Regional Roundup: Top 10 Stories This Week Around the Broadway World - 7/29; MAMMA MIA! at The Muny, MARY POPPINS with Kara Lindsay, CABARET at Music Circus & More!
By: BWW Special Coverage Jul. 29, 2016
This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Raleigh, Sacramento, St. Louis and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include MAMMA MIA! at The Muny, MARY POPPINS in Raleigh, and CABARET at California Music Circus, just to name a few.
East/Northeast
1. Connecticut: Editor Sherry Cohen reviews THE INVISIBLE HAND in Westport. She says, " David Kennedy's direction is a benign invisible hand, flawlessly guiding the complexities of the play. All the actors give first-rate performances and give their characters depth and credibility. No clichés here, even though some of it is predictable because we have known too many corrupt societies and too many acts of terrorism." Read more here.
2. Rhode Island: Editor Andria Tieman reviews THE WIZARD OF OZ at Theatre By The Sea. She says, "How do you capture the wonder that a child would feel seeing it for the first time? I don't know exactly how one does that, but Theatre by the Sea certainly managed it handily with their new production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Even a story as well-known as The Wizard of Oz seemed fresh and new but still perfectly timeless. Fantastic performances, amazing vocal talents and elaborate sets and special effects take this world of imagination and bring it right to life." Read more here.
3. Long Island, NY: Editor Melissa Giordano reviews The Gateway's Long Island Premiere Of PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT. She says, "Stan Meyer's set is outstanding. Priscilla, the bus they use for their excursion, was built from scratch and customized for the size of the stage. Additional highlights include the spectacular Tony winning Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner costumes from the Broadway production. This was enhanced stunningly by Doug Harry's spot-on lighting and the incredible orchestra headed up by Music Director Michael McAssey." Read more here.
Midwest
4. St. Louis, MO: Editor Chris Gibson reviews MAMMA MIA! at The Muny. He says, "Brittany Zeinstra makes a lovely and appealing Sophie. She has a clear and beautiful voice that fits the material like a glove. Her opening number during the prologue, "I Have A Dream" sets a sweet and inviting tone for the evening. She's aided in her deceit by her friends Ali and Lisa, winningly played by Sara Gallo and Raven Thomas. Their run through "Honey, Honey" as Sophie quotes from the purloined diary is especially amusing. Jason Gotay is a nice match as her fiancée Sky, and shines vocally when he invites Sophie to "Lay All Your Love On Me"." Read more here.
South/Southeast
5. Orlando, FL: Libby Champion reviews Athens Theater's SPAMALOT. She says, "The meat and gravy of the show however (or should I say ham and jam) is the outstanding actors and actresses. Michael Funaro's King Arthur was perfect in every sense of the word. His dry humor in contrast to some of the more eccentric characters was spot on. I was relieved to see when it came to the musical numbers featuring Funaro, his singing talent kept up with his acting. His voice is clear and strong, and exactly what one would expect from the proud King of the Britains." Read more here.
6. Raleigh, NC: Editor Jeffrey Kare reviews North Carolina Theatre's MARY POPPINS. He says, "Among the very talented cast, Kara Lindsay brings her own sweetness and soul to the title character; The role of Bert in the stage adaptation serves as narrator of the show, delivered with a charismatic performance by Nicolas Dromard; Riley Rose Campbell & Micah Boan are both very well cast as the Banks kids, Jane & Michael; Gary Milner very successfully goes on a character arc as George Banks; Lisa Brescia gives a very heartfelt performance as Winifred Banks; and Jane Blass is very terrifying as the strict nanny, Miss Andrew." Read more here.
West Coast
7. Los Angeles, CA: Editor Gil Kaan interviews Baayork Lee, who will be choreographing and directing her most recent production of A CHORUS LINE at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. he last time Baayork came to Los Angeles for A CHORUS LINE, she choreographed the touring company that played at theAhmanson Theatre in 2008. Questioned specifically about her touring cast: "What do I remember about that company? I loved that company. Bob and I put that one together. Bob directed, I choreographed. We love the cast. It's all about the cast. The foundation is there. The show is there. The lights, the costumes are there. But it's about the cast. What they bring to the role. What they bring of themselves to the roles. Direction is set, but how an actor puts themselves in the role; that's why the audition process is so long and tedious. We need to see what is in your personality that can come out and make this role blossom." Read the full interview here.
8. Sacramento, CA: Editor Harmony Wheeler reviews CABARET at California Music Circus. She says, "This version gives Herdlicka a chance to showcase his Broadway veteran voice in songs that do not usually make the cut. But it's the outstanding "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" quartet (replaced by a record player in later revivals) that ushers in a sobering and haunting reality. Clifford watches Nazi influence destroy the budding romance of Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, a Jew. Mary Gordon Murray is superb as the resigned Schneider, who enjoys some sweet moments with Ron Wisniski's tender Schultz before an alarming finale unites the cast in a dark and zombie-like march." Read more here.
International
9. Sydney, Australia: Editor Brodie Paparella gives us an inside look at the HELPMANN AWARDS 2016 at Sydney Lyric Theatre. He says, "First performance of the night, Sarah Blasko's hit from last year Luxurious bringing the mood back to the deeper and delicious in time for giving the behind-the-scenes legends their more-than-well-deserved accolades, presented by the sonically and comically sublime Umbilical Brothers." Read all about it here.
National Tour Highlight:
10. Washington, DC Editor Heather Nadolny reviews Cirque du Soleil KURIOS - CABINET OF CURIOSITIES. She says, "KURIOS is filled with the acrobatics, tricks and balancing acts one might expect, but this show repeatedly takes them a step further. In "Upside Down World", the performers not only balance on chairs going up, but a group is also suspended upside down and does the same thing. In "Rola Bola," JAMES EULISES GONZALEZ balances on a clear board not only on large canisters, but also while his platform is swinging back and forth. It's enough to make you squirm in your seat, but the talent of each performer will keep you fixated forward." Read more here.
STUDENT BLOGGERS! We'd like to feature a few of our student bloggers below!
College: College student Jennifer Weber offers a review of A CHORUS LINE at the Hemmens. She says, "What I appreciated most out of this production is that it they didn't try to modernize A Chorus Line. I've seen clips online of directors replacing "The Ed Sullivan Show" with "MTV" and it just seems out of place. Thankfully, Elgin Summer Theatre's (EST) production kept to the original script. Julie Lange plays Kristine Who is auditioning with her husband Al (Sean Kalusa) and is a dancer, but not a singer. Easily, one of the stand out performances was Lange and Kalusa performing "Sing," a song that explains to the director that Kristine can't sing a note, but Al can." Read more here.
High School: High school student Emma VanDevelde blogs about growing up with a theatre family. Read her blog here.
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