Tom Williams, Author at Theatre reviews

The Hard Problem

So my analysis will be superficial since the play was difficult to comprehend. Hilary (Cross) is a young psychologist who works at the prestigious Krohl Institute for Brain Science. She believes in God and altruism that gets her to debate with her associate Spike. She ends up fighting the burden of her regrets as her troubling issues in her research cause he problems. Questions like where does biology end and personhood begin? Is there only matter? What is consciousness? Will the computer someday answer all psychological questions? Hilary’s “hard problem’ put her at odds with her colleagues; she prays for a solution.

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Tom Williams

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Most noticeable of the effects in the production, however, are the red clown noses that adorn every character. These are, at once, richly and effectively symbolic, and symptomatic of the unrelenting comedic style that robs the production of its underlying “horror.” The world to which these red noses introduce us is one in which everyone is, to some conscious degree, implicated in the corruption. When a character dies, his or her red nose is torn from their face and they are (as I interpret it) forced to breathe the noxious, corrupt, “fishy” odor that pervades this world—a reality they had denied; indeed, it may be assumed that it is of this that they finally die. In the production’s most poignant moment, Ui and his henchmen remove their red noses and their caricature-esque gestures fall away to reveal the real, dimensional criminals that they are. This moment has a visceral quality to it, as if one awoke from a circus dream to find it were only a gaudy gild on a harrowing reality.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

10 out of 12

Once seated, we continue to watch the crew getting setting up for the play. Only when we hear voices on the headset announcing the start of the tech rehearsal do we realize that the show we came to see is actually starting. We hear constant chatter over our headsets that is idle chatter with techies desiring snacks, gossiping and telling stories to pass the time while the slow process of getting the set located, the props in place plus to lighting and sound cues organized. There are many lag-time delays while the details get are polished and corrections made. Once the actors do some scenes, they need to become familiar with the blocking. That can be difficult since actor’s foibles and even script disagreements surface complicate things.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

The Most Happy Fella

Fella is about love and forgiveness as it plays out in spirited celebrations featuring rich vocals from Roberts, Hernandez and Singleton.The songs offer a fine blend of styles from light comic to lush opera to haunting love songs. Fred Anzevino’s efficient use of the stage at No Exit Cafe contains a polish presentation with energetic choreography, cute comedic bits and stirring emotions come through smartly and flawlessly. Jeremy Ramey’s piano, violin, viola and cello orchestra produced a lush sound.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

The Wiz

Under the skilled theatrical craftsmanship of director Lil-Anne Brown and choreographer Breon Arzell, Kokandy production’s non-Equity production of The Wiz is a fun musical. It is filled with heart and soul as the African-American urbanized retelling of the Oz story is a funky, campy and heartfelt production. Led by the strong voiced and charming Dorothy (Sydney Charles), this adventure is a dance heavy trip to the Emerald City. Steeped in Black urban culture, this winning production is a humorously manic trip.

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Tom Williams

The Source

The principle problem with McKinley’s story is that his story is not a story: it’s a situation. The real story—that is, the drama—never manifests because nothing happens: no one actually acts. They wait and talk and debate and talk and fret but never do anything of consequence. What conflict there is—and a middling conflict at that—is entirely between the two journalists, their rather irritating personalities, and their ethical ideas. That’s the “story”—and it’s boring.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Skin for Skin

This drama, after several upsetting torture scenes, reverts into religious diatribes as the torture has unintended consequences. Ayyub becomes a religious zealot. Pvt. Michaels turns religious (possibly a Muslim?) The symbolism is playwright Pasulka’s feeble and unearned attempt to show that torture can be fought off in the name of God. Ha?

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Flanagan’s Wake

Flanagan is dead, but don’t be sad because remembering his life is all about laughs! unfortunately, in this show the laughs are few. The problems with this improv are many. From the extremely bad accounts in the hall that makes much of the dialogue difficult to hear or understand (a real problem when punch-lines are spoken) to the combination of the actors speaking much too fast with their thick authentic Irish brogues – rendering much of the words spoken as inaudible. It is hard to laugh when you can either hear or understand what is being said.

Music Reviews MUST SEE Opera REVIEWS Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Eugene Onegin

Told in three acts and seven scenes and utilizing a stark empty set, Eugene Onegin is filled with Tchaikovsky’s most dramatic music rich in emotions that was effectively sung by this wonderful cast. Besides the wonderful turn by Mariusz Kwiecien, we enjoy fine work by Jill Grove as the nanny Filipyevna with Alisa Kolosova singing Olga beautifully. The Lyric Chorus sounded terrific and Tchaikovsky’s music was nicely conducted by Alejo Perez.

Beverly Friend Florida Reviews

Tom Williams

The Kid from Brooklyn: The Danny Kaye Story

The musical is a pastiche of Kaye on and off stage, with little in tone or
impact to differentiate between the two. The best parts include his most
famous performances of such songs as “Deenah,” “Stanislavsky, ” “Anatole
of Paris,” “Mad Dogs and Englishmen,” and “Minnie the Moocher.” His best
on-stage moment is an emotional one with wife Sylvia after discussing the
possibility of children, when they embrace and dance, tenderly and
suggestively, to “Ballin’ the Jack.”