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Tom Williams

Ariadne auf Naxos

The story of Ariadne mirrors the theme of the overall play: namely, that when comedy is set side-by-side with tragedy, it will win; if Mozart were to face Wagner, Mozart would triumph simply by default; and Dionysus will prevail. Strauss surely had the Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomy in mind when he wrote this piece – after all, he is the composer of Also Sprach Zarathustra – and it shows. There is such interplay between comedy and tragedy – two sides of the same Dionysian coin – and between Apollonian form and structure and Dionysian chaos.

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Tom Williams

Peer Gynt

And Wechsler has decided to innovate, to attempt to make the story a parable of America. He wants to layer on a metaphor of the American psyche. Gynt is not a bad candidate: he starts scrappy and naïve; he gets into some heavy things along the way – slave trading, missionary work; on the island with his friends, he seeks to convince them to sell goods and services to the Turks, who are fighting against Greece, the birthplace of democracy. He’s gathered all these riches, then gets swindled out of them. On paper, it seems like it could work

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Tom Williams

The Jackie Wilson Story

It is fitting that Jackie Taylor opens the new space with their mega-hit from 2000, The Jackie Wilson Story. This is a bio-musical about the R & B singer Jackie Wilson who helped move pop music from Rhythm and Blues into soul. He recorded over 50 hit singles that spanned R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening From 1957 through 1970. Wilson wooded audiences with his golden voice and his sexy dance that gave him the name “Mr. Excitement.”

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Tom Williams

Memphis

With a workable book (by Joe DiPietro) and a bouncy score by Bon Jov’s founding member David Bryan, Memphis becomes a thrilling and most entertaining high-energy Broadway musical in years! Memphis grabs us from the start with a high energy score of early rock rhythms, Memphis- style blues, toe-tapping R & B and soulful ballads as well as country style songs propel us through the story of how a young illiterate white cracker DJ want-a-be Huey Calhoun’s (the super-talented Bryan Fenkart) love for ‘Black music’ motivates him to make his passions public to all the folks of Memphis.

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MUST SEEREVIEWSREVIEWS BYTheatre ReviewsTom Williams
Tom Williams

An Iliad

The key element that makes this theatrical event so noteworthy is that Kane’s amazing classical acting training together with his expert articulation and enunciation and his ability to makes us ‘see’ each character whether it be Achilles, Agamemnon, Patroclus or King Priam. Kane’s fabulous performance gets aid from Todd Rosenthal’s large bomber-out cement bunker set and from Keith Parham’s riveting lighting and from Andre Pluess’ eerie sound

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Tom Williams

Sound of Silence

Noemi Schlosser takes on Piaf’s role in this production. It opens with her simply waiting, watching time crawl by, measured by cigarette butts in the ash tray. She calls a place her husband frequents, looking for him; he’s just left. No, they don’t know where he was going. His sister calls, asking if he’s there in the hotel with her; she lies, says he’s in the bathroom and can’t talk, sorry.

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