David Clarke - Page 24

Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's wildly popular hit musical NEXT TO NORMAL is back on Houston stages, and audiences are packing the house. Last seen in the summer of 2012 at Stages Repertory Theatre, the almost entirely sung through musical is being produced by Standing Room Only Productions at Obsidian Art Space and covers hard hitting social issues centered around bipolar disorder, depression, and the effect these mental illnesses have on familial bonds.

Boldly re-envisioning classical drama is the mission of Classical Theatre Company, and their production of DOCTOR FAUSTUS, written by Christopher Marlowe and adapted by Timothy N. Evers, is theatrical magic that Houston audiences can savor. The company is breathing vibrant life into the playwright's fascinating tale about the dangers of hubris and presenting Houston's first-ever professional premiere of the 420-year-old work.

The Alley Theatre's production of Mark St. Germain's Off-Broadway smash hit FREUD'S LAST SESSION is a skillful exercise in crisp, engaging theatre. The play had its World Premiere in 2009 at Barrington Stage Company in Massachusetts, where it became the longest-running show in that theatre's history. It opened in New York City on July 22, 2010 and moved through several Off-Broadway houses before closing on July 22, 2012, having played 775 performances. The show's sharply produced Houston premiere showcases what gave it such staying power in its hit runs in the Northeast.

Theatre Suburbia, Northwest Houston's longest-running all volunteer playhouse, is ringing in the new year with a production of local playwright Carl Williams' UNDER A COWBOY MOON. The light-hearted comedy takes place in the small west Texas town of Spitwhistle, where there really are only cowboys, longnecks, and the Saddle Horn Bar. To encourage tourism, the residents of Spitwhistle organize a cowboy poetry contest with a $500 grand prize. However, a TV crew from the Boston PBS affiliate arrives to film to contest and the prize is raised to $5,000. With a touch of romance and a lot of ego, the competitors set out to prove who has the best pen in the west.

The national tour of WE WILL ROCK YOU, presented by Theatre Under the Stars, is continuing to rock Houston audiences for another week. This high-energy show, with a score made of Queen's hit songs, is sure to have you clapping for hands, stomping your feet, and signing along. Kick your winter blues in the face and check out this fun and frivolous night of theatre before it's too late. Forget the Super Bowl, grab your friends, and go to a party you won't regret.

One of my favorite memories from my last visit to New York City was seeing FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING during previews at the 47th Street Theatre. As a fan of theatre and everything Broadway for a majority of my life, I relished the opportunity to be in attendance for a performance of the cherished Off-Broadway revue that equally skewers everyone and everything on Broadway. Fresh from its first ever engagement in Houston, I'm happy to report that FORBIDDEN BROADWAY is still alive, well, and kicking with everything it has got.

When it comes to theatre in Houston, I find that Kim Tobin and Philip Lehl, Co-Executive Directors at Stark Naked Theatre Company, only program plays that everyone should see. Thus, when they announced Brian Friel's FAITH HEALER, a play I was unfamiliar with, I began to immerse myself in any scrap of material I could find about the play, knowing it was a show I ought to know. After catching the final preview performance earlier this week, I felt like the boat must have passed me by. Generally regarded as a masterpiece, Brian Friel's FAITH HEALER didn't impress me in the ways that it seemingly bowls everyone else over.

Theatre Under the Stars is rocking the new year with the National Tour of Ben Elton's book musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, which proudly boats the songs of Queen as its score. The show had its world premiere in London in 2002, and celebrated its 10th anniversary on May 14, 2012 at London's Dominion Theatre. Despite being panned by critics, this raucous, loud, and irresistibly fun rock musical has proven to be an audience favorite. Last night's Houston premiere of the piece was a sparkling example of why this show has had such staying power.

Performing this weekend for one night only at Ovations will be Houston concert veterans Ramon Rabaza and Julia Laskowski. Joining them is Kierstin McKinley, making her Houston concert debut. The trio, singing everything from Opera to Pasty Cline, will be accompanied by Patti Rabaza on piano. Recently, I chatted with Patti Rabaza, Ramon Rabaza, and Kierstin McKinley about what Houston audiences could expect from their concert TENOR TO BARITONE, SOPRANO TO PATSY.

Houston Grand Opera is kicking off 2014 with the most harrowing and exhausting evening of opera I have ever experienced, and as an audience member I couldn't be more thrilled. If you're simply looking for entertainment, you'll be better off seeing RIGOLETTO (the other opera being performed in repertory with THE PASSENGER this January at Houston Grand Opera). However, if you're searching for a cerebral, gripping, and altogether emotional experience, then Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) US Premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg and Alexander Medvedev's THE PASSENGER delivers everything you're wanting and so much more.

The National Tour of ELVIS LIVES is touted as an "unforgettable multi-media and live musical journey across Elvis' life," and it delivers. The two act show is made of four sets, or acts, that feature Elvis at key points in his career. Featuring finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises' worldwide Ultimate Tribute Artist Contest, this high energy and exciting concert experience gives audiences, young and old, a retrospective of Elvis' career and allows us to experience not just one but four Elvis concerts in one night.

Proudly announcing Theatre Under the Stars' (TUTS) 47th season, Artistic Director Bruce Lumpkin says, 'As Houston's largest homegrown musical theatre organization, there's a lot to be excited about!'Certainly, there simply is no denying that the season features a truly diverse array of audience favorites from Broadway's golden classics to contemporary hits. Bruce Lumpkin adds, 'We're presenting some of the most exciting things happening on the musical theatre stages! We've got some of the classics, some of the edgier shows, and we've got some of the freshest productions from New York. I don't think it gets any better than this! Trust me when I say that TUTS is moving and shaking things up!' At the bottom line, TUTS is in a unique position to offer Houston audiences 'both self-produced shows as well as national tours, so I think that the Houston audiences are going to enjoy the best of both worlds.'

When it comes to modern musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's INTO THE WOODS is definitely among the most beloved. The show had its world premiere in 1986, opened on Broadway in 1987, and won the 1988 Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress in a Musical in a year that was otherwise dominated by Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. With a handful of revivals and countless regional productions, INTO THE WOODS is a show that both audiences and theater companies love, and Main Street Theater's beautiful production of the classic perfectly illustrates why.

In 1956, Al Capp's cherished Li'l Abner comic strip about the rural inhabitants of Dogpatch, U.S.A. got the Broadway treatment, and was met with a lot of enthusiasm and success. It was quickly adapted to film by Paramount in 1959. To the joy of musical theater enthusiasts, the film is remarkably faithful to its source material and even retained a majority of the original Broadway cast. Even in 2014, people still speak fondly of the LI'L ABNER film, and now Masterworks Broadway is releasing the LI'L ABNER (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on CD for the first time.

Now that New Year's Eve celebrations are behind us, my favorite time of the theatre year is upon us. In late winter and early spring, theaters all around Houston start unveiling their upcoming seasons, in hopes of keeping current season subscribers and gaining new ones. Kicking off this annual season of unveiling is Gexa Energy's Broadway at the Hobby Center 2014-2015 Season announcement.

Stark Naked Theatre Company is kicking off 2014 with two plays, Brian Friel's FAITH HEALER and Conor McPherson's THE GOOD THIEF, being performed in repertory. John Tyson is directing both productions. FAITH HEALER stars Philip Lehl, Kim Tobin, and John Tyson, and Santry Rush is reprising his role in THE GOOD THIEF. In the midst of their busy rehearsal schedule, I got to speak with all four artists about the two plays.

Houston Grand Opera is proudly presenting the US Premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg and Alexander Medvedv's 1968 opera THE PASSENGER. After the Second World War, a German couple, Lisa and Walter, are sailing to Brazil. Lisa, unbeknownst to her husband, was a camp guard at Auschwitz and feels she recognizes a former Polish inmate, Marta. In anticipation of opening night, Melody Moore, who plays Marta, spoke with me about Houston Grand Opera's production of THE PASSENGER and her career.

New York City has 54 BELOW, Broadway's living room, where big name acts do acclaimed intimate cabaret concerts. Since it's inception, I have longed for a similar experience in my neck of the woods. Producer Tyce Green, along with Houston's The Music Box Theater, is gifting Houston audiences with their own version of 54 BELOW's concerts with the "Straight From New York Concert Series." First, they brought Mary Testa to Houston, and now they are hosting Constantine Maroulis for four unforgettable, electric performances.

Prodigious playwright Alan Ayckbourn has been acclaimed for his craft many times during his lengthy career. Currently, Theatre Southwest is presenting his first really successful play HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES. The 6 person comedy first debuted in 1969 at The Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, England. It went on to find success in London's West End, opening on August 5, 1970, and on Broadway, opening on March 29, 1971. The production at Theatre Southwest exemplifies why the sidesplitting comedy was so well received.

In 2013, I turned 28, which apparently is one of several years at the end of your 20s where basically your life hits the fan and sudden changes surround you. I looked around, and everyone else seemed so happy. Then, I breathed and realized that I have plenty to be happy about. In 2013 I became BroadwayWorld.com's official theatre recording critic and have been exposed to some incredible albums since accepting that title. Some I have loved; others I have not. Regardless of my feelings towards the albums themselves, these are the top 20 songs from 2013 I simply cannot get out of my mind.