minted mimics.

“Jessica does a tremendous Patti LuPone. Marc’s Mandy Patinkin … well, I was proud of mine, but his is better. … Melissa – her Carol Channing is so funny. ... Jerry is a terrific Robert Goulet. These four have very strong voices.”

Along with kudos to his cast, Selby applauded the California Musical Theatre/Cosmopolitan Cabaret creative team, including Executive Producer Richard Lewis, Artistic Director Glenn Casale and ~~Company Manager~~ Cosmopolitan Cabaret Associate Producer Marlene Shire-Anderson.

“I’ve decided this is the best team by far that I’ve ever worked with,” said Selby. “They dot every ‘I,’ cross every ‘T.’”

JUST THE FACTS
WHAT: “Forbidden Broadway,” a musical revue parodying classic and contemporary musical theater hits from “Man of La Mancha” to “Wicked.”
WHEN: Jan. 27-March 18, 2012 (7 p.m. Wednesdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays)
WHERE: Cosmopolitan Cabaret, 1000 K St., Sacramento
TICKETS: $33-$43; call (916) 557-1999 or go online at www.tickets.com
FOR INFO: www.calmt.com

Editor's Note: Edits have been made to this article after publication.

Music Circus Production of "Oliver!" Features Junior Company Members

2011-07-21T06:28:48Z

Each season, Music Circus produces a musical that includes a large number of actors from California Musical Theatre’s Music Circus Junior Company. This years’ production is “Oliver!” Lionel Bart’s highly successful musical based on the Charles Dickens classic “Oliver Twist.”

“Oliver!” with music, lyrics and book all by Bart, originally opened in London in 1960 and Broadway in 1962. It has seen numerous revivals powered by mega musical producer Cameron Mackintosh, first in 1977, last in 2009, both in London and on Broadway. It was a highly successful movie adaptation, winning six Oscars. This is Music Circus’ eighth production of the musical.

Christopher Bones, a veteran theater and TV actor already at age 13, faithfully portrays Oliver Twist. He does a nice job on “Where Is Love?”

The other major child role, The Artful Dodger, is played by Matthew Gumley, a Music Circus veteran (“The Music Man”) and Broadway veteran (original Michael Banks in “Mary Poppins”). His big number is “Consider Yourself.”The featured actor in the production is Ron Wisniski, no stranger to Music Circus audiences. Last year he was in “Spamalot,” “Oklahoma” and “Funny Girl” as Florenz Ziegfeld. He has appeared in six other Music Circus productions, numerous national touring shows and over 150 plays and musicals across the country. He portrays Fagin with a good mixture of threats and demands for his boys while also showing caring and concern. It is great to hear Wisniski’s voice on several songs, including Fagin’s solo, “Reviewing the Situation.”

Jacquelyn Piro Donovan is well cast as Nancy. She performs beautifully on several songs, including Nancy’s big solo, “As Long as He Needs Me.” Nancy is one of the emotional centers of the play, and Donovan’s performance reinforces that feeling.

Another well cast actor is Roland Rusinek as Mr. Bumble. Rusinek has a powerful and beautiful voice. He also seems to relish playing such a despicable character.

The rest of the cast is uniformly good and is made up of mostly Music Circus regulars who have a lot of performing experience elsewhere. Each of the strong ensemble members also perform in character roles in the show.

The real stars of the show to the many family members and friends are the 38 members of the Junior Company. They perform as members of Fagin’s gang, orphans and town children and cockneys. The Music Circus Junior Company staff of director Gail Dartez, choreographer Marcy Goodnow, musical director Graham Sobelman and vocal coach Rebecca Plack have done a wonderful job working with these kids to create a very professional performance.

Richard Stafford directs and choreographs the show to the high Music Circus standards with flair.

The whole production crew has created an experience with the great look and sound that their audience expects. In fact, much of the audience is most likely so used to the level of quality that these talented individuals create week after week that they have become a little spoiled by the high production standards.

This is a great show for children. There are some dark and bawdy elements to the show, so the family guide recommends the show for children 8 and older. They will be excited to see kids their own age performing in an exciting show. For adults, there is a story that has endured through the years for good reasons. There are beautiful, familiar songs and performances by actors of all ages to enjoy.

"The Producers" Gets Music Circus 61st Season Off to a Great Start

2011-07-14T03:45:18Z

Opening its 61st season with a highly popular contemporary musical with good casting has paid off for California Musical Theatre’s Music Circus.

“The Producers,” which opened Tuesday night, involves a failed Broadway producer whose most recent show closed on opening night. A passing remark by the low level accountant sent in to audit the books puts the plot in motion. If the producer would have a guaranteed flop, they could bank the investment, close the show and keep the money. They set out to find the worst play, a lousy director and terrible actors. Many complications and much humor ensue, along with lots of great songs and dancing.

“The Producers: the new Mel Brooks Musical,” while being a contemporary show, is based on much earlier material. The 1968 movie, “The Producers,” was Brooks’ first feature film. He developed it into the musical that opened in 2001. According to reports, this was done at the urging of his wife Anne Bancroft and music and movie mogul David Geffen.

The show won a record 12 Tony Awards along with a slew of other theatrical awards. This, along with the casting of Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the lead roles, made “The Producers” one of the all-time hottest tickets on Broadway. During the first run, it took in a record single day ticket sales of over $3 million. When Lane and Broderick reprised their roles later in the run, the show broke that record with a $3.5 million single day sales.

It was not the star casting alone that made the show so popular. The play by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan is both endearing and very funny. What else would you expect from Brooks?

What is surprising is how good the music is. Brooks’ music works very well for the action. His lyrics run from poignant to hysterical.

CMT has done their usual first-rate job on casting. Broadway veteran and Music Circus alumni Bob Amaral plays Max Bialystock, the failed producer. This is the character closest to the real Mel Brooks and Amaral fits the role well.

Amaral is matched well with Matt Loehr as Leo Bloom, the milquetoast accountant. Loehr, another Broadway veteran - including another role in “The Producers,” has also appeared in several Music Circus productions. He is very good at the physical comedy required for the role. Loehr has a beautiful voice and is featured in several of Brooks’ best songs.

Very popular Music Circus actor Gary Beach plays the role of Roger DeBris, the director, a role he originated on Broadway and performed in the movie version of “The Producers.” To say that Roger DeBris is a flaming queen with a huge ego is a major understatement. The audience ate it up.

Carmen Ghia, Roger’s assistant and lover, is played with equal aplomb by Michael Paternostro. In addition to performing on Broadway in several tours and regionally, Paternostro has performed locally in the Music Circus production of “Funny Girl” and in “Suds” at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. Paternostro’s Carmen Ghia was another scene stealer.

The audience went crazy for Bill Nolte as Franz Liebkind, the not-so-closeted Nazi playwright and pigeon fancier. Nolte returns to the Music Circus after a long absence. He last appeared in “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1996.

Sarah Cornell is well cast as Ulla, the stereotypical Swedish blond with the fractured English pronunciation. Her height is perfect; Max and Leo’s eyes meet her at chest height. Cornell is good at the demanding physical comedy. She has a lovely voice and is also featured in several songs.

The ensemble is, as usual, made up of mostly Music Circus veterans. Kim Arnett, Michael D. Jablonski, Matthew J. Kilgore, Ivory McKay, Jeffrey Pew and Matthew Schneider also perform well in supporting roles.

Director Glenn Casale does a great job of staging the action throughout the Wells Fargo Pavilion and gives everyone in the audience good exposure to the action. Casale keeps the action moving along but gives the audience time to enjoy each song.

Production stage manager Craig Horness is in his 16th season with the Music Circus. His assistant stage manager, Katherine Cannon, keep a small army of stagehands changing sets on the run.

Great costumes (Mark Koss) and wigs (Judi Lewin), along with the scenic design by Scott Klier and Jamie Kump, and Martin E. Vreeland’s lighting, create the spectacular visual effect Music Circus audiences have come to expect. Dan Mojica’s choreography puts all of this in motion.

Musical director Dennis Castellano conducts the 16 piece orchestra that produces the beautiful music of the Music Circus.

The 61st season opener has everything expected from the Music Circus. There are lush production values, beautiful music and a good story. In addition, there are beautiful girls and boys in the ensemble dazzling the audience with their dancing. Even the intermission is great fun.

Shows daily through July 17, 2011

Tickets More info

Next up "Oliver!" Opening July 19, 2011

Single tickets to CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE, 9 TO 5 and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN Released Monday

2010-09-19T15:41:06Z

Individual tickets for Broadway Sacramento's presentations of CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE (December 29, 2010-January 2, 2011), 9 TO 5 (March 9-20, 2011) and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (April 13-24, 2011) go on sale Monday, September 20 at 10 a.m. at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street, Sacramento, (916) 557-1999, the Community Center Theater Box Office, 1301 L Street, Sacramento, (916) 808-5181 or Tickets.com, (800) 225-2277. The largest performing arts event in the Capital Region, Broadway Sacramento is presented by California Musical Theatre and sponsored by Wells Fargo.

These shows join Burn the Floor (September 29-October 10, 2010) and In the Heights (November 3-14, 2010) which have single tickets available now.

“The Marvelous Wonderettes” Will Sing Their Way Into Your Heart

2010-08-19T01:21:10Z

Step into the Wells Fargo Pavilion and be transported back to Springfield High School’s 1958 Senior Prom, “Marvelous Dreams.”

The evening’s entertainment was supposed to be provided by The Crooning Crabcakes. Alas, Crabcakes lead singer and preacher’s son Billy Ray was caught smoking behind the school. So as not to set a bad example, the principle has canceled their show. The Marvelous Wonderettes are brought in as a last-minute substitution.

The Marvelous Wonderettes are Cindy Lou Huffington, Missy Miller, Betty Jean “B.J.” Reynolds and Suzy Simpeon. They are all Springfield High School’s (Go Chipmunks) Song Leaders.

For the next couple of hours, we learn about the Wonderettes’ relationships with each other and the loves of their lives during the decade between 1958 and 1968. Their stories are told through 33 songs from that decade.

“The Marvelous Wonderettes” writer and creator Roger Bean has done a pretty amazing job of taking mostly well-known and a few not-so-well-known songs of the period and weaving a complete story arc for the girls. Some of the song connections are cliché, and some are quite surprising. His choice of songs also demonstrate the major shift in popular music from the 1950s to the 1960s. The radical changes of the time are reflected in the women’s lives.

Bean directs his own work, successfully transferring it to the theater in the round.

Janet Miller’s choreography also contributes greatly to restaging the Wonderettes dance routines, keeping them connected with the audience on all sides.

Broadway and off-Broadway (including “The Marvelous Wonderettes”) actress Lindsay Mendez plays Betty Jean “B.J.” Reynolds. B.J. is the prankster in the group. She has a not-so-faithful boyfriend, Johnny.

Mendez also performs as a singer with collaborator Marco Paguia and his jazz trio at several New York City venues. She is also the lead singer for the cover band “Limbsakimbo” and is the wife of the show’s musical conductor, Michael Borth. More information on Lindsay Mendez can be found here.

Lowe Taylor has performed all four roles in “The Marvelous Wonderettes.” Along with the off-Broadway production of ‘Wonderettes,” she has numerous regional theater credits.

In her Music Circus debut, she plays Cindy Lou. Cindy Lou is the “Miss Perfect” that everyone loves to hate and is very successful at flirting with the boys, including B.J.’s Johnny. After high school, the now-Cynthia has a tragic relationship with the aforementioned preacher’s son, Billy Ray. Here is more information on Lowe Taylor.

Missy Cotton has performed the role of Missy Miller both in the off-Broadway production and at the Laguna Playhouse run. She has appeared at the Music Circus in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat,” “Annie,” and “A Funny Thing Happened .... Forum.”

Along with appearing in Broadway, off-Broadway and regional productions, Cotton originated roles in Roger Bean’s “Honky Tonk Laundry” (Katy Lane) and “Winter Wonderettes” (Missy).

Missy Miller is a character who tends to hold the group together and smooth over differences between the girls. She is a great singer, but her dance moves are not the smoothest. Missy shocks all in her revelation that her secret love is someone who is not appropriate to be in love with.

The fourth Wonderette, Suzy Simpeon, is played by Bets Malone. Malone originated the role of Suzy, starting with the first workshop of “The Marvelous Wonderettes.” She also appeared in the off-Broadway production and original cast recording.

Malone has been in four of Roger Bean’s productions, choreographing his “Route 66” last season at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. She has appeared at the Music Circus in “Fiddler..” and “1776” as well as several regional productions. She appears on DVD in “The Ten Commandments, the Musical,” with Val Kilmer and as the voice of Talulah the monkey in “Barbie as the Island Princess.” Her character Suzy is, shall we say, a little ditzy. Her love is Richie, who works the lights for the Wonderettes’ shows. Learn more about Bets Malone here.

All four actresses are great comedic talents and have wonderful voices. They realistically transition from the four girls at their senior prom to the young women at the 10-year reunion.

Bobby Pearce’s fun, period costumes (more) and especially hair, wig and makeup design by Judi Lewin contribute a lot to the transition as well. Lewis has worked extensively in theater, opera, television and film both in Los Angeles and her native Canada.

Recent University of California, Davis, MFA recipient Jamie Kumpf’s scenic design truly turns the Wells Fargo Pavilion into the Springfield High School Gymnasium. She has also designed for the Sacramento Theatre Company (“Gem of the Ocean”) and the B Street Theatre. Last season, as the resident scenic charge artist for the Music Circus, she designed “Altar Boys.”

The props the Wonderettes use in their shows are designed by Michael Carnahan, who created the props for several other “The Marvelous Wonderettes” productions as well as numerous shows in New York City, Toronto and throughout the United States.

Robert Sereno’s sound design is an important element. Much happens offstage, with Sereno giving us sounds from school bells to motorcycles. Sereno has been with the Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento since 1986. He also designed and engineered the new Cosmopolitan Cabaret where “Shear Madness” is currently appearing.

As mentioned, Michael Borth conducts what is a much smaller orchestra than usual for Music Circus productions. The orchestra consists of Mike McMullen (woodwinds), Tom Phillips (guitars), Brian Kendrick (drums/percussion) and much-beloved Sacramento keyboardist Chris Schlagel. The orchestra does perform to the usual Music Circus high standards.

Given Tuesday night’s opening-night audience reaction, the Music Circus has proved that it can take a smaller-scale production with only four actors and create a highly entertaining evening.

8:00 pm Thurs. Fri. Sat. 2:00 Thurs. Sat. 7:30 Sunday (last show)
Wells Fargo Pavillon 1419 H St. Sacramento
$41-$53
(916)557-1999 or here

Top photo: Lowe Taylor as Cindy Lou, Lindsay Mendez as Betty Jean, Bets Malone as Suzy and Misty Cotton as Missy Photo by Charr Crail. All photos courtsey California Musical Theatre

"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" a Contemporary, Adult Musical

2010-08-05T05:33:48Z

Sophisticated, debonair Lawrence Jamison conspiring with local Chief of Police Andre Thibalult fleeces wealthy vacationing American women of their fortunes.

The location is an exclusive French Riviera beach town. Jamison runs into a brash American swindler, Freddy on a train returning from Switzerland where he has banked his latest loot. Freddy blackmails Jamison and Thibault into taking him on as an apprentice. Much humor ensues.

The musical "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is based on the 1988 movie of the same name starring Michael Caine as Lawrence Jamison and Steve Martin as Freddy. The movie itself is based on a 1964 movie, "Bedtime Story."

"Bedtime Story" was written by Stanley Shapiro, who had created the now-chaste sex comedies such as "Pillow Talk" that had routinely starred Doris Day, Cary Grant and Rock Hudson. The musical play was developed and premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2004. In went on to Broadway and then on a national road tour.

The show won rave reviews on Broadway. It won the 2005 Drama League Award for best musical and was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. The revised version that went on the national tour was not necessarily a popular hit. Never mind. With the Music Circus treatment, the show comes alive.

What does the “Music Circus treatment” mean? Hire a good director, assemble an excellent cast, give them great choreography and put them in gorgeous costumes. And stage all of this in the wonderful Wells Fargo Pavilion theater in the round.

Broadway veterans Burke Moses and John Scherer affect just-right sophisticated French accents. They charm the audience as well as their marks. Moses plays Jameson, a fake disposed prince of a small nonexistent country playing on the sympathy of the wealthy women. Scherer is Thibault, the very corrupt police official who is also very likable.

Freddy Benson the interloper is played by Timothy Gulan, reprising the role from the first national tour. Gulan is a big hit with the audience. His character has many of the funniest lines in the show, and it is obvious Gulan relishes the role. He is also a brave actor appearing only in boxer shorts for many scenes.

Jessica Rush is a gorgeous Christine Colgate. She has a beautiful voice and great prescience as the supposedly innocent Colgate.

Cynthia Ferrer, a great comedic actress, is Muriel Eubanks, and delivers some of the funniest and most “adult” lines in the show.

Jolene Oaks of Oklahoma, one of the most over-the-top characters, is played by Amy Bodnar. Oakes may be a stereotype, but Bodnar makes her a great stereotype.

Good comedy often depends on good timing. Richard Stafford’s direction working with good comedic actors had the audience laughing continuously though most of the show. He also made good use of the whole theater with action popping up everywhere. A lot of the comedy was about characters disappearing and reappearing at just the right time. Stafford handled this well. He also choreographed the show. The dance numbers were a very enjoyable part of the show. This is also a result of having a great ensemble.

The plot allowed Costume Designer Leon Wiebers to dress the women in beautiful cocktail dresses, as nuns and oo-la-la French Maid outfits. A shout-out to the stunning red number he dressed Jessica Rush in for one of her solos. The men get dressed in tuxes, casual elegant and as characters such as sailors and bellhops. The bellhop costumes really showed off the dancer/actor great glutes. And there were the aforementioned boxers.

Lighting by Martin E. Vreeland and scenic design by Michael Schweikardt combined beautifully to create a sense of place. They were definitely up to the quality expected by the Music Circus audience.

A lot of the humor in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels comes from the book by Jeffrey Lane. Just as much or more of the humor is from David Yazbek’s music and lyrics. Yazbek’s previous hit was The Full Monty

Everything involved with music including music direction by Darren Cohen, orchestration by Harold Wheeler, vocal music arrangement by Ted Sperling and David Yazbek, dance music arrangement by Zane Mark and sound design by Robert Sereno was up to the high standards of the Music Circus. The very experienced musicians with the Music Circus Orchestra also have long contributed to this level of quality.

Last week the Music Circus showed that they can take a 67 year old American classic and create a fresh new hit show. With Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the Music Circus just how great a job they can do with a contemporary, sophisticated Broadway hit.

Photos: 1. Timothy Gulan (left) as Freddy Benson, Jessica Rush as Christine Colgate and Burke Moses as Lawrence Jameson, 2. Burke Moses as Lawrence Jameson, 3. Timothy Gulan as Freddy Benson, 4. Jessica Rush as Christine Colgate, 5. Timothy Gulan (left) as Freddy Benson and Burke Moses as Lawrence Jameson, 6. John Scherer as Andre Thibault and Cynthia Ferrer

All photos by Charr Crail Courtesy California Musical Theatre

Ends Sunday Tickets ($41-$53) CaliforniaMusicalTheatre.com (916)557-1999

There are adult words and adult situations in the show. California Musical Theatre recommends the show to 14 years old and older.

Music Circus's Lucky 13th Production of Oklahoma

2010-07-29T18:56:20Z

Take an iconic piece of american musical theater by arguably the best musical theater writing team of all times and add Music Circus talent and production values and you have a splendid evening of entertainment.

"Oklahoma" was the first collaboration between composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers had previously worked with Lorenz Hart creating "Pal Joey." Hammerstein had been teamed with Jerome Kern, with "Show Boat" as their best-known production. The new collaboration worked well for both. Hammerstein preferred to write lyrics before they were set to music. Rodgers preferred to have completed lyrics before creating the music. There previous collaborators did not allow for this.

"Oklahoma" was a major game changer in musical theater. It is know as the first truly modern musical. For the first time, the music and dance moved the story forward. Previously, music and dance existed simply to entertain. For the first time, Rogers and Hammerstein and the director insisted that the singers and dancers could also act. This precluded well-known Broadway stars. Oklahoma was instantly a critical and popular success. It won a Pulitzer Prize. Opening on Broadway in 1943, it ran for 2,212 performances -- a record that was not eclipsed until 1956 with "My Fair Lady." Rogers and Hammerstein went on to create "Carousel," "South Pacific," "The King and I," "Flower Drum Song" and "The Sound of Music" and many other hits.

This is the astounding 13th Music Circus production of "Oklahoma" since 1954. Does it hold up? Exceedingly well. It starts with a very talented and experienced cast.

Jeremiah James reprises the role of Curly. He played Curly in the Cameron Mackintosh and Trevor Nunn revival of "Oklahoma" on Broadway. James has appeared in leading roles in several other Broadway productions, stage, film and television. He is also a recording artist. His debut album, "Tupelo," comes out Aug. 10. He has a good voice and the “aw shucks” charm that works well for the role of Curly.

Brandi Burkhardt is a good match in her role as Laurey, Curly’s love interest. She also portrayed Laurey in the touring production of "Oklahoma." She has appeared in several other stage and film productions. She appears in the role of Emma on the cast recording of "Jekyll & Hyde: Resurrection." Burkhardt has numerous television credits, including "Passions," "The Glades," "Boston Legal," "Numb3rs" and "Law and Order: SVU." She is great as the often-flighty Laurey, a character who does not know what she really wants. Burkhardt has a beautiful voice that she uses effectively both in her solos and duets.

The character Jud Fry the hired hand competing with Curly for Laurey’s affection completes one of the two love triangles in "Oklahoma." Kevin Earley is a great choice to play Fry. His Jud Fry is not so physically repulsive and slovenly as, say, Rod Steiger in the film version of "Oklahoma." This allows the audience to see what might have allowed Laurey to have any interest in Jud in the first place. On the other hand, Earley is quite good at showing the evil inside Jud. He also has the best male voice in the production. His one solo, "Lonely Room," is a knockout.

The other love triangle consists of Ado Annie, a farmer’s daughter; Will Parker, a prize-winning cowboy; and Ali Hakim, an exotic traveling peddler. These three know what they want and just need to figure out how to get it. In this production, this love triangle is given as much attention as the Laurey-Curly-Jud one.

Heather Jane Rolff returns to the Music Circus to play Ado Annie. She is a great comedic actor. Rolff makes good use of the material she has in the role. Her interpretation of Ado Annie’s songs is both funny and powerful.

Michael D. Jablonski is a good singer and a very good dancer. He embodies the charming, sweet and handsome (if a little dim) cowboy Will Parker. Parker’s determination to marry Ado Annie is not questioned.

Ali Hakim is quite the schemer. He wants Ado Annie’s “companionship” without paying the cost. Looking down the barrel of Ado Annie’s father’s gun, he has to make some fast moves to get her engaged to Will and escape that fate. Amir Talai is well known from his television and commercial work. His Ali Hakim had the audience very charmed.

The other costars are Kay Walbye as Aunt Eller and Ron Wisniski as Pop Carnes, Ado Annie’s father. Walbye’s Aunt Eller is perfect. This is the first Music Circus production for this very experienced stage and television actor. She is a great matchup with Wisniski. Wisniski is a Music Circus veteran as well as an experience stage actor. His performance of Pop Carnes equals that of the great James Whitmore in the movie version of "Oklahoma."

Production director Marcia Milgrom Dodge was nominated for a best director Tony and a Drama Desk and won a Helen Hays this year. Dodge has a strong background as a choreographer as well as a director. This is very useful in "Oklahoma," where dance is such an important element. This is a fairly long show with lots of things happening. Dodge keeps the action moving so there are not any points where the action drags. The ending seemed a little rushed. It was like, "Let's take care of the rest of the plot points and get to the finale."
The end of Act I is a “Dream Ballet.” Laurey falls asleep and dreams. In this dream we learn of Laurey’s greatest hopes and greatest fears. This dance has taken different forms and interpretations in “Oklahoma” productions over the years. The original dances were by Agnes de Mille. Martha Graham’s modern dance interpretation in the movie version of “Oklahoma” is the most unusual and most famous.

Here Marcia Milgrom Dodge uses classical ballet. Bob Richard who has choreographed over 25 productions in 12 years with the Music Circus complements Dodges work very well. The overall choreography of the show is great but really shines in the “Dream Ballet.”

Amanda Peet a principal with Sacramento Ballet is cast as Dream Laurey. She is joined by Patrick Pulkrabek as Dream Curly and John B. Williford as Dream Jud. These very strong, experienced dancers along with members of the ensemble are spectacular in the “Dream Ballet.” A special mention for Kim Arnett as the Lead Postcard Girl who has some astounding moves. The “Dream Ballet” could stand alone as a ballet number.

Michael Schweikardt Music Circus Scenic Design veteran (50 productions) has created another sparse but effective set design. His design of the smoke house that is Jud Fry’s housing is particularly interesting. “The Farmer and the Cowman” number highlight how set design and dance can work together with great results.

Musical Director Michael Rice and the orchestra are well up to the task of performing the wonderful Richard Rodgers score.

The Music Circus showed with Monty Python's Spamalot opening this 50th season that they can create a fantastic production with the most contemporary of Broadway Musicals. With this production of "Oklahoma" the Music Circus has shown that they can take a 67 year old american masterpiece and create a show that is fresh, exciting and thoroughly entertaining.

1. Brandi Burkhardt as Laurey and Jeremiah James as Curly, 2. Jeremiah James as Curly, Brandi Burkhardt as Laurey and Kay Walbye as Aunt Eller 3. Kevin Earley (left) as Jud Fry and Jeremiah James as Curly, 4. Kay Walbye as Aunt Eller and Jeremiah James as Curly, 5. Michael Jablonski as Will Parker and Heather Jane Rolff as Ado Annie, 6. Amir Talai as Ali Hakim and Heather Jane Rolff as Ado Annie 7. Brandi Burkhardt as Laurey and Jeremiah James as Curly

All Photos by Charr Crail Courtsey California Musical Theatre

Joseph and the Technicolor Coat Returns to the Music Circus

2010-07-22T01:06:05Z

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” was the first collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Weber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics). They were an astounding 19 and 22 years old, respectively, when they began working on “Joseph.”

They took the well-known Old Testament story from Genesis chapters 37-46. It is the story of Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Joseph overcomes all through dreams, luck and intelligence to become second to the Pharaoh in Egypt. He ends up saving his brothers and forgiving them.

They use a “grab bag” of musical styles to tell the story, including country western, 60s pop, disco, calypso, Parisian cabaret and for the Pharaoh, Elvis rock. It is as if in their first musical they did an exercise of trying to write in a different genre for each musical number. Yet there are hints of their future blockbusters such as “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Evita” in the music. The whole production is sung. There are no speaking parts.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” has been produced several times in the past by the Music Circus. First in 1983 with 20-year-old Jimmy Osmond and 14-year-old Danielle Brisebois in the leading roles. Then in 1991, 1998 and 2003.

This production includes a children’s choir not always used in “Joseph” productions. The use of the children’s choir gives a structure to the play that it is a story being told to a group of children. Not that Broadway Musicals necessarily need to make sense.

The children’s choir includes 47 local children. The children are members of the Music Circus Junior Company. Right from the opening number they perform admirably. It is a credit to Music Circus Junior Company Director Gail Dartez, Choreographer Marcy Goodnow and Musical Director Graham Sobelman how professionally and perfectly these children perform on the stage. There were lots of proud parents and grandparents in Tuesday night’s audience.

Max Von Essen stars as Joseph. Von Essen’s good looks, powerful, beautiful voice and easy confidence help create a Joseph who is both unwittingly arrogant and and at the same time quite innocent. Von Essen has had starring roles at the Music Circus in “Sweeney Todd,” “Cabaret” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” and as Joseph in the 2003 production. It was obvious that he is very popular with the Music Circus audience.

Jennifer Paz was an excellent match-up with Von Essen as the narrator. She also has a strong, beautiful voice and presence. She gives a strong performance in a roll that is important in holding the play together.

Stage, screen and television actor Paul Ainsley is powerful in dual roles as Jacob and Potiphar, the wealthy Egyptian captain to whom Joseph is enslaved.

Broadway and and original “Forever Plad” veteran David Engle is great as a rock-and-roll Elvis Pharaoh. His “Song of the King” was big hit with the audience.

Other standouts include Shannon Stoeke in his country western solo “One More Angel in Heaven” and Lain Gray’s “Benjamin Calypso.”

Richard Stafford both directed and choreographed “Joseph.” His long experience as a choreographer pays off in this show. The large number of musical styles Lloyd Webber and Rice have created calls for a great variety of dance styles.

Stafford also does a good job of moving a very large number of actors about the whole theater as happens in the Music Circus venue. The Music Circus Junior Company spent three days of working with Stafford before the rest of the “Joseph” cast started rehearsing. This is an incredible opportunity for these budding actors.

Stafford was assisted by Jonathan Stahl as associate director/choreographer. Stall also portrayed Joseph’s brother Naphtali.

Costume Designer Marcy Froehlich produced an amazing variety of costumes. Almost every scene had a costume change for every actor. The Elvis/Pharaoh costume was particularly interesting. Von Essen’s costumes as Joseph did an especially good job at showing him off.

Martin E. Vreeland’s lighting was very effective in setting the scene and mood. It did a good job working with Michael Schweikardt’s spare sets.

The life-size camel puppet by puppet designer Richard Bay was a big hit.

Musical Director Craig Barna deftly handled Lloyd Webber and Rice’s ever-changing score.

The Music Circus is promoting “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” as their primary family-friendly show this season. Tickets are half off for children ages 4-11. Those children are going to love the show.

The inclusion of the children’s choir should give kids a stronger connection to the show. There is lots of lively action without any points that drag along. Kids will enjoy the variety of songs also.

Lets not forget the adults, though. The show also operates on a level that the adults will enjoy also. None of the parents are going to be bored while the kids enjoy the show, nor will the other adults in the audience. The Music Circus has created another show that is so much fun on every level with this new staging of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Photos: 1-2. Max von Essen as Joseph 3. Max von Essen as Joseph and Jennifer Paz as the Narrator 4. Members of the Children’s Choir perform with the camel designed by Richard Bay 5. David Engel as the Pharaoh 6. Jennifer Paz as the Narrator sings to the children’s choir

All photos by Charr Crail. Courtesy California Musical Theatre

Through Sunday July 25th Wells Fargo Pavilion 1419 H Street, Sacramento, CA, 95184 (916) 557-1999 Californiamusicaltheatre.com

Music Circus opens for 60th season

2010-07-06T05:14:51Z

The big top is flying up as the Sacramento Music Circus returns to the Wells Fargo Pavilion for its 60th anniversary season and 500th production.

The seven-show 2010 season opens July 9 with Monty Python's "Spamalot" and closes Aug. 29 with "42nd Street."

As always, season ticket holders contribute to the show selection by filling out surveys sent by the Music Circus months prior to the season opening. The highest-rated shows are selected assuming Music Circus can obtain rights to the show. This year "Funny Girl" was the second highest-rated show on the survey, which marketing director Christopher Bower described as "surprising."

"If there is something we're maybe on the fence about but it surveys so well, then we definitely want to do it," Bower said.

Mayor Kevin Johnson will be speaking at the July 14 performance. Johnson will address the 60th year anniversary as well as how important Music Circus is to the community.

The 60th anniversary should be a celebration in itself. The company will not host any special ceremonies or galas, outside of having the mayor as a speaker. The goal for this year is to continue putting on beautiful musical theater shows and regain attendance.

"We've definitely taken a hit (from the economy)," Bower said. "We used to average around 94 percent (capacity) from '99 to 2008. In 2009 we did 74 percent."

This year he remains "cautiously encouraged" as indicators thus far have shown 2010's numbers should be higher, especially because some performances are already sold out.

"We're still here. We're still putting on good shows," he said.

Tickets can be purchased from the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office located at 1419 H St. Ticket prices range from $41 to $53 for single shows. Three-show packages can also be purchased for $135. Children under 4 are not admitted. For more information visit californiamusicaltheatre.com.

From the California Musical Theatre press release, the 2010 Music Circus season shows include:

"Spamalot"
July 9-18
Adapted from the screenplay "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," Spamalot is one of three premieres for the Music Circus. The show won three Tony Awards in 2005, including Best Musical and was nominated an additional 12 times. The performance tells the tale of King Arthur and the Round Table.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
July 20-25
The biblical story of Joseph, much like "Jesus Christ Superstar" (and from the same creators), features varying styles spanning country and rock'n'roll. The script will be the newest London revised version. Also, never done before, the Sacramento performance will include a chorus of 50 children.

"Oklahoma!"
July 27 - Aug. 1
Returning after a six-year hiatus, "Oklahoma!" is back for its 13th production at the Music Circus. The renowned musical follows the travels of one of America's remaining frontiers as it marches into statehood. "Oklahoma!" has captured patriotic and pioneering spirit for over 60 years.

"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"
Aug. 3-8
The second of the three premieres for this year's season. "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", based on the film by the same name, features two swindlers attempting to rob a vacationing woman in the beautiful French countryside. A 10-time Tony Award-nominated show.

"Funny Girl"
Aug. 10-15
Originally performed by Barbra Streisand, "Funny Girl" returns to Sacramento after 18 years. The autobiographical performance is of Fanny Brice and her rise from lowly comical singer to stardom. The show has been nominated for eight Tony Awards.

"The Marvelous Wonderettes"
Aug. 17-22
"Wonderettes" is the third of the three premiers for the 2010 season. Opening off-broadway in 2008, the original New York cast members return to their roles as four high school girls at prom, discussing big-time dreams of the future. The show is set in 1958 Springfield.

"42nd Street"
Aug. 24-29
The 1981 Tony Award-winner hasn't been to Sacramento since 1999. On 42nd Street, one dream-filled girl learns to shine as she is given the opportunity to star in a musical hit about movie musicals and Broadway classics.

All photos courtesy of Christopher Bower of the California Musical Theatre

Next season of Broadway Series announced

2010-04-06T18:44:59Z

Tony Award-winning musical "In the Heights" as well as the recent Disney revival of the classic "Mary Poppins" are among the six touring shows that will come to Sacramento between September 29 and June 19 of next year. For the first time in producing organization California Musical Theatre's 22 year history of bringing Broadway shows, all six of the shows will be Sacramento premieres.

Along with "In the Heights" and "Mary Poppins," this season's shows will include the dance spectacle "Burn the Floor," the seasonal "Cirque Dreams Holidaze" and two new shows based on films: "9 to 5," based on the Dolly Parton movie and "Young Frankenstein," based on the Mel Brooks comedy.

Ticket subscriptions for the shows will go on sale next Monday, April 12. Current season ticket holders will get first shot, and the Wells Fargo Pavillion Box Office will take orders for new subscriptions at the same time.

According to a press release from CMT, "Season ticket buyers will be receiving their DEEPEST SUBSCRIBER DISCOUNT EVER - an average of over 17 percent - meaning that every renewing subscriber will be paying less for the 2010-11 season. Six-show subscription packages are $96.90 to $338.20. Five-show packages (not including "Cirque Dreams Holidaze") are only $81.90-$285.60. Season tickets available only at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street, Sacramento, or by calling (916) 557-1999. For more information and complete prices for our season tickets, visit www.BroadwaySacramento.com. For groups of 12 or more (both single-show and subscriptions), call (916) 557-1198 beginning Monday, April 12."

Descriptions of the six shows follow, from the California Musical Theatre press release:

BURN THE FLOOR
September 29-October 10, 2010

The international dance sensation Burn the Floor visits Sacramento direct from its record-breaking run on Broadway! You've seen ballroom dance on shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance." Now, with Burn the Floor, you will feel, live on stage, all the passion, the drama and the sizzling excitement of 20 gorgeous champion dancers, in a true theatrical experience, a performance with a grace and athleticism that The New York Times calls, "Dazzling!" From Harlem's hot nights at The Savoy, where dances such as the Lindy, Foxtrot and Charleston were born, to the Latin Quarter where the Cha-Cha, Rumba and Salsa steamed up the stage, Burn the Floor takes audiences on a journey through the passionate drama of dance. The elegance of the Viennese Waltz, the exuberance of the Jive, the intensity of the Paso Doble - audiences will experience them all, as well as the Tango, Samba, Mambo, Quickstep and Swing. Burn the Floor-it's Ballroom. Reinvented.

For more information, visit the Burn the Floor page at www.BroadwaySacramento.com or visit www.burnthefloor.com.

IN THE HEIGHTS
November 3-14, 2010

"In the Heights," winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including best musical!, is a sensational new show about chasing your dreams and finding your true home. With an amazing cast, incredible Tony Award-winning dancing and a thrilling Tony Award-winning score, "In the Heights" is an exhilarating journey into a vibrant Manhattan community - a place where the coffee is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. Experience the next chapter of the classic American story at the most joyous and exciting musical on Broadway. Find out what it takes to make a living, what it costs to have a dream, and what it means to be home..."In the Heights."

For more information, visit the In the Heights page at www.BroadwaySacramento.com or visit www.intheheightsthemusical.com.

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE
December 29, 2010-January 2, 2011

From the creators of the groundbreaking Broadway hit, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, comes a new holiday musical of season's dreamings hailed by the New York Daily News as..."charm, sparkle and talent by the sleighload" and "a jaw dropping winter wonderland" by the Atlantic City Press. Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Holidaze is an original new musical extravaganza filled with spectacle, imagination and whimsical dreams. Ornaments come to life as costumed characters who perform astonishing feats that celebrate the holiday season and showcase pageantry, ingenuity and breathtaking artistry. An international cast of acrobats, aerialists, singers, dancers and musicians fill this Cirque Dream on stage, in the air and while dangling from a 24 foot tall magical tree. Add to that the pomp, cirque-umstance and amazement of gingerbread men flipping through the air, toy soldiers skillfully marching on thin wires, snowmen daringly balancing, icemen sculpting powerfully, penguins spinning, puppets caroling and reindeer soaring high above a landscape of holiday wonderment and you will see why Cirque Dreams Holidaze makes the perfect gift of entertainment. With over 100 dazzling costumes, an original musical score and some holiday favorites, Cirque Dreams Holidaze will have audiences of all ages mesmerized with its memorable tribute to the holiday season.

For more information, visit the Cirque Dreams Holidaze page at www.BroadwaySacramento.com or visit www.cirqueproductions.com.

9 TO 5
March 9-20, 2011

"9 to 5: The Musical" is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton's original hit title song along with her new Tony Award® -and Grammy-nominated score. The book is by Patricia Resnick (co-writer of the original screenplay). "9 to 5: The Musical" tells the story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there's nothing they can't do - even in a man's world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, "9 to 5: The Musical" is about teaming up and taking care of business... it's about getting credit and getting even ... and it's about to open in Sacramento.
For more information, visit the 9 to 5 page at www.BroadwaySacramento.com or visit www.9to5themusical.com.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
April 13-24, 2011

The classic Mel Brooks movie is ALIVE...and it's headed here! You'll have a monstrously good time at this spectacular new production, winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the Broadway.com Audience Award for best musical! Don't miss the sensational cast delivering all your favorite moments from the classic film, plus brand-new show-stopping numbers for the stage, including "Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' on the Ritz." This wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to create a monster--but not without scary and hilarious complications. The brains behind the laughter is mad genius and three-time Tony winner Mel Brooks himself – who wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book – along with his record-breaking team from The Producers: five-time Tony-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman and three-time Tony-winning writer, Thomas Meehan.
For more information, visit the Young Frankenstein page at www.BroadwaySacramento.com or visit www.youngfrankensteinthemusical.com.

MARY POPPINS
June 2-19, 2011

Beginning in June 2011, the world's most famous nanny will arrive in Sacramento. Combining the best of the original stories by P. L. Travers and the beloved Walt Disney film, the Tony® Award-winning "Mary Poppins" is everything you'd hope for in a Broadway musical-and more. Produced by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, the show includes such wonderful songs as "Chim Chim Cher-ee," "A Spoonful of Sugar," Let's Go Fly a Kite" and, of course, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." The New York Daily News hails "Mary Poppins" as "a roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza!" Let your imagination take flight at this perfectly magical musical!
For more information, visit the Mary Poppins page at www.BroadwaySacramento.com or visit www.marypoppinsonbroadway.com.

'Rent' ends tour in Sacramento

2010-02-05T05:06:12Z

"Rent: The Broadway Tour" stopped in Sacramento Wednesday night, bringing a slice of New York to the Community Center Theatre. An audience of over 2,000 sang along, hollered and gave a standing ovation to the play, which featured the male leads from the original Broadway cast, Adam Pascal (as Roger Davis) and Anthony Rapp (as Mark Cohen).

Led by poignant performances by Pascal and Rapp, the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama featured powerful acting, dancing and singing. Watching the play was like viewing a prototypical hip-hop song come to life, describing characters in an urban New York City neighborhood dealing with a mosaic of issues including AIDS, drugs and homelessness.

The performance began with Pascal's character walking onstage with a white Fender Telecaster, eliciting a chorus of girls screaming in the audience. Rapp, holding a video camera, entered next, receiving a similar response.

In the background, a complicated set of intertwined clothing, paper lanterns and bicycle frames wrapped around several black staircases to give the stage an authentically New York feel. Gray brick graffitied with a skyline, streetlights and silhouettes allowed the stage to remain minimalist.

Clustering in one corner to the side of the stage, a live four-piece band consisting of drums, guitar, keyboards and bass provided the entire soundtrack. However, the play opened with Pascal's character Roger, a struggling musician, strumming his Telecaster. He began several of the play's songs on guitar, later being accompanied by the band.

A diverse cast portrayed a group of friends, with characters ranging from struggling artists to drug addicts and drag queens. Crowd favorite Justin Johnson played a drag queen named Angel, whose nearly every movement drew cheers from the audience.

Comic relief came in the form of Nicolette Hart, who played Maureen, a clownish bisexual performance artist who dressed in everything from a brightly colored farmer's outfit to a vinyl Catwoman one-piece. She performed a "performance art" send-up called "Over the Moon," which conjured Lewis Caroll's Jabberwocky, while using props like a cowbell, a drum stick and sunglasses to add wackiness.

Quick skits depicting 30-second voicemails left to the characters also provided intervals of comic relief and acted as distractions for the actors to shift props on the stage. Imminent eviction, several love stories and a love triangle drive the plot, though it's really an amalgam of many characters' experiences in New York throughout one year.

Though the film version opens with it, the musical's signature song "Seasons of Love" came later in the stage version, the first song in the second act. Gwen Stewart, another original cast member and soloist on the song, added a soulful falsetto verse and a touch of beautiful gospel.

Elements of the song reappeared during the act as drama unfolds, death, eviction and sickness wrenching apart the characters' lives. After the last song, the audience erupted in applause and other audible praises, over 2,000 people on their feet to show their appreciation.

It was a fitting end to the show, one of the best this reviewer has ever seen in Sacramento. Audiences seemed to agree, with many leaving the Community Center Theatre with "Rent" backpacks, purses and sweaters.

Sunday night will mark the end of the tour.

"Rent" runs through Sunday at 2 and 8 p.m. A limited number of tickets are still available at the Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. Front row seats are available two hours before each performance at the Community Center Theater box office at a cost of $23, cash only, two per person.

Photographs credit "Rent: Broadway Tour 2009"

Cosmopolitan Cabaret announces 2010 season

2009-11-25T03:44:12Z

On Monday, Cosmopolitan Cabaret announced its 2010 season, the cabaret's first scheduled season with a full lineup of shows. Nov. 30, California Musical Theatre, which runs the Cosmopolitan Cabaret as well as the Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento, will begin selling tickets for the three shows making up the season.

The 2010 season will begin Jan. 26 with My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, followed by a murder-mystery non-musical play called Shear Madness and end with Suds, an upbeat love story with a 1960s top-40 soundtrack.

Last September, the cabaret began its first show, Forever Plaid, as an open-ended run. It ended after a year, earlier than had been hoped. But it lasted 387 performances and drew 46,000 people before closing as the longest-running, professional-equity theatre production in Sacramento history.

"We were hoping it was going to run for five years and be a smash hit," said Christopher Bower, CMT's director of marketing. "But we didn't really have a certain date in mind (to close), we were just going to see how it went."

Last spring, CMT management decided to move to a normal cabaret season with several productions per year.

"We got hit pretty hard with the economy going down the tubes right after we opened, but it started to get its legs and we decided last spring that it might be better to go with a season format," Bower said.

As CMT executive producer Richard Lewis saw ticket sales dwindling, he decided to close Forever Plaid, according to an article in the Sacramento Bee. On Sept. 22, CMT opened Late Night Catechism: 'Til Death Do Us Part, a one-woman show which ended Nov. 22.

The production featured a minimalist set, with Emmy-Award winning actress Nonie Newton-Breen playing a nun who offers humorous lessons on various Catholic sacraments.

She will reprise her role as a nun for six weeks beginning Tuesday, Nov. 24 in Sister's Christmas Catechism, followed by a one-week encore show of 'Til Death beginning Jan. 5, 2010. Both shows have improvised material with heavy audience interaction.

Bower said that there is much to be learned from the first year, and the CMT won't know if the cabaret is a success until having completed several more seasons. He also said Forever Plaid was so funny and well done, once the word got out, people started buying tickets quickly.

"Artistically, the show itself got great reviews and great audience response," Bower added. "Financially, (the year) had its ups and downs but it's a learning process. We didn't really know what to expect, we'd never run a cabaret-style theatre before."

Cosmopolitan Cabaret is located on the corner of 10th and K streets.

The following is the Cosmopolitan Cabaret's 2010 season schedule and plot summaries, taken from www.californiamusicaltheatre.com:

My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra

Jan. 26 - May 9 (previews Jan. 26 – 28, opening night, Friday, Jan. 29).

The four-person musical review celebrates the music of this icon of cool: a singer whose style, voice and attitude defined much of 20th century music. Two dynamic couples perform 58 songs made famous by the Chairman of the Board, including "Strangers in the Night," "I’ve Got You Under My Skin" and “New York, New York.”

Shear Madness

May 25 - Sept. 5 (previews May 25 – 30, opening night, Tuesday, June 1).

Taking place in a beauty salon, this uproarious whodunit includes colorful characters, spontaneity and topical humor. And the audience gets to solve the crime! "Shear Madness" has had long-running engagements around the country including Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. (9,000 performances and counting) and the original Boston production which opened in 1980 and is still going strong.

Suds

Sept. 21 - Jan. 9, 2011 (previews Sept. 21 – 23, opening night, Friday, Sept. 24)

Suds is a delightful musical about a teenage girl and the guardian angels who come to teach her about finding true love. This bubbly musical set in a laundromat features hits from the '60s including "Where the Boys Are," "These Boots Are Made for Walkin’," "Respect," "I Feel Good" and "Do You Want to Know a Secret."

Subscriptions are available for purchase beginning Monday, Nov. 30, at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H St., Sacramento, or by calling (916) 557-1999.

Subscription tickets are discounted more than 20 percent off the price of the tickets sold separately. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances and Thursday matinee performances are $79 for the three-show package. Friday and Saturday evenings and Saturday and Sunday matinee packages are only $89. Subscriptions for premium tables on the first tier are $89 and $99 respectively. Discounts are available for groups from 12 to 199 by calling (916) 557-1198.

Single-show tickets for each of the productions will go on sale at a later date.

Wednesday: Sacramento to experience a 'Spring Awakening'

2009-11-03T07:47:06Z

Sex. It's controversial today, and it has been for more than a century. That's why Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play, Spring Awakening, which has strong sexual themes and language, was not produced in the playwright's native Germany until 1906.

It opened to English audiences for the first time in New York in 1917, and closed after one performance.

Times have changed. The winner of eight 2007 Tony awards including "best musical" and a 2008 Grammy for "Best Musical Show Album opens Wednesday as part of California Musical Theatre's Broadway Sacramento season. Well, sort of. Spring Awakening was not offered as part of the season subscription package, because the theater's executive producer, Richard Lewis, said he did not want to "force" the show on an audience.

Christopher McSwain, community affairs director for California Musical Theatre, urged people not to reject the play merely because it deals with sex. It's more about the consequences of not communicating openly with teenagers about sex, he said.

"If asked to give a blanket statement so that people could judge whether or not it's right for them and sum it up in five or so words, we say "recommended for 17 and over," McSwain added. "But if there are 16-year-old musical theater fans who are dying to see it, they will be able to buy a ticket."

As part of the marketing strategy, Broadway Sacramento held a Spring Awakening event Friday at Mix,1531 L St. It featured theme drinks, TV screens playing scenes and stills from the show, and music from the score. (Full disclosure: California Musical Theatre is an advertising partner with The Sacramento Press and The Sacramento Press helped plan the Mix event.)

It's a timeless musical, McSwain said. With a score by pop-rock musician Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening is geared to a young audience despite the age of the script.

"I hope that the kids who see it recognize the value in actually talking about their lives and finding connections," said Spring Awakening director Michael Mayer. "Without getting preachy, I think this play can have a positive impact on society as well as provide a terrifically entertaining and very, very moving theater experience."

The show's producer, Tom Hulce, echoed this sentiment. Hulce is most famous for playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Academy Award-winning 1984 film Amadeus.

"Kids have found one of a dozen different things in the play to be particularly meaningful to them, that give them either a hope they didn’t have before, or an understanding they didn’t have before, or an ability to talk to people that they didn’t have before," he said. "The issues of how we raise our children, how we can best answer their needs, and what is the right way to help young people become themselves is universal."

One way to get closer to the story and gain a different perspective is to buy a seat on the stage. "Without joining the actors union, how else do you get on a Broadway stage?" joked McSwain.

Having members of the audience onstage is in keeping with Spring Awakening's theme: It's a story about experiences we all share, not just 19th century German schoolkids. A $25 seat onstage might land you next to the drummer or even a singer, McSwain said.

"What we hear is: Is Sacramento ready for this?" McSwain said. "We figure it's playing Des Moines (Iowa) and East Lansing, (Mich.), (so) if Des Moines can handle it, maybe we can. I think we're at least as hip and edgy as Des Moines, don't you think?"

Spring Awakening runs Nov. 4-15 at the Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. Tickets are $18 to $65, available here.

*Photograph one credit Paul Kolnik. Photograph two credit Joan Marcus.

Sondheim's "Into the Woods" opens at Music Circus

2009-07-30T04:44:57Z

Many of humanity's most enduring stories have been told in the simplest ways. Folk tales tell the truths of societies in ways that are outside of time, outside of specific culture, even outside of "reality" itself.

But they can be true in ways that more sophisticated, contemporary stories can't hope to be.

Thus, the power of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical, "Into the Woods," which opened at the Music Circus Tuesday night and runs through Sunday. First performed on Broadway in 1987 with Bernadette Peters, and revived many times since, most famously with Vanessa Williams in the role of the Witch in 2002, "Into the Woods" has aged beautifully. Under Glenn Casale's able direction, and with a talented, energetic cast, the musical worked well in the round at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at 15th and H streets downtown.

Inspired by child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim's classic 1976 book "The Uses of Enchantment," a Jungian study of fairy tales and their function in society, "Into the Woods" uses familiar Grimm Brothers' tales, of Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Jack and the Beanstalk, among others to tell larger stories about wishes and responsibilities, the individual and society, and the endless, often-fraught but always-essential dynamic between parent and child.

There is no warm moralizing involved, though the moral tenor of the tales, as well as their ribald undercurrents and abrupt violence, comes through clearly. At times it is mocked, as when the characters feed one-liners into brief interludes (Jack's mother spouts the quasi-wise "the slotted spoon holds no soup"); at other times, the one-liners are spot-on, as in the concluding one, this time sung by the Witch: "Dreams come true, not free."

Those dreams are the core of the show, built around the simple but deeply evocative phrase, "I wish." The Baker and his wife wish for a child; Cinderella wishes to attend the Prince's festival; Jack wishes he could keep his "friend," his dry cow Milky-White. All of their dreams will come true; most of the dreamers will not survive the show.

Their interlocking wishes and competing attempts to fulfill them form the backbone of the first act; the second addresses "ever after," when dreams come true only to be replaced either by new dreams or dimmed by the realities of the responsibilities that wishes fulfilled bring.

What makes Lapine's brilliant, funny and wise book come alive, however, is Sondheim's resourceful, virtuoso music and lyrics, which dance through the piece in small bits, each character's musical themes replayed and reiterated with variations that show how much they are growing through their trials, or are not. Musical lines sung by one character later reappear sung by another, with different, sometimes opposing, lyrics.

Though the songs have a sing-song quality one would expect of fairy tale music, the inversions and harmonic constructions, as well as Sondheim's painstakingly-arranged lyrical meter and complex rhymes, are as ear-catching as any in Sondheim's peerless half-century catalog. And being the puzzle master that he is, the pieces fit together in an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of sound and meaning that never loses the attentive listener. Inside jokes abound, as do aural and lyrical puns too numerous to mention.

The overall effect to anyone attuned to the mechanics of songwriting is positively dazzling. Those who expect self-contained songs of more traditional Broadway fare or the rock-anchored pop music structures of recent musicals may find that Sondheim is overly clever. Certainly, the charge can be and has been leveled, but given the emotional and intellectual impact of the combination of music, lyrics and story, such criticism seems superficial itself.

"Into the Woods" is a great work of art, and Music Circus' production and performance largely matches it. Especially good in the major parts are Vicki Lewis as the Baker's Wife, whose pitch is nearly perfect in a role that ranges from modest to operatic. Michael G. Hawkins brings great voice and wry presence to the role of The Narrator, as well as the Mysterious Man. (Several actors play double roles, roles which echo each other in interesting ways.) Jeffrey Denman turns his doltish Everyman tones into encroaching bitterness in the second act, as his Baker seems to gain the world and then loses nearly everything.

Less appealing is Yvette Cason as The Witch, the diva role. Her comic delivery is good, and she inhabits the role of the only character in the play who is not deluded in some way ("I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right" she sings in her climactic number). But in a vocal role that requires some heartily-sustained notes, she seemed to go more than once off-pitch, and when you're that far up and out, you must be right on. Aiming high has its dangers, perhaps another moral worth repeating.

In the minor roles, Jason Fornbach as one of the two Princes Charming (Rapunzel's) had a natural, quick comic energy and manner that gave nearly every one of his few lines a comic punch that brought guffaws from the audience. He wasn't quite as convincing in his role of the Wolf, but sang it beautifully.

Technically, director Glenn Casale's blocking keeps the characters straight, no mean feat in a show with a dozen actors playing three or four different scenes simultaneously, and more or less visible from all angles. Still, as with last week's lovely revival of "Guys and Dolls," the many microphones, and Sondheim's quick cuts back and forth, seemed to fluster whoever was manning the volume faders, resulting in a number of first words being cut from lines.

Music Circus is a treasure we Sacramentans take for granted. Younger, hipper enthusiasts of the arts seem to eschew it altogether. But that is a mistake, and doubly so when the theatre tackles a work of art as brilliant as "Into the Woods." I would encourage those who think of Music Circus as something for traditionalists to give this particular work an evening of their time. I doubt they will be disappointed.

For as the old saying goes, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

David Watts Barton is the Managing Editor of The Sacramento Press.

Disney's The Lion King opens in Sacramento

2009-05-31T01:51:53Z

One of the longest-running Broadway shows in history, "The Lion King" started another long Sacramento run Friday night at the Community Center Theatre. This is the touring production's second run here, a five-week stay that is already nearly sold-out. Friday night's show made it clear why this is an all-time favorite.

From the very start, "The Lion King" captivates, the proverbial for-kids-of-all-ages show. Director Julie Taymor's dazzling backgrounds of the African savannah translate beautifully from the source material - Disney's animated feature film - and the costumes of various animals are breathtaking in their resourcefulness and versatility. Particularly amazing are the two giraffes and one panther, their movements brilliantly evocative of their wild cousins.

All of the show's characters are animals, and it is this blend of animal and human that artfully utilizes the audience's suspension of disbelief and is the show's chief delight. Particularly able was Timothy Carter, who played the antagonist Scar, brilliantly moving back and forth between using his human face and smoothly lowering the animal mask that rested above his face when his character grew particularly threatening. Rarely has an animated film character been brought to the live stage with movements so precisely intact.

Other wonderful visuals were the incorporation of Indonesian wayang kulit shadow puppetry, which gave the stage a mysterious ambience at points, and the brilliant use of a line of lithe, muscular male dancers dressed with headpieces and skirts that mimicked savanah grasses.

Designed to dazzle, the show is less interesting for its timeless fairy tale story, which seemed a bit shopworn. Part classic hero's journey, part Shakespearean tragedy, "The Lion King" is all Disney, with heartwarming lessons for everyone. When the visuals and music start to feel repetitive in the second act - this is a long show - the predictability of the plot becomes painfully apparent.

But along the way, there are a number of moments - nearly all of them comic - that enliven the show, especially those delivered by the comic relief of three hyenas and a bird, Zazu (an energetic Tony Freeman), who get off some of the show's best one-liners. There is also some creative breaking of the "fourth wall" ("This wasn't in the cartoon!" remarked one character to the audience.)

Also diverting was a number sung by Rafiki (Shelloane A. Nkhela) in what sounded to be the kung! language of southern Africa, surely the first (and only) time those familiar-yet-alien tongue clicks and gutteral stops have worked their way into a Broadway musical.

Less interesting were the songs of Elton John and Tim Rice, which tended to the prototypical Disney movie "power ballad" and lack the elasticity and invention of the best Broadway show tunes. When they're not power ballads, the songs devolve into post-Peter Gabriel quasi-Africana pop, enjoyable enough but hardly compelling. One exception: The resurrection of the old folk tune "Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)," which was as enjoyable as it was predictable.

The positioning of a black-clad percussionist on either side of the stage, the only visible members of the pit orchestra, was encouraging at first, but neither percussionist did much of interest, particularly considering how prominently they were positioned. Together, they seemed to be doing the work of one musician, and doing it with the energy of half. On the one hand, this is understandable; pit orchestras are about the overall sound; no one is meant to stand out. And above all, such ensembles concerned with doing things deliberately and in perfect time, to sync with the stage show.

But in a show about animals, Africa and adventure, just a bit of fire in the percussion would have been welcome. Two percussionists with one eye on the time clock did not serve the show visually, energetically or musically.

In the end, the entire show felt to this viewer like an event that has perhaps lived its life as fully as it is likely to. But there is clearly still an audience for the show, which remains a visual treat, a landmark of theatrical design and nearly impossible to dislike. The near-capacity crowd leapt to its feet at the show's end, giving the show Sacramento's traditional standing ovation. The show will play at the Community Center Theatre through June 28. Tickets are available at www.broadwaysacramento.com.

Music Circus single tickets on sale Monday

2009-05-15T23:29:44Z

Single tickets for this summer’s Music Circus shows at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at 15th and H streets will go on sale to the general public on Monday at 10 a.m.

This summer’s performances of such venerable Broadway staples as Thoroughly Modern Millie, Guys and Dolls and Into the Woods continue a Sacramento tradition that’s now 58 years old.

Tickets will be available by phone at (916) 557-1999, at the Wells Fargo Pavilion box office window at 1419 H St., or online at sacramentomusiccircus.com. (Ticket orders made online are processed by Tickets.com and include additional convenience charges.) Tickets are also available by phone through Tickets.com at (800) 225-2277.

Tickets are $50 for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, as well as Saturday matinees. Tickets are $53 for Friday and Saturday evenings and $41 for Thursday matinees. Seven-show packages are also still available for $250 to $322.Three show Mini-Series packages for $117 to $151 are also on sale. Call (916) 557-1999 for more information.

Children 4 to 11 are $15 off.

There will be special family-friendly curtain times for CATS performances from Aug. 25 to 30 with a 1 p.m. Sunday matinee on Aug. 30.

Seven-show season subscriptions for Music Circus are still available for $250 to $322 .

Dates for the shows are as follows:

Thoroughly Modern Millie – July 7-12
Altar Boyz – July 14-19
Guys and Dolls – July 21-26
Into the Woods – July 28-Aug. 2
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – Aug. 4-9
Man of La Mancha – Aug. 11-16
CATS – Aug. 18-30

Here are more details on each show, from the Music Circus’ press release:

Thoroughly Modern Millie – July 7-12

Music Circus premiere! The fun, adventure and scandal (gasp!) of New York City in the 1920s lure aspiring flapper and stenographer Millie Dillmount to Manhattan, intent to fall in love with her rich boss, whoever he may be. The pull of the big city, money and especially love are at the center of 2002’s Tony Award-winning Best Musical.

The title role will be played by Sacramento area-native Mara Davi, whose Broadway roles include Maggie in "A Chorus Line" and Janet in "The Drowsy Chaperone." Broadway and film actor Ruth Williamson, who starred as Mame at Music Circus, will play the comically villianous Mrs. Meers. "Millie" will be directed by Glenn Casale and choreographed by John MacInnis with musical direction by Bill Stanley.

Very limited seating for the Thursday matinee of this production.

Altar Boyz – July 14-19

Music Circus premiere! "Altar Boyz" is a foot-stomping, rafter-raising, musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy-band on the last night of their national "Raise the Praise" tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham. With their tight harmonies and spectacular choreography, the Alter Boyz will delight you. As they perform their signature hits such as "Rhythm in Me," "The Calling" and "I Believe," the Boyz question their loyalty to each other and ask whether or not faith is really holding them together. They finally deliver a message of unity, that "there is no star as bright as its constellation, no harmony in a single voice."

The Altar Boyz will be played by Devin DeSantis (Matthew), Jamison Scott (Mark), Ryan Nearhoff (Luke), Xavier Cano (Juan) and Tim Dolan (Abraham). The production is directed by Stafford Arima, a Music Circus veteran who staged the original New York production, with Tye Blue serving as associate director.

Guys and Dolls – July 21-26

"Luck be a lady tonight ..." In Frank Loesser’s musical fable of Broadway, falling in love is a crap shoot – a matter of chance as well as the heart. The colorful denizens of 1940s New York – showgirls and gamblers, missionaries and gangsters –create musical comedy magic accompanied by Broadway’s most rib-tickling ditties: "A Bushel and a Peck," "If I Were a Bell" and "Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat."

Tony Award winner Gary Beach will star as Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls." Beach is familiar to Music Circus audiences for roles as Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," Rooster in "Annie" and Luther Billis in "South Pacific." He received his Tony Award for best supporting actor for his role as Roger de Bris in "The Producers," a role he reprised in the film. He will play opposite Heather Lee as Miss Adelaide, who appeared in "Sweeney Todd" last summer as the Beggar Woman. Matthew Ashford, known to daytime fans as Jack Devereaux from "Days of Our Lives," returns to Music Circus where he played Thomas Jefferson in "1776." Ashford will play gambler Sky Masterson opposite Montego Glover as missionary Sarah Brown. Glover played the lead role in "Aida" under the tent. The cast will also include Conrad John Schuck (Ben Franklin in "1776") as Arvide Abernathy. "Guys and Dolls" will be directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and choreographed by Bob Richard with Dennis Castellano serving as musical director.

Into the Woods – July 28-Aug. 2

A seed of magic and discovery sprouts into a beanstalk of caution, danger and adventure in Stephen Sondheim’s wry fairy tale musical – a witty look at Jack, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood for those who once were children but have forgotten the lessons of youth. Find out what happens after happily-ever-after.

Comedic stage and television actress Vicki Lewis, who starred in "Gypsy" last summer, will return to Music Circus as the Baker’s Wife opposite Jeffry Denman as the Baker. Denman is well known around the country as a leading song and dance man for his performance on Broadway in "Cats" and around the country starring in "White Christmas." He last appeared under the Tent in "Cats." Yvette Cason will play the witch. The production will be directed and choreographed by Glenn Casale and the musical director will be Craig Barna.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – Aug. 4-9

What makes rowdy mountain men not just jump for joy, but twirl, flip and pirouette? One of the most loved Music Circus productions returns with its legendary high-kicking choreography to show that it takes a bride to turn seven unshaven unkempt brothers into manly gentle men and to turn desire into romance.

The cast will be lead by Music Circus favorites Joseph Mahowald as Adam and Jacquelyn Piro Donovan as Millie. Mahowald whose Broadway credits include the lead role in "Jekyll & Hyde" has been seen here in the round in "Seven Brides" and "South Pacific." Piro Donovan was most recently under the tent as Sally Bowles in "Cabaret." The cast will include 18 young singers and dancers playing brothers, brides and suitors. Longtime Music Circus fans will recognize Richard Bulda who returns to the tent. "Seven Brides" will be directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge with Jim May conducting. Pepper Clyde, who choreographed all the previous Music Circus productions of "Seven Brides," will return to once again recreate the high energy, acrobatic dance sequences.

Very limited seating for the Thursday matinee of this production.

Man of La Mancha – Aug. 11-16

We all long for a better world, and no literary character has inspired us to see things as they should be more than Don Quixote: to see truth over reality, adventure in everyday life and beauty in the heart of a vulgar barmaid. In this Tony-winning musical, an imprisoned writer transforms himself into a deluded knight who beckons to come with him and "dream the impossible dream." >more

Broadway veteran Walter Charles will return to Music Circus in the lead roles of Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote. Valerie Perri, who is best known for her performance in the national tour of "Evita" will star as Aldonza. The production will be directed by Guy Stroman (whose work is currently represented by "Forever Plaid" at The Cosmopolitan Cabaret) and choreographed by Bob Richard. Dennis Castellano will choreograph.

CATS – Aug. 18-30

The magic, playfulness, dignity and tragedy of the feline comes to life on stage in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s magnificent musical. Spectacular costumes, fanciful choreography and whimsical lyrics based on T.S. Eliot’s poetry will delight theatregoers of all ages. For the first time ever, "Cats" is offered at a discount for children 4-11.

Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, who will appear earlier in the season in "Seven Brides," will recreate her 2003 performance as Grizabella. Tony Award nominee Ken Page will play Old Deuteronomy, a role he created in the original Broadway production. Jeffry Denman will play Munkustrap in the 20-member ensemble cast. The production will be directed by Richard Stafford and choreographed by Dana Solimando with musical direction by Craig Barna.