AIDA

Posted on by Thor

Years ago I saw the opera “AIDA” at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. It was an excruciating experience with a Nubian princess singing endlessly about her impending death. She would pause for a long moment and I would think, “Finally.” But then she would start singing again and I would be thinking “Die already!” I dug my fingernails into my palms to stay awake. This new Clandestine ARTS production with music by Elton John and Tim Rice, is a refreshing new take on the story.

 On the banks of the
Nile, unfolds the triumphant tale of love that transcends warring
nations and brings a country together. A contemporary musical take on
the classic tale of timeless love. An enslaved Nubian princess, Aida (LaDawn Taylor), finds her heart
entangled with Radames (Tony Flaherty), an Egyptian soldier who is betrothed to the
Pharaoh’s daughter, Amneris (Emily Grainger). As their forbidden love blossoms, Aida is
forced to weigh her heart against the responsibility she faces as leader
of her people. Aida and Radames’s love for one another proves
transcendent of cultural differences and ushers in a time of
unprecedented peace between the warring nations.

Before the run through of the show, Emily had to rehearse several frantic costume changes. She was the first actor to arrive at The Venue and she was singing and dancing as she entered. Two seamstresses were at there sewing machines completing costumes during the rehearsal. In the scene, Emily sang a song about her strongest suit which happened to be her looks and fashion sense. In the final moments of the scene, she ripped off her red dress with the help of two slaves and then she was showered with golden pedals. The dress was held on with Velcro and it was a challenge to fling the garment behind her fast enough. The scene had to be rehearsed again and again which gave me extra time to sketch. The song is hip and seems to perfectly apply to today’s selfie generation. 

The music kept reminding me of the Disney Animated Features I worked on in the 1990s. The princess singing about he lack of freedom reminded me of Jasmin from Aladdin. LaDawn’s strong African American chiseled features made her a perfect fit as AIDA and she sang beautifully. Tony as Radames had some strong chemistry in his love scenes with AIDA. As in the Opera, the two lovers were destined to die yet their love softened the heart of Pharaoh’s daughter. Produced and directed by Derek Critzer, this is a huge extravagant production with projections offering exotic settings. Derek keeps the production hip and playful, like a scene in which a male dancer comes out in a costume covered in plastic bubbles. A runway was built up the center isle allowing the cast to walk out into the audience. At times, the chorus sang from the back of the theater giving a full surround sound experience. This is a huge, fresh, yet intimate production with strong singing and dancing, who could ask for more!


Mark your calendar! Show times…
June 14,16,19,20,21,22,26,28 @ 8:00 PM
June 27 @ 7:00 PM
June 29 @ 3:00 PM

Performances are held at “The Venue” located at 511 Virginia Drive, Orlando FL.
Tickets are $20.00 and may be purchased at www.clandestineorlando.com
Industry Night Special Offer Monday June 16th @ 8:00 PM
Tickets will be $15.00 Each!

Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody

Posted on by Thor

Spank! is playing at the Abbey through March 23rd. On February 20th, Terry and I went to a performance. The place was packed with voracious women dressed in leopard print and zebra stripes. The cougars were on the prowl. Two muscle bound men, their pecks gleaming, stood at the door, welcoming all that entered. I suspect most of the 3 or four men in the audience were gay, waiting in anticipation for some bondage and fun. I hadn’t read ‘Fifty shades of Gray’, but I knew about, as did Terry. Any straight single guys out there, why aren’t you going to see this show? It was a riot, and who wouldn’t want to be in a room full of women screaming for more sexual innuendo?

On the night Terry and I went, the role of Tasha was played by the swing, Sarah Hester Ross. She did a great job playing the young innocent who is swept up by Hugh, (Robert Stack‘s) sexual advances. Andrea Canny played EBJ the sex starved middle aged author who creates the hot scenes as they are performed using her laptop and some imagination. She was great at keeping the audience participation going. As one woman shouted out from the back row, Andrea shouted back “Yes darling, have another drink!”

As EBJ described Hugh’s dark brooding character, he stood in the spotlight with a black cape, his back to the audience. He turned around semi dressed as batman. He wore black underwear with the Bat logo spot lit on his crotch. His bare shaved chest took the audience by surprise, they went wild. Hugh often strutted in slow motion with a sexy James Bond demeanor. The light always chiseled out his muscles. I don’t know many straight guys that look that good, I need to work out. While Tasha just wanted to talk and learn all she could about Hugh, he just wanted what any man wants, plenty of hot steamy action. EBG wrote a scene in which the two couldn’t have sex, by placing them in hang gliders. Hugh was up to the challenge, swooping in behind Tasha and mounting her glider from behind while she delivered a monologue. It was hilarious. I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t catch my breath at times. I heard Terry laughing just as hard.

Tasha walked into the audience looking for a straight guy to interact with. I tucked my head down into the sketch hoping not to be picked. She found a another straight couple and asked the guy some advice about how big an object might fit into her orifice. He raised his arms and spread them wide. “Oh my, she shouted back. that is the size of snow skis. We are going to need some lube!” Though the play is organized into definite scenes, there is plenty of audience interaction like this keeping things lively. Although there is plenty of leather and lace, the sexual acts are pretty tame and obviously staged, but that makes them all the funnier. Tasha finds Hugh’s tooth brush and when he catshes her with it, he demonstrates how to use it to hilarious cheek stretching effect.

This is definitely the funniest show I have seen in a while. You single guys have to wake up and smell the roses. This is the most uninhibited and fun romp in town right now. Don’t miss out. Mark your calenders men. The ladies are already attracted to this show like moths to the flame.

Sweeney Todd Dressing Room

Posted on by Thor

Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is being presented by Clandestine-ARTs at The Venue, 511 Virginia Drive, Orlando, Fl, through January 19th. This compact production is directed and produced by Derek Critzer. I have read reviews that Ginger Minj who plays Mrs. Nellie Lovett is spectacular in the role. With that in mind, I hoped to get a sketch in the dressing room on industry night to watch his transformation at the dressing room mirror.

The dressing room at the Venue is at most ten by ten foot square and the entire cast of over 20 actors had to use the space. I did my best to try and stay out of every one’s way.  Only one actress was in the dressing room when I arrived. She had on a bright pink skirt. She was happy to be early and she had plenty of time to get ready. It was only later, when I saw the show that I realized this was Monica Titus who plays Johanna Barker. She was perfectly cast for the roll. I was quite swept away. Monica’s rich soprano voice has a warmth and range missing from the film adaptation. Her natural auburn hair was later covered in a wig of golden curls.

Derek came in and started steaming some pants. Stephan Jones, who plays Sweeney Todd, shouted out that it was a furnace in the tight dressing room. Even off set, there was a menace to his voice. Derek got some flack for shooting steam into the already sweaty space. Ginger Minj arrived and quickly transformed. He powdered his face first and let me know he would have to let the powder set for five minutes so he went off for a smoke.

It seemed like the rest of the cast arrived on mass and suddenly the room was buzzing with activity. Lips were painted a sickly blue on insane asylum patients whose eyes were also dark and hollow. Actors quickly stripped and put on costumes. Actors joked that I shouldn’t sketch any nudity and I honored that. Even so, it would have been hard to catch the quick flashes of flesh. The pure energy and excitement in the tight space was quite palpable. Ginger was the last actor in the room, adjusting the large hair buns on her head. I followed her down to the theater. The evening’s performance was sold out. The reviews I had read were spot on. Ginger Minj brought a quick wit to the part and stole every scene she was in. She eyed Mr. Todd with a lurid look as if she might devour him. I was surprised at how often she made me laugh out loud despite the dark sinister humor.

The remaining performances are…

Thursday 1/16-7:00 PM
Friday 1/17-8:00 PM
Saturday 1/18- 8:00 PM
Sunday 1/19- 3:00 PM

Tickets are $20.00 and are General Admission. Tickets may be purchased at www.clandestine-arts.com Limited seating is available so be sure to get them early. Tickets may be available at the door based on availability.

Solos

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On November 15th I went to 2 rehearsal of “Solos“, a play written by Joseph Reed Hayes at the Sandler Training Center (650 S. Northlake Blvd., Suite 430 Altamonte Springs Fl.) The production was part of Joseph’s 13 in 13 challenge, to produce 13 productions in 2013. Though the bar was set high, it seems that Joseph has completed every production he planned at the beginning of the year.

This is how Joseph describes this original play about Ben “Blues” Miller and his wife Ellie…”My
play, Solos, is nothing less than the history of jazz in America, as
told through the relationship of two people, in three movements and a
coda. Ellie’s story is a symphony: a fast, spritely first movement; a
dance-like statement of self; a slow and mournful fugue; a finale that
brings her back to herself; and then resolution and peace, reaffirming
her talent and strength in the coda. Ben, the hip
‘Blue’ Miller, is portrayed by the music; everything you need to know
about him is told by the progression of Ellie’s music, from forceful
swing to cool bebop, dissonant and chaotic free jazz, resolving back to
romantic and lyrical post-modern. Ben in a very real way does not truly
exist until Ellie creates him. If you know nothing about jazz, Solos is
theater, pure and simple, a love story of two people trying to live
through their art and insecurities. If you are familiar with jazz, the
musical hints will provide a little extra gift.”

 Paul Castaneda directed the actors Desiree Perez and Michael Sapp. While Ben Millers career as a jazz trumpeter grew, it became clear that Ellie was the creative force behind his rise. She wrote all the music that helped spark his rise. When he came home to brag about the crowds raw energy, Ella’s mood soured as she sat hoe alone. The characters arcs were always on opposing paths.  She yearned to have the music she wrote recognized but Ben got all the accolades. Though often at odds, the couple were undeniably stronger together. The play followed their relationship through the years. They grew old and matured together despite their differences.

At this rehearsal, the actors were already “off book” but Paul called them out to be fully present in the moment. While one actor was speaking, the other actors thoughts might wander to what they would have to do next. When they are fully, emotionally involved in the scene, that is when the magic happens. Both actors seemed to be living in their character’s skin. The affection and history between them felt very reel. The play will resonate for anyone who has ever felt that their talents were not fully recognized. It is only after the struggles, that the couple realizes how strong they are together.

The Cortez Method

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I went to the World Premiere of The Cortez Method written by Rob Keefe and Directed by Mark Routhier at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 East Rollins Street Orlando FL). Being in the small Mandell Theater, I was surprised at how intricate and ornate the set by scenic designer, Robbin Watts was.

The play takes place in a rural home in the Kentucky woods. Based on the set, you can tell that there have been recent renovations like new marble counter tops and flooring Bill, played by Paul Bernardo arrives home only to be surprised by his brother Walter, played by Riley Clermont. After some joking and wrestling it becomes clear that Walter is a no good brother who wants a handout. Some event from the brothers pasts makes Walter feel he is owed. Paul’s pregnant wife, Sarah, played by Suzanne O’Donnell is asleep off stage and Walters loud booming voice wakes her up and she pounds on the wall. Walter is not welcome in their home.

This is a dysfunctional family with a capitol D. Bill is constantly trying to appease his wife and brother. He seems whipped and tired. He also resents that everything has been poured into the opulent home furnishings like a five burner range and a stove whose name he cant pronounce. The fridge is battered and old, the one appliance from a past life. There are dark criminal currents beneath the country bliss. The play is a dark comedy in which the past and present collide. Walter claims he is like Cortez who burned his ship when invading the Aztec Empire to prove there was no retreat. It was all or nothing. A complete and total commitment. Walter had the same commitment to get a “loan” from his brother of about $30,000 to start a gate welding business. All of Bill’s money however was tied up in his home.

The second act gets violent as no one gets what they want. The most astonishing character was Odette, played by Melanie Whipple. She was Walters girl who would set him straight. She was missing teeth, was disheveled and looked stoned or ill.  When Walter grabs her, she defends herself. Bill’s wife has a warped idea of how they need to protect their home and Bill does everything he is asked to do. He is like a small dog on a leash who puts up some resistance but always relents with a tug. I was confused by the confrontation between the couple. There was resentment and hate and yet, in the heat of the argument, they kissed. Bill seems changed by what had transpired. He rips the shades off the windows and the room blazed light. Just what changed remained unclear. I suspect he would continue to do as he was told. He would never be free from his past.

This play marks a renewed commitment by the 25 year old Orlando Shakespeare Theater to present original plays.The play is a very adult story of family dysfunction, infidelity, and substance abuse. It is best suited for adult audiences. Mark Your Calendar! The play runs through September 22nd. Tickets are about $25.

Burnt at the Steak

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Carolann Valentino Productions of NYC, presented a one-woman musical featuring 18 hilarious characters portrayed through song, dance, comedy and audience improvisation at the Orlando Fringe. She reenacted her time managing a multi million dollar steakhouse in NYC. The one thing I learned is that you can earn $200,000 a year managing the service staff at such a restaurant. Unfortunately such a job is all consuming allowing little time to go to auditions as an actress.

One guy got up from his seat in the audience mid way through the show and exited through the fire exit. I was seated on my artist stool next to the exit so I closed the door behind him to keep the harsh sunlight from cutting across the stage. I wondered if he couldn’t stand the show or if he had to pee after drinking too many beers in the beer tent. The fire exit wouldn’t close completely but at least it didn’t set off an alarm.

As an autobiographical piece, the act seemed a bit self serving. The salary mentions came across as bragging and the imitations of the staff she managed seemed comic at the staff’s expense. Carolann called several men up to sit in the restaurant chairs and she had some flirty interactive fun with them. The musical number with audience participation, highlighted all the different cuts of beef using a Sound of Music song as the foundation. Orlando is a service industry town and this show made me realize that I never want to work in a restaurant. Of course in Orlando you are lucky to make minimum wage with no benefits. The premise of the show was sound, but it seemed to run too long.

The House of Yes

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At Fringe, I was handed a “House of Yes” button on the green lawn at Lock Haven Park. It was red white and blue so I assumed the show might be a political comedy. The Penguin Point Productions play and its polished production values took me by surprise. It was about a brother, Marty (Justin M.G. Hughes), who returned home with his naive fiance, Lesly (Monica Joyce), from the city. I quickly became obvious that his twin sister, Jacqueline (Adele Papoosha), had suffered a nervous breakdown. She was ecstatic about his return. She fancied herself to be like Jackie Onassis. It became clear that Marty and his Mom (Marcie Schwalm), didn’t get along. Mrs. Pascal’s sarcasm,wit and cold high brow detachment added much needed humor to every scene. The whole family put on airs. I knew nothing about the play or the later film staring Parker Posey. I grew more uncomfortable as the play progressed.

When Jackie-O finds out her brother is engaged her mood sours and it is clear to all that she is off her medications. Late that night she convinces her brother to play a childhood game. They reenact the Kennedy Assassination and she nurses him and her gentle kisses turn to passionate love. Lesly discovers them and slips away disgusted by the incest. Meanwhile the younger brother, Anthony (Max Herskovitz), became obsessed with Lesly and he seduces her with a story of a brain tumor and his virginity. The mom discovers these two and in a comic moment just shakes her head and walks off stage as if nothing would surprise her.

The next morning Mom tries to convince Leslie to leave, blackmailing her with what she had seen the night before. Leslie has much more backbone than anyone in the family gave her credit for and she refuses to leave without Marty. She wants to save him from this strange incestuous family. To keep him home, Jackie-O flushes Marty’s car keys. She convinces Marty to play the KFK Assassination game one last time saying he could leave afterwords. Crying she pulls the trigger. This time the gun was real. Jacky-O held the president’s blood stained head in her lap. I left feeling unnerved and shocked.

Chocolate Thunder White Lightning

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Some Fringe shows offer incredible drama, uncovering personal insights, while others are just plain silly. Chocolate Thunder and White Lightning fell under the second classification. It was a blaxploitation written by a white guy, Al Pergande. The play was performed in the Orange venue in the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center.

Valensky Sylvain starred as the flashy Chocolate Thunder. He wore a loud yellow feathery hat and a long pink boa. Jackie Pitts played his new partner in crime, White Lightning. She played her part with a British accent and innocent wit. The premise was that Chocolate Thunder was an old school cop whereas White Lightning was tech savvy. Eric Branch played an over the top villain always petting a stuffed penguin. I felt bad that his silly antics got no response from the audience.

The Expositionettes filled in the gaps between scenes with song. There were gaps everywhere. This production reminded me of plays I had seen at “Play in a Day” in which everything had to be thrown together in 24 hours. There were awkward moments where actors forgot their lines and everyone stood still, wondering what they should do next.

Granted the show was a hot mess, but I was still rooting for the local talent to push through and make the show work. If the show was just a touch worse, it could have classified as a campy cult classic, but, no it struggled short of that mark. There were a few loud laughs from the audience, but the long interludes of silence hinted that all too often the humor missed the mark.

Onomatopoeia

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Entering the Black venue on Virginia Drive we were greeted by the music of Miss Laney Jones and her band, Bill Jickell on mandolin and Chris Campbell on upright bass. Their sweet bluegrass music wove its way through the whole show. Onomatopoeia, written by Anthony Bolante, is a bitter sweet story set in 1929. On a back lit screen, a young couple meet and fall in love in a small mid West town. The title came from a conversation the young couple had about how two words could join together to have a whole new meaning. The analogy being, that two people in love could weather any storm.

At a town celebration and dance, the boy played by Adam Scharf proposes to the girl, played by Melina Countryman, by hiding a ring in a red balloon. Their fates change when the stock market crashes sending the country into the great depression. The boy has to leave the town and his girl with hopes of finding work. The girl returns his ring saying he might need to sell it. He leaves with his possessions in a satchel on a stick and he learns how to survive as a hobo.

There are odd jobs and comic moments. The boy looses his voice and has to communicate in mime. Audience member Michael Poley was called on stage to help him stack boxes. He had to learn the boy’s hand signals to comic effect. The young hobo never manages to find his fortune and ultimately returns to his home town, defeated. All the while he held on to the hope that his girl would be there when he returned. His town was situated in the dust bowl and everyone, including his girl, had suffered. She blames him for not being there when she needed him most. Dejected he leaves his satchel behind and walks away. She opens it and finds nothing but a red balloon.

The music of Laney Jones and the band really makes this show shine. I’ve been a fan of her music ever since I heard her play on a rainy day in a parking lot in College Park. Over a dozen songs punctuated the show. Many were written by Laney, one was by Chris Campbell and several others were by Anthony Bolante along with several classics. Elisabeth Drake-Forbes was the Music Supervisor and Producer. I drove the whole way home humming “It’s Only a Paper Moon.”  Two thumbs up for this production. You only have one last chance to catch this show.

When:

Saturday May 25 at 11:15PM

Where:

Black Venue,  511 Virginia Drive

Tickets:

$11 plus a Fringe button

Weekend Top 6 Picks

Saturday May 25th 2013

11AM – Midnight FRINGE! Both Days. http://orlandofringe.org/

Noon — 5PM FREE: Food Truck Fiesta for People and Pets at Fleet Peeples Park, 2000 S Lakemont Ave Winter Park FL 32789 Live music, great food, pet-friendly!

INFO: (407)296-5882 www.foodtruckcrazy.com

2PM – 4PM March Against Monsanto, City Hall 400 South Orange Avenue. https://www.facebook.com/notes/march-against-monsanto/mission-statement/579359972082527

10PM – Midnight FREE: FRINGE Toast Off, Outdoor tent, Lock Haven Park. Is it poetry? Is it a drinking game? Is it improv comedy? Is it some unholy human centipede of all the above? (Poetry is the 2.) Find out when host Tod Caviness gets Orlando’s finest comedians (and a few Fringe favorites) drunk for your amusement on the outdoor stage at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Did we mention that it’s free? We probably should. You’re going to need the money for the beer tent.

Sunday May 26th 2013

9AM – 4PM Kiwi Camera Swap, Kiwi Camera Service, 18808 Kentucky Avenue Winter Park I’m pretty sure this photography thing is a passing fad. Prime sketching of photographers and their large lenses.

Noon- 2PM Broadway Brunch at Hamburger Mary’s! Hot buns and Broadway tunes. Need I say more? 110 W Church St, Orlando, FL 32801

Shut Up Emily Dickenson

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The two minute Fringe preview for this show was hilarious. A male announcer described how utterly annoying Emily Dickinson was as she looked over her shoulder at the audience with contempt. Her nose was rubbed raw from a cold and she put lotion on her chaffed elbows. Emily was performed by Tanya O’Debra from Brooklyn NY.

Stretching that two minute joke out for the eternity of an hour was problematic. Emily was consistently annoying and reclusive. The only writing she did was of morbid condolence letters to friends and family suffering loss. Never leaving her room, she begins to fantasize about the narrator. There was one precious comic moment when she decided to let her hair down. She began removing one hair pin after another. She must have had 50 hair pins in that tight bun. Ultimately however, I was left bored. As a character, Emily didn’t change in any way. I can laugh at an annoying character for a few minutes but I have no desire to watch them for an hour. I need some sort of character development if I’m to become involved. I was a bit annoyed at myself for going to the show.

When:

Thursday May 23 at 9:15PM

Sunday May 26 at 2:30PM

Where:

Green Venue Rep Black box theater

Tickets:

$11 plus a Fringe Button