Marietta Lunceford - Page 6

This past Saturday I continued my uncharacteristic tour of "scary" Halloween themed plays with Red Mountain Theatre Company's production of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. Of course, this Mel Brooks musical is not really scary, but it is definitely fun and entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud many times. This is my kind of Halloween fun!

From the moment the curtain goes up, you realize this is a much hipper staging of Lerner and Loewe's CAMELOT than you may have seen before. No, they aren't setting it in modern times, it just has a grittier look to it. CAMELOT met all of my standards and expectations.

My visit into the mystery genre was a fun night of theatre. In the last act I kept finding myself on the edge of my seat, holding my throat. As always, South City does a great job with the space they have. In this instance I think being so close in the intimate setting made for a more heightened sense of excitement. That is not to say I wouldn't love to see them in a bigger space so more people could share in this talented group's work. WAIT UNTIL DARK continues this weekend and next weekend on October 9, 10 and 11. Go to www.southcitytheatre.com for reservations.

I am proud to say I live in a city where top notch, live theatre can be enjoyed by anyone of any age on pretty much any given day. We should be happy we can take our children to see and learn to love great shows at Birmingham Children's Theatre in the daytime, then go out with our adult friends and see superb theatre in the evening, all done locally, with local talent. Don't miss out on the last weekend of VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE at BFT October 2,3,4 at 8pm. Check www.BCT123.org for future BCT children's performances.

After two weeks stuck in the house with a bad back, it was time to venture out and see a play. BEEHIVE at the Virginia Samford Theatre was exactly the prescription I needed. High energy and fast paced, it made me forget about my troubles for awhile and focus on the great music of the 60's. From the beautiful giant jukebox set, to the talented musicians who make up the band, every aspect of this presentation is spot on. The show really has no story line and although I am a believer in plays having a message and teaching us a lesson, there are those times you just want to be entertained by the music and smile with the cast. This offering makes you smile from start to finish and although I am in no shape to dance, makes you want to tap your toes and sing along, something the older ladies beside me certainly did a few times. The first act began on this particular night with Tony Award winner Louise Beard crossing the stage with a giant dime to feed into the jukebox and begin the show. That first act is comprised of songs from 1960- 1962 and is loosely held together by the ladies telling tales of when they were preteens, daydreaming of boyfriends and being BFF's to the singers they idolize. But the major focus is always the music. Act Two starts off strong with, in my opinion, the best number of the night. Alexis Marcus, far and away the youngest cast member, sings a sultry rendition of "The Beat Goes On", the old Sonny and Cher song. During the song she tells the history of 1963 and beyond, discussing the assassination of President Kennedy, the Civil Rights movement and the start of the war in Vietnam. Her sexy delivery of the song, juxtaposed with her wide eyed innocent view of some of our countries toughest times, makes for a thought provoking and beautiful presentation. I would have paid the ticket price and gotten out of the house again on a rainy night just to see that one performance. The rest of the second act continues on a tiny bit more serious note than the first due to the times it portrayed, although it is still focused on the music of the time. My second favorite number of the night is sung by Joycelyn Whatley, a real life music teacher, who is one of the most amazing singers I have ever heard. She sings many memorable songs during the evening including some Aretha Franklin that was superb, but "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" stuck with me the most. Carl Dean, who I know best as a talented choreographer, serves as director and choreographer for BEEHIVE. Although he has done some brilliant work as a director (last year's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at VST in particular) this current job seems like it should have been easy with so much talent singing and dancing on that stage. Kudos to him and everyone else who handles the technical side of the night. With so many different cues and so much background singing from offstage it could have been a technical mess. Instead, at least from the audience's perspective, it happens flawlessly. After an extra long curtain call (I guess 7 divas need their applause) I hobbled back to my car, still sore but with a little more spring in my step. If you need a little fun in your life and a super entertaining night out, I highly recommend BEEHIVE, showing now through September 28 at Virginia Samford Theatre.

Enjoying its 29th season, Terrific New Theatre is presenting THE FANTASTICKS now through September 13th. Directed by TNT founder Carl Stewart, a fixture in the Birmingham theatre scene for over 50 years, this production definitely has its ups and downs.

From the first word spoken by the narrator, I was hooked. Well paced and emotional, this rendition of Tennessee Williams' THE GLASS MENAGERIE proved that Montevallo Main Street Players are capable of top notch work.