The Malloy family’s annual Pancake Breakfast on the 4th of July in Bel Air, Maryland is the setting for a family drama that plays like an HBO series. Three generations of Malloy’s together with new relations gather for the annual celebration despite the underlying turmoil that pervades this dysfunctional family
Remy Bumppo think theatre has a wonderful holiday gift for theatre aficionados – The Importance of Being Earnest – one of the great plays ever written! Fulled with so many witticisms and social comments and stinging observations on humanity and society, Earnest is both hilarious and profound. Victorian manners and rules of courtship are spoofed in Wilde’s most popular play penned in 1896.
It’s a Wonderful Life is the quintessential holiday tale of George Bailey familiar to most and regarded as perhaps the best Christmas movie ever made. To take this story and set it in a 1940s radio studio complete with commercials and a foley artist is a great concept, and it is clear why this show has become a staple of the Holiday Season in Chicago.
Now in its 33rd season, the Goodman Theatre’s production of Charles Dickens 1842 novella, A Christmas Carol, adapted by Tom Cramer still holds its magic over audiences as director William Brown makes subtle changes and re-casts numerous roles each year to keep the show fresh. This year’s mounting features John Judd as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.
The Christmas Sander’s show simply doesn’t work as the larger stage and all the ‘testifying’ (preaching and religious storytelling) slowed the show to a crawl. The dated references to the war and the down-home rural traits wore thin over 2 hours. The music also played poorly as many of the songs were difficult to hear as guitars and the piano drowned out some solos.
This isn’t the ballet with Tchaikovsky’s music, rather a winning fantastical deconstruction of the classic Christmas ballet. There is plenty of original pop music and wonderful underscoring music from Kevin O’Donnell and his five piece orchestra. The show is a new adaptation that does contain movement but it is not a ballet, rather a dark story where dolls and puppets come to life to slay the rat king with several smart songs. Jake Minton & Phillip C. Klapperich have created an engrossing re-thought holiday story rich in fun and mystery.
Playwright McManus effectively uses flashback to tell of the brothers bleak background. We see how Fish got his name and how he channeled his rage via fist fighting. Duffy, in awe of his older brothers physical skills, searches for a more tame existence but his fierce loyalty toward Fish demands that he help his spontaneous combustive brother cope with life.
Among the terrifically strong voices in this opera, diminutive Katleen Kim sings her tricky lyrics with gusto. Stephanie Blythe’s contralto haunts while Sondra Radvanovsky’s rich soprano soars. Mark Delavan’s rich bass baritone resonates well but Frank Lopardo’s nicely textured and emotionally deep tenor deftly depicts the Gustavus character. Verdi’s powerful score swept across the stage challenging the singers to reach down to convey their meanings. I particularly enjoyed the duets, the trios and the four-part harmonies that lifted into the heavens.
From the start, the orchestra and the exquisite Cats-like costumes (Matt Gutheir) with wigs by Michael Buoninconto created the proper atmosphere for the Cats to roam. Once we learn about “The Naming of Cats,” we meet the old Gumbie cat and all of her friends all of whom aspire to be the cat selected by Old Deuteronomy to be reborn just before dawn.
This is a fine, family-friendly holiday treat. Like I said last year: take the kids and just use your imagination to enjoy this sweet holiday candy. The staging is innovative as it infuses Christmas standards designed to enhance out holiday mood. Hey, the kids can meet and be photographed with Santa after each performance. So come and tell Santa what you want for Christmas. Add this show to your short list.