David Clarke - Page 37

Continuing its mission to boldly re-envision classical drama, Classical Theatre Company is presenting Alfred Jarry's UBU ROI. The 1896 play is a precursor of the Theatre of the Absurd and Surrealism, but certainly opened the doors for the development of those genres of theatre.

Houston Grand Opera opened their Winter Repertory offerings with an impressive and rousing production of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's iconic book musical SHOW BOAT. The musical historically changed the face of American Musical Theatre and introduced a genre of entertainment that many feel OKLAHOMA perfected and solidified. Despite it's classification as a musical, the show's score is incredibly operatic and requires many classically trained voices to effectively pull off a production.

By now, you've heard of E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey, the erotica novel that found mainstream success and wide readership in 2011. You probably even know it spurned a trilogy (what isn't a trilogy these days). And you may have even read at least a portion of the novel yourself. You may have swooned over Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey's torrid and steamy couplings and love affair. Well, Houston's Society for the Performing Arts is ready to make you relive the release of America's pent-up sexual frustration and laugh raucously at the same time with their presentation of Mills Entertainment's SPANK! THE FIFTY SHADES PARODY.

With Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day just around the corner, The Alley is producing Katori Hall's play THE MOUNTAINTOP. The play premiered in London in 2009 to critical acclaim. It opened in New York on Broadway in October 2011 with Samuel L. Jackson as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Angela Bassett opposite him. Reviews in New York were mixed, but the show sold well and even recouped its initial investment during its final weekend in January 2012.

Houston's A.D. Players, while always producing theatre that is safe for the whole family, produces a full season of Children's shows that many Houstonians may not know about. Their most recent offering is the World Premiere of the musical THUMBELINA, adapted from the story by Hans Christian Andersen with a Book and Lyrics by Will Ledesma and Music by Braden Hunt.

Despite being wholly busy and working on perfecting DON GIOVANNI with the Houston Grand Opera creative teams and cast, I had the pleasure of being able to spend a delightful 30 minutes with the talented and intelligent Rachel Willis-Sørensen. We discussed her career, including her impressive contest wins, preparing Donna Anna in DON GIOVANI for Houston audiences, performing in Houston, and the best aspects of being an opera performer.

What happens when artists reclaim prominent fairy tale figures from Disney's sparkling and sanitzied translations? Well, for one, INTO THE WOODS is born. The show, with a book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, presents fairy tale characters that are closer to their origins. They are bawdy, sarcastic, humorous, and ultimately tangibly real in their own ways. The varnish is removed and their valuable lessons are given to light again. Whether you love or hate Stephen Sondheim's work, there is no denying that the man is brilliant and INTO THE WOODS, as produced by Colton Berry's Bayou City Theatrics, magnificently illustrates this.

Looking ahead to the Chinese New Year, 2013 is the year of the snake. With my American and Western preconceived notions about snakes and their characteristics, I can't think of a better play to champion right now. Black Lab Theatre's Regional Premiere of Jeff Talbott's THE SUBMISSION is a wholly realistic one-act that features one of the most engaging and unflinchingly honest portrayals of tangibly real Americans I have ever seen. And his character Danny would be a perfect example of what we Westerners think of as a snake.

As the nation faces an new civil rights battle, homosexuality is a topic that many have opinions about. Country Playhouse is taking audiences back to an era before the Stonewall Riots and before the AIDS epidemic, showcasing the struggles that afflicted homosexuals in the 1960s. As 2013 opens, Country Playhouse is producing Mart Crowley's seminal and classic 1968 play THE BOYS IN THE BAND. The play is set in an Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan, and in a very WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRIGINA WOOLF style, reminds or introduces audiences to a time when the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders included homosexuality in addition to the self-loathing and lack of self-confidence experienced among the homosexual community in that period.

Pasadena's Stage Door Inc. is greeting 2013 with the 1996 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Jonathan Larson's renown musical RENT. RENT, inspired by Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème, tells the story of a handful of New York City's East Village artists and their struggles with life, love, AIDS, and addiction.

Before a recent rehearsal, I had the opportunity to sit down with Philip Hays at Studio 101. He is directing Classical Theatre Company's upcoming production of Alfred Jarry's UBU ROI. Walking into Studio 101, the first thing that struck me was the elaborate and large set. Even in its unfinished state, I could tell Philip Hays and Classical Theatre Company are in the process of creating something impressive and a theatrical experience that simply should not be missed. Sitting in sight of the expansive set, Philip Hays took the time to talk to me about his career, directing, and UBU ROI.

More often than not, theatres produce Shakespeare with a unique, modernizing spin. Keeping in this vein, Eklektix Theatre's Artistic Director Bryan-Keyth Wilson has adapted William Shakespeare's tragedy MACBETH, setting it in a post apocalyptic urban wasteland in the year 3013. Likewise, Bryan-Keyth Wilson, in adapting the play, has made some cuts to the script, which ensure that William Shakespeare's script about betrayal, murder, vanity, paranoia, and madness moves at a break-neck pace.

As temperatures dropped on January 2, 2013, I sat down with Jordan Jaffe, Ross Bautsch, Matt Benton, Candice D'Meza, and Darcy Cadman to discuss Black Lab Theatre's upcoming production of Jeff Talbot's controversial and comedic drama, THE SUBMISSION.

With 2013 officially underway, the Houston Theatre Scene is working hard to bring audiences theatrical delights to rival what we saw in 2012. Colton Berry, Artistic Director of Bayou City Theatrics, made a splash when his team opened an 80s Pop-Punk ROCKY HORROR SHOW. That was followed by their highly successful concert of RENT on New Year's Eve. Now, Colton Berry is putting his unique spin on a production of the Stephen Sondheim's classic piece INTO THE WOODS. Keeping a busy, frenetic schedule, Colton Berry spent a few minutes talking to me about his career, Bayou City Theatrics, Houston's Theatre Scene and his upcoming production of INTO THE WOODS.

In the crisp, morning hours on December 27, 2012 I got the chance to speak with Lara Teeter, who will be playing Cap'n Andy in the upcoming production of SHOW BOAT at Houston Grand Opera. The celebrated actor had a plethora of interesting and scholarly items to discuss about SHOW BOAT, and the character of Cap'n Andy. We also had a good time discussing his career as an actor, director, choreographer, and teacher.

There is no denying that 2012 was a great year for theatre in Houston. Excellent productions were housed all over the city. And with the way things are shaping up, it appears that 2013 will be another fabulous year for theatre in the city. As I glance at the calendar for 2013, I find that there are many productions that I am already looking forward to. Utilizing the greatest restraint I could muster and considerable effort, I offer to you my top 5 most anticipated shows of 2013 in the order that they open...

Kicking off 2013 at The Hobby Center, Theatre Under the Stars is presenting two classic musicals back to back. First TUTS is offering a star-studded production of CAMELOT followed by MAN OF LA MANCHA. CAMELOT features Broadway heavyweights such as Robert Petkoff, Margaret Loesser Robinson, Sean MacLaughlin, and Tony Award nominee Tony Sheldon. While many were hitting the stores for after Christmas sales, Tony Sheldon and I talked about his career post PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT, how he was preparing for Pellinore in CAMELOT, and performing in Houston.

For me, 2012 has been a fantastic year. In February, I found out I had won Broadway Across America - Houston's reviewing contest for the second half of their 2011-12 season. Having always wanted to be a theater reviewer, I was thrilled beyond imagination. Sitting in Sarofim Hall waiting for Carrie Fisher to take the stage in her one-woman show WISHFUL DRINKING, I knew I didn't want this journey to end. On May 16, 2012, I contacted BroadwayWorld, and they gave me the opportunity to cover the impressive and large Houston Theatre Scene. My tenure in Houston has not been terribly long, but as 2012 draws to a close, I wanted to take the opportunity to review some of my favorite experiences that writing for BroadwayWorld has afforded me.

On December 4, 2012, Ian Patrick Gibb, currently touring in the 25th Anniversary Production of LES MISERABLES as Jean Prouvaire, released an enchanting Christmas EP entitled The Time of Year for Miracles. No stranger to thrilling music, Ian Patrick Gibb's EP soars with epic orchestrations and the sublime, ethereal splendor of his luxurious voice.

On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, Northwestern Mutual-Houston partnered with Starlight Children's Foundation to create an unforgettable and touching evening of theatre-a true Great Escape-for a group of children battling pediatric cancer. In an effort to make special memories outside of the hospital room, the children's families were with them.