What is neat about the play is the variety — tall and short women, thin and fat women, white and black — each with her own plusses and minuses, yet all sharing recognized moments and concerns. Kudos to a fine cast where the actors swiftly and professionally interchange their shifting roles.
Read MoreIt ends up being a sort of socialist, absurdist comedy; so, there are some parallels with Brecht. That said, it lacks the deep incisiveness of Brecht (though that can hardly be called a deadly blow: after all, there are exceedingly few who possess it). And it is, indeed, plenty satirical.
Read MoreNarrated and framed by Southern blues played deftly by Kelvyn Bell (Guitar Man) and sung soulfully by Alexis J. Rogers, Spunk unfolds as a funny yet poignant adaptation (by George C. Wolfe) of three short stories by Zora Neale Hurston – “Sweet,” “Story in Harlem Slang,” and “The Guilded Six-Bits.”
Read MoreWhen they were told that inadvertently they sold their home to a Black family, Russ staunchly refused to listen to the racist rationalizations from Karl (Cliff Chamberlain) a neighborhood organizer bent on keeping the neighborhood white. Act One exposes the white racism clouded by stability issues that shatter the peacefulness of the 1950’s.
Read MoreThe lavish sets, gorgeous score, witty lyrics, fine period costumes and the spirited performances makes Paramount Theatre’s inaugural Broadway musical a high standard affair that instantly gives Paramount credibility. We need a western suburban theatre such as the 1800 seat large proscenium stage Paramount Theatre to succeed so that large-scale classic musical can be offered outside of downtown Chicago with our home-grown talents
Read MoreWe meet through a series of counterpoint monologues, Alma (Deanna K. Reed) – a large-sized dark-skinned Africian-American women thought to be ugly mainly due to dark skin by the Gullah community and her counter-point – Eugene (J. Isreal Greene) a “high-yellow” (light-skinned) Africian-American man who is perceived as higher and more beautiful due to his light skin tone in the Gullah culture.
Read MoreWhy the title “Farragut North”? The words are only mentioned once – and yet they are haunting. Farragut North is a “nowheresville”— a mere metro stop in Washington DC — the end of the road where failures whose reach far exceeds their grimy grasp ultimately must depart the train. This tale of winners and losers leaves the audience to decide who actually is which.
Read MoreJohn Hiatt is a well-known and accomplished songwriter. He’s written songs for just about everyone under the sun, and a number of them have been hits – at least on the country charts.
Read MoreThis 90 minute one-act blends humor, realism and pathos into a moving portrait of love, loss and temptation as we see Melody move from a flake into a strong women. She deals with the hostile demanding Hope (herself dealing with the loss of her husband and now her son) and she conquers advances form Craig’s young assistant Brad (Christian Blackburn). This work is an honest attempt to depict two women as they deal with a tragic situation
Read MoreHall’s script is indeed an in depth theses on the nature of art and the power of individual expression. We come to realize that the meaning of an art piece lies in the eye of the observer and that ultimately there are no rules to art, that technique is easily over shaded by personal expression.
Read More