The mashup you didn’t know you needed.
No, I saw two community theater productions, one last weekend, one this weekend.
Last Sunday, I saw Blue Hill Troupe’s fall show, Rodgers+Hammerstein’s Cinderella, which, as my buddy Natan wrote in his excellent program essay, is different from the version that’s called Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. What a difference a plus makes. Apparently, Cinderella is like Show Boat or Die Fledermaus, a tunestack that gets a different script every time it’s done.
I hadn’t been particularly interested in seeing this version when it was on Broadway a few years ago. I’d seen the black and white captured version of the Julie Andrews TV original, and seen the 90’s one with Whitney Houston. All I really remembered was the song about the Prince’s long list of names, one of which is Herman. But, let’s go support my friends.
This was kind of interesting in that BHT has a wealth of talent, and often you’ll see people in the chorus that had a lead last time. There was some of that going on, but the remarkable thing was that almost all the leads were newbies, at least to me. And they were all wonderful. Ella (Rachel Naugle) and the Prince (Amnon Carni) were both delightful, talented, beautiful singers and very attractive. My buddy Jen Dorre was Marie, the fairy godmother and she is always wonderful on stage, although I didn’t think the role was written very well. Noelle Teagno, who I’d seen last year in VLOG’s Gentleman’s Guide, was the stepmother and was hilarious. Both stepsisters were also wonderful: my buddy Maria Plantilla in her first lead as the ‘spicy’ one, was really funny. Rebekah Mason was the sweet one – I’d never seen her before in anything and she was lovely. I’ve worked with David Pasteelnick (Lord Pinkleton, who got to sing the name song) and Michael Macaiaone (Sebastian) many times, and they are total pros and brought much to their supporting roles. The ensemble was excellent.
The show itself? Not a fan. I thought it was pretty dumb, and the music was lackluster – although it improved significantly in Act 2, which opened with “Stepsister’s Lament”, which turned out to be my favorite number. There was another number, a quartet for Ella, the stepmother and stepsisters which, while its existence didn’t make a lot of sense to me, was a lot of fun to listen to and watch.
The production? I thought it was middling. There were, of course, ‘magic transformation’ dresses for both Marie and Ella, and that was fun. Sets were OK (that stage limits you as far as size of set pieces). They did have stagehands come out to make some scene changes (who were not in costume) and actors make other changes. That was jarring – I wish they’d been consistent, and maybe have the stagehands either in simple costumes or all in black (including their shoes).
So… I’m glad I saw it, and it was nice to see the excellent work of the performers. (a lot of people thought the orchestra was excellent too. I thought it was fine.) I realize that my interests are not necessarily the Troupe’s interests, but I wish they’d make more of an effort to pick important theatrical pieces. I didn’t think this was one – or Addams Family two years ago, or Boy Friend a few years before that. All that effort to bring to life a show that’s maybe not worth it. *bitch mode off*
Friday night, I went to see Village Light Opera Group‘s The Baker’s Wife. This production featured many friends, and was a title I’ve only known as ‘a Stephen Schwartz flop’ and the source of a popular audition and cabaret selection, “Meadowlark”, which I’ve probably heard a couple of times, but couldn’t sing to you. As mentioned above, VLOG had pulled off a bare-bones, but really excellent, production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder last year, and this was in the same space. I went in not really knowing what I was going to see, but expecting to be entertained. I do like Schwartz a lot, basically being familiar with (and loving) the biggies: Godspell, Pippin and Wicked. How often do I go to see a show I’ve never seen or heard before?
They’d made the playing space into an ‘outdoor’ cafe sort of thing, and there were some audience members at the cafe tables, though the rest of us were up in the risers. Moderate props, no backdrop and just a few set pieces. Costumes were modern-dress, pretty much.
The story is of a provincial French town, probably mid-20th-century, where everyone knows everyone else and has at least one person they’re feuding with. The town’s baker has died, they’ve been breadless for weeks, and are bringing in a new baker. The new baker (my friend Kevin Murray, excellent) is an older man who’s recently married a much younger wife – lots of “how nice that you brought your daughter” comments, and although he’s clearly head over heels for her, she seems more resigned than thrilled about the marriage.
A young man who works for the mayor becomes entranced with her and convinces her to run off with him. Everything falls apart after that, but in the town’s efforts to bring her back, long-term rifts are healed and the town actually ends up in a better place. She does come back and she and her husband start anew.
The music was just accompanied by piano, but it worked really well, and I liked the tunestack a lot. (it looks like the CD of the show is hard to get, but I’ll have to keep an eye out) “Meadowlark” is a great song and was wonderfully performed. They made good use of the space, including playing sometimes up in the risers in the middle of the audience.
The director had made virtue of necessity, and cast a lot of male roles with female actors. My buddy Lauren, a cute and petite quite feminine lady, played the (male) teacher in a sweater-vest and pinned-up hair. Honestly, the role could have been kind of genderless, until near the end of the show, (s)he solved a plot problem by wooing one of the female characters. It was really cute. But the most riveting of these cross-gender casting was Anchal Dhir, who played the young male lover. She’s an opera singer, and gave a total Cherubino vibe to her performance, which was amazing. She sounded terrific, singing the role up in her soprano octave, and acted her pants-role pants off. (She was very sexy in a male way.) I was so impressed.
Also callouts to my friends Maggie (Denise) and Tyler (Claude), but really the cast was great across the board. So, bravo to VLOG for a great great show. They’re doing A Little Night Music next, and I’m eager to see that. (Should I audition for it? Hmmm. Practically the only roles I haven’t done yet are Fredrik and Mme. Armfeldt.)
Do I have thoughts about last week’s election? Oh yes. More on that when they coalesce and can write about them.
Oo, speaking of writing, my company has a lot of little clubs that meet at lunch or after work and I joined the creative writing club. It’s small, so far, but all of us are kind of there because we want to write, but never have time. I really liked the first meeting. Maybe I can use the time I spend watching political TV news to write instead.
Oh, and niece Allison came down and spent Saturday night, to celebrate her birthday (much like I’d done at the end of September, visiting her). I offered her all the glories of NYC, but really, we just hung out. I took her to a nice dinner, and then we watched the Jim Henson documentary. Sunday, I had her help me house things that take two people, like rotating the mattress on the bed, and straightening carpets, and then I made breakfast, which came out great. Took her for a walk through the neighborhood before she had to head home.
Saturday had been the day we were plagued with wildfire smoke, and that really did a number on my sinuses, so I didn’t get a lot done on Sunday after she left, but I did have dinner with neighbors Josh and Mariah, who are preparing to move (*sob*). We got all caught up, very nice.
And today is about laundry and planning for the end-of-year birthday trip for my dad. I broke a mental logjam and have booked our Vegas hotel and our rental car. I just need to keep going in that vein.
I bid you rest and home and courage, and if anyone can figure out how to handle what’s coming up next, let me know!
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