For those of us either unfamiliar or who hold only cursory knowledge of the opera, it’s sort of Mozart’s musical comedy. Overall it’s quite light and the morality of it is somewhat ham-handed, if classic: typical Sun vs. Moon, Light vs. Dark, Wisdom vs. Ignorance sort of stuff. Maybe (though not necessarily) some references to Free Masonry in there.
Read MoreUtilizing flashbacks for the back story, Opus is a compelling ‘family’ story of how personal dynamics, professional jealousy, sexual relationships, and drugs contribute to the vibrant culture of the four expert musicians. Opus deftly offers a glimpse into the artistic world of musicians striving for perfection in their art.
Read MoreIrving Berlin… And what about “God Bless America?” “Blue Skies?” ” A Pretty Girl is like a Melody?” “Puttin’ on the Ritz?” “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning?” “Easter Parade?” and the scores of his Broadway and Hollywood hits? If this list continued to include all his songs, it would be over 900 titles long – and include 19 musicals and 18 movies!
Read MoreClara returns to the living room after the party around midnight and is confronted with the mice. She is saved by her Godfather Drosselmeyer who takes her into the Land of Snow. This is the fabulous place where movement is supreme, where ballet takes us into a fantasy land that captivates us with the soaring music and breathtaking dance. In the Land of Sweets, the Sugar Plum Fairy fascinates us in spectacle and movement.
Read MoreWhen the queen arrives, Ned is her outspoken opponent since his eminent death from the pox allows him the freedom to say whatever comes to his mind. The debate rages on as the two engage in verbal debate. Elizabeth hides her female side as a mechanism for sovereign survival – ruling as a man works for her. Ned has played woman all his life in Shakespeare’s plays and as a gay man feels more comfortable as a woman.
Read MoreMy feelings about this play are fairly well-documented. To put it succinctly: I’m not a huge fan of the material. That said, this production was far more endearing – and overall successful – than the previous Broadway in Chicago venture. They made the material work better for them than their touring counterparts. And to a surprising degree. This troupe really found the comic moments between the words; they had great timing and used space very well.
Read MoreThe cast is made up of lawyers, judges and law students who want to show that attorneys have ‘show biz’ talents besides law acumen. They sure do as the large cast deftly sings, dances and lands their biting parody garnering enough laughs to leave audiences smiling aplenty.
Read MoreThis highly entertaining musical revue is light on story featuring small vignettes designed to introduce the next song. Courtney Crouse, in fine voice, narrates and introduces us to the folks at the garage and the diner. Pump Boys featuring a nice blend of country, folk, old-time rockabliiy, blue grass, Cajun, cowboy and western, blues with gospel thrown in. This revue easily grabs us and holds on until we’re filled with enough toe-tapping tunes to satisfy
Read MoreIt’s basically Marivaux staging a Moliere-style comedy and throwing in a Commedia del’Arte character to see what would happen. Which yields interesting results. Harlequin (a clown character with roots in the insolent slave in Plautus who perhaps reached his intellectual peak as Feste in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will) is possibly the fondest-remembered character of the Commedia, and certainly shakes things up in a largely endearing way in Changes.
Read MoreThe Santaland Diaries have become a tradition in this town. And thank god. Because there is only so much holiday cheer one can stomach, only so much crass consumerism and cynical, sappy marketing dressed in the guise of yuletide joie one can stand before one craves the horrific, seedy underbelly of the holiday.
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