Wild Party

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Wild Party written by Andrew Lippa is running at Theater West End (115 W 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771) through April 14, 2019. The play was based on a poem by Joseph Moncure March. The poem was widely banned when it was published back in 1928, first in Boston, because people felt the content was lewd. This musical was equally lewd and lascivious which is it’s strength.

Queenie (Kristen Sheola), was a hard working burlesque dancer whose lover, Burrs (Preston Ellis), a vaudeville show clown, became abusive. At first that violent side of him excited her but  soon it scared her. After Burrs essentially rapes her, Queenie decides to throw a lavish party with the hopes of putting her lover in his place by letting him make a fool of himself.

The party flared up with an amazing cast of friends, Madelaine the lesbian (Wendy Starkland), Eddie the thug (Casey Sweeney), Mae the dimwit (Bernadette Siudock), Jackie the
dancer (Cody McNeeley), Dolores the hooker (Elizabeth Christie), and Nadine the
minor (Sarah Huff). Kate (Michelle Knight) arrived with a flourish and quickly devoured the attention of everyone in the party. She arrived with a friend, Mr. Black (Terrance J. Jamison).

Queenie placed her trust in Mr. Black and fell for him hard while Kate fell for the abusive Burrs although he had no interest in her. He became enraged when Queenie and Mr. Black danced. To diffuse the situation Kate pulled Queenie from Mr. Blacks arms and danced with Queenie herself. As the party raged on the drama of this love triangle grew to a boil.

Michelle Knight belted out her songs with confidence but sadly the acoustics in the theater were harsh making it impossible to hear any of the lyrics. It might have been that the band was loud and overpowered the words but I followed the show not knowing what was being sing relying on the gestures and staging to follow the show like a silent movie.

It was definitely a powerful production. If seated up front in the cabaret tables you would be right on top of the action. Pam and I were seated in the last row so that the glow of my screen would not be seen by anyone else in the audience. The walls of the theater are brick with a metal ceiling. Perhaps the sound just bounced around like in a noisy bar, which could be good if I was able to pick out lyrics. Despite this, I loved sketching the show. Colors changed constantly like in a dance hall. The creative challenges kept me engaged as the wild party turned violent.

Tickets are $22 for an individual or $50 for the dinner package.

Music of the Night: Masquerade

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Orlando Light Opera, Opera De Sol, and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra presented Music of the Night: Masquerade at the Orlando Repertory Theater ((1001 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803) from August 2 to 4, 2018. I went on the opening night to sketch.

The show starred Michelle Knight, of Broadway’s Disenchanted, and local stars, Stephanie McCranie, mezzo soprano Sarah Purser Bojorquez,
Stephanie Newman, Bryan Hayes, tenor Kit Cleto, baritone Michael John Foster and
Andrew LeJeune.

This evening
will embody the glamour, magic and mystery of beloved musical theater
and opera repertory. Space Coast Symphony performed on stage under conductor, Aaron Collins. Opera del Sol offered an interactive performances upon
arrival and throughout the evening.The visual artistry of Ashley Willsey, designer of
CFC Arts Hunchback of Notre Dame, had her original projected
sets inspired by the larger works from which the music was
excerpted.

I was offered a seat up front and center but decided I wanted to sketch from further up, so I could take in more of the audience and so no one would be around me to see the faint glow from my tablet screen as I sketched in the dark.  The evening included many selections from musical Theater of Lloyd Webber, Sondheim, Rogers and Weill. I was excited to see Michelle Knight perform again. I had seen her perform Disenchanted in NYC and her sassy bravado had me laughing out loud that night. Sarah Purser Bojorquez performed as Evita, her voice echoing through the hall from behind the audience. Unfortunately there were more than a few mic issues that evening and it seemed like Michelle’s mic cut out more that any other. Pam Schwartz really liked the timber of Bryan Hayes, voice.

Pam Schwartz and I sat behind a millennial couple in masks and I decided to include them in the sketch. Half way through the evening the guy started ripping up his program. They were slow deliberate rips that lasted an excruciatingly long time to execute. How can someone be so dense, clueless and inconsiderate about the people trying to enjoy the music around them? He was trying to make some feeble origami with his program but it was no better engineered that a primitive paper airplane. Such a person should not be allowed out for an evening on the town. They might be fine in a crowed bar where they can be lost in the crowd on their digital devices but keep them out of theaters.

I wanted to take my cell phone flashlight and shine it in this mindless beasts face. Even his date and the people to his right kept looking over at him with annoyance. I heard of an audience member that was following a soccer game from the front row seat while she was supposed to be watching a play. She even shouted out whenever there was a goal. Will live theater have to die because of such mindless dolts? Perhaps an app can be developed that sweeps a theater and uses face recognition to find these strange mindless zombies. Their credit cards should be charged 10 times the ticket price as reparations for the disturbance or they should be escorted from the theater. Though angry, I resisted confrontation because I was busy finishing my sketch. I had work to do. I just laughed to myself about how clueless some folks in Orlando can be.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It will be performed  on August 11, 2018 at the Scott center for the Performing Arts at 7PM, and then The Community Church of Vero Beach on August 12, 2018 at 3PM.

Along the Way at the Orlando Fringe Festival

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Mertz Productions, of Orlando, FL presents Along the Way at this year’s Orlando International Fringe Festival. The musical takes a glimpse into the lives of 8 people and how they are intertwined through travel. Each of them travel for different reasons, but along the way, all are faced with the question of what spurs them towards adventure and what those journeys mean to them. An original story featuring popular and contemporary pop music. Featuring lovable characters, comedy, romance and some powerful singing.

Set in an airport, the stage is set when a flight is delayed. Passengers must pass the time resulting in new friendships and some romance. The airport janitor breaks into a dream sequence in which everyone has a mop to dance with. The stewardess checking passengers in at the gate was Michelle Knight who performed as Snow White in Disenchanted, a Fringe show that made it all the way to off Broadway in the Big Apple. She brought the same saucy delivery to this role creating a character who could face down the most distraught crowd of passengers. A one point she broke into song, and cut the scene short apologizing, saying, “I forgot we cut that one.”

A holistic healer fell for a business traveler, and serenades him with her Ukulele. A stewardess wife wants to get on the flight so she could be with her husband, the pilot, for their anniversary. Some numbers hit home with absolute delight and others were just stirred into the mix not yet forwarding the story or serving a purpose. There was some real singing talent in the cast. Overall however the show had me bobbing my head as I sketched, a pleasant way to spend 55 minutes at the Fringe.

10:00 PM

1:30 PM 

6:45 PM 

6:45 PM 

8:30 PM

Anne Frankenstein strikes the Orlando Fringe like lightening.

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Anne Frankenstein written by Michael Knight and directed by Adam McCabe melds the worlds of horror and 70’s grind house films. In the opening scene Dr. Sylva Steffel, (Meghan Mitchell) harnessed the power of a lightning storm to re-animate the dead body of Anne Frankenstein (Lauren Culiver). The theater lights flickered and sparked as the body twitched and then slowly sat upright. Anne was killed by Nazis in a concentration camp but she and her sister were put on ice. Anne was re-assembled using some of her sister’s body parts.

Anne was brought back to life to be a super human Nazi killing machine much like the vengeful female protagonist in “Kill Bill.” The “Igor” in this tale (Rob Mobley) explains to Anne how he helped re-build her. He shows Anne her printed diaries and she is shocked to find out millions of people have read her words. She vows to kill every living Neo-Nazi.

Heinrich Von Arschloch  (Michael Mikanite Knight) is the leader intent on finishing Hitler’s work. He incites his thugs by telling them simplistic lies about how Jews are running America. At the heart of this insane lie is Einstein Bagels. Heinrich’s daughter Pamela (Danielle Miller) is as evil if not more evil than her father. Her weapon of choice is a cinder block at the end of a bat that creates a hammer that even Thor might envy.

Anne quickly kills the Neo-Nazi thugs that are torturing an Einstein Bagels costumer.  To get to Heinrich Von Arschloch however she has to battle the imposing Pamela. The play moves at s thrilling pace. The single set piece rotates between the Neo-Nazi den and the Doctor’s laboratory for quick efficient scene changes. The tech rehearsal I sat in had many stops and starts to adjust lighting cues and sound effects. I do suspect that Anne Frankenstein will  have long lines of ticket holders waiting to see the carnage. Believe the buzz. It’s Alive!

REMAINING SHOW TIMES:
Sunday, 5/17- 10:00pm
Saturday, 5/23- 10:00pm
Sunday, 5/24- 6:00pm

LOCATION:
The Orange Venue (Margeson Theater)
Orlando Shakespeare Theater
812 E Rollins St,
Orlando, FL 32803

TICKETS are $10 w/ Orlando Fringe Button
($2 off with legal proof of Jewish heritage!)

Disenchanted: Bitches of the Kingdom

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Disenchanted: Bitches of the Kingdom is having an extended run through August at Mama Mia’s because performances kept selling out. Word of mouth travels fast and these Bitches are rising fast. This hilarious production features the songs of Dennis Giacino and is directed by Fiely Matias. I have loved this production ever since I saw it at the Orlando Fringe Festival. The incredible Michelle Knight has reprised her roll as a saucy Snow White and she shines in the spot light. She started out the show belting out a note and holding it so long, the audience started screaming, laughing and clapping endlessly.

The room had a small semi circular stage big enough to hold Dennis behind the grand piano and the princesses.  The audience filled the small room seated around small tables. The cabaret style show suited the intimate space. Jenny Lee Stern began as Belle who sang Insane! Her hair was tightly pulled back and her eyes fluttered wide and bewildered as she watched the other princesses perform. As The Little Mermaid, her hair came down and she added an unexpected hard edge to the part with a biker chick attitude and tattoos. I ended up sketching her twice by mistake. This production is still in development, but it is destined to be an off Broadway hit in 2013. The show is moving to  Missouri next. Auditions are being held Friday, August 24 for its production at Stephens College in September 2012.

Fringe First Fridays with Fialy

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On the First Friday of every month, the Fringe features a $10 fundraiser show at the shakes. I decided to go not knowing what to expect. I sat in the back row of the Margisson Theater so my book light would not disturb any theater goers. I was delighted when Fiely Matias and Dennis Giacino walked on stage. I was surprised when Fiely picked me out of the crowd and told everyone to read this blog. Dennis sat behind a portable piano and Dennis began performing a hilarious song about being in love… with himself. He carried a small hand mirror around admiring his every move. I laughed out loud when he put the mirror on the floor and straddled it.

Dennis then started telling a little bit about the history of “Bitches of the Kingdom“. He started writing the music as a sole show for Fialy. They were living in Portland Oregon at the time. One of the first songs he wrote was for Mulan. Lulu Picart was a dear friend and she offered to sing the song. Her performance set Dennis on a new path writing the music for women. This show has been in production for years. Dennis would write more music when a princess muse would speak to him. They have been having workshops for years refining the performances but they always saw it as a show that had to find it’s home at Orlando Fringe.

Lulu came out and sang. It is a beautiful song about Chinese tradition and she wonders why she is the only princess who doesn’t get the prince. The answer is obvious. She might be a lesbian. Michelle Knight came out and sang with bold bravado holding a note so long the audience started cheering and going wild. Andrea Canny is now performing as Ariel from Little Mermaid. The ironic twist to her character is that she is a kleptomaniac, stealing everything she can find from above the sea. All the princesses share a common form. In one number, Michelle Knight was scrambling trying to climb on another performers back. The show is hilarious and irreverent. It was a smash hit at Fringe.

Dennis reveled that a booking agent was coming to the evenings performance. Discussions are in the works to bring this show to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New York City, Los Angeles and who knows where else. Dennis and Fiely were essentially told whatever you need, you got it. Dennis’s mother was in the audience. When he told the good news, she shouted back, “Does this mean your going to pay back the money I lent you!” Some dreams really do come true.

Bitches of the Kingdom

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I desperately wanted to see “Bitches of the Kingdom”. The show had won a Patron’s Pick Award and so it had one last performance on Memorial Day. I had met the producers Fiely and Dennis and they were so incredibly gracious. When Terry and I arrived at the Shakespeare Theater lobby, there was already a long line. This time around there was no problem picking up tickets. The line stretched from the entrance of the Margeson Theater all the way to the entryway. A volunteer split the line behind us and then had it wind back down the length of the building down a ramp. Every time someone entered, the volunteer would ask them if they had their tickets and a Fringe badge. He would then direct them to the end of the line.

When we got inside the Margeson, we looked for seats on the side lines so I could be close to the performers. Fiely Matias, the show’s producer and director pointed to two seats that were being saved with yellow programs taped to the seat backs. Terry was pleased and the seats were in a great spot for me to sketch from. I hooked up a book light to my sketchbook so I could sketch when the house lights went down.

The show was a delight from the start. It plays upon the princess complex that is so prevalent in the Disney Animated films. These princesses look beyond “Happily Ever After.” They had attitude. Snow White played by Michelle Knight started things off with a stunning solo. I have seem her perform twice before. She knows how to grab an audience’s attention and hold it from the first note. Her voice is hypnotizing. The music and lyrics were written by Dennis Giacono who sat behind the piano. The lyrics and performances were always laugh out loud funny. Snow White held a note for so long that the audience started to clap. Cinderella played by Brittany Berkowitz LeNoir waited excitedly to begin her song. Snow White hogged the spotlight by extending her song with flashy vocal acrobatics, interrupting Cinderella every time she stepped forward. Snow White sang to a pretty bird on her finger then she gently tossed him in the air and he dropped like a rock. She tried to kick him aside like nothing happened. lt was hilarious.

One of my favorite numbers was “All I want to do is Eat!” Cinderella was on the thin side and any Disney princess seemed to always have a pencil thin waste. At the end of this number Cinderella is so lost in the thought of food, that she shivered orgasmically. Belle covered her eyes while the other princesses raised an eyebrow. The song ended with Cinderella getting close to the microphone and taking a rapturous crunch of a potato chip.

Another funny number was “Big Tits.” Snow White dominated this number with a sassy, sensual performance that stressed the power she held over any Prince Charming. As she put it, “Do I look like I have to wait for my prince to cum?” After a moments pause the audience roared. Early rehearsals demonstrate much of the charm and magic that was brought to life with today’s cast. I can’t brag enough about this production. I hope it has a long life in increasingly larger venues. These bitches rule!