Love Never Ends: Sequel to Phantom of the Opera

DVD Live on April 11, 2011 @ Sydney's Melbourne Theatre 

Love Never Dies picks up 10 years after the finale to The Phantom of the Opera. It is set in 1907, which we are to understand is 10 years after the original Phantom (which actually took place in 1881, but who cares). It is also the lovechild of Side Show + Barnum + the original Phantom, with hints of Titantic, Show Boat, Cabaret, & Ragtime. I was surprised at how well this musical created a nostalgia for Phantom (my very first Broadway show) while still creating a setting all its' own [click HERE is a full plot, including spoilers]. Overall, I was not disappointed, which is a surprising feat for a musical sequel of this proportion. The storyline was engaging, the characters were developed, the songs were sufficient, and the staging was fresh, stylish, & innovative. It's not a show I'd justify buying tickets for, but the Netflix selection was pretty good time. Now, some musical highlights: 

Love Never Dies 

A lovely song. I love it in Love Never Dies almost as much as I loved it in The Beautiful Game. 

The Beauty Underneath 
A weird, Vegas-esque duet showing the eeerrie bond/similarities between the Phantom & Christine's 10-year-old son.

Dear Old Friend

A great quartet about the awkward reuniting dance between Christine, Raoul, Meg, & Mme. Giry.

MEAN Little deaf Queer by Terry Galloway

When Terry Galloway was born on Halloween in 1950, no one knew 

that an experimental antibiotic given to her mother had wreaked havoc on her fetal nervous system. 

After her family moved from Berlin Germany, to Austin, TX, 

hers became a deafening, hallucinatory childhood where everything, including her own body, changed for the worse.

But those unwelcome changes awoke in this particular child a dark, defiant humor

that fueled her lifelong obsessions with language, duplicity, & performance.

~MLdQ site

MY THOUGHTS:I bought this book from Open Books [an awesome non-profit bookstore in River North]. It was in the biography section & I only pulled it off the shelf because of the crazy title on its' spine. I was excited when the back cover told me this MEAN Little deaf Queer also loves theatre! The honesty with which Ms. Galloway told her story was refreshing. She presented herself as well-rounded, imaginable person with human flaws instead of one who simply & primarily coped with a physical incapacity. While reading, there were several times that I forgot that her deafness was the catalyst for the novel because her theatrical experiences, personal relationships, & retelling of family stories were so engaging. This is not to say she did not openly address the unasked questions regarding her deafness. There was a chapter entitled Little-d Deaf where she addressed the hierarchy that exists in the deaf community surrounding the choice to lip-read or sign [for the record, lip-reading is extremely difficult but allows a more universal sense of communication in the hearing community while signing serves as the approachable & universal means of communication in the deaf community. Terry Galloway is exceptionally skilled at lip-reading due to an intrinsic ability & having been self-taught in the skill since childhood, so relied primarily upon lip-reading until she received a cochlear implants later in life.] 

I loved the narrative of this autobiography, but I loved the author’s voice more.

Her writing style pretty much married 

ELIZABETH WURTZEL (Prozac Nation; More, Now, Again; & B***h), 

ANNA DEAVERE SMITH (Fires in the Mirror), & THE MIRACLE WORKER. 

This story is inspiring, approachable, awesome, & enriching. 

I loved this book & burned through it. You should do the same!

Midsommer/Midsummer @ the Park.

The Chicago Parks District has been hosting free Shakespeare productions in various parks throughout the summer. Not surprisingly,  it took me until the last weekend in August to take advantage of these shows, but I finally saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Touhy Park. This was a perfect choice for my inaugural CHC/park/Shakespeare experience since this show was an inaugural experience all its’ own. The play was produced by MIDSOMMER FLIGHT, a brand-new company founded by Beth Wolf whose objective is to establish a Chicago theatre collective dedicated to producing outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s plays. 

This production faced two obvious challenges: being a brand-new company (which is slightly remedied by the fact that they teamed with the Chicago Parks District, they offer FREE shows, & the fact that no one can resist a picnic) and performing against the elements of an urban park. Despite the sirens, crickets, & annoying neighborhood kids, this cast held up pretty well against the elements working against them. There was definitely room for improvement in terms of sound quality, but, for the most part, the actors spoke loudly & articulately. Since the audience sat level to the stage, it was difficult to see some of the action (especially during pivotal moments when the actors were lying down), but they generally used the space well. The cast also deserves mad props for making it work in a production space that offers no backstage. Only a seasoned & committed/invested group could conquer those challenges in their first attempt at a production.

The acting ensemble was as impressive in their credentials as in their performance quality,especially with Jared Dennis as a booming & authoritative Oberon, Annie Hogan as billowy & blustering Helena, & J. Preddie Predmore as a boisterous & engaging Bottom. It was a cleverly consolidated cast with the standard Theseus/Oberon & Titania/Hippolyta pairs, as well as the fairies doubling as the rude mechanicals. This play was especially fun because it reminded me of a project in which I participated as one of the founding members of the Delaware Shakespeare Festival. Our inaugural production was also Midsummer (I was a fierce Hermia, BTW). DSF is flourishing & celebrated their 10th anniversary season this summer with a new production of Midsummer. I predict Midsummer Flight will flourish just as boldly & brightly.

FELA! @ The Oriental Theatre

FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI 

was Nigerian composer & master of many instruments;

he was a pioneer of Afrobeat music;

he simultaneously served as a political maverick & human rights activist.

Fela! The Musical seemed more like a tribute concert than a musical that relays the story of Fela’s life through his music. The music was great. I was not all that familiar with Fela’s music before seeing the musical, but I have been listening to it since…the portrayal was very authentic his amazing, original sound. I just wish the story had been more clearly articulated; while the music couldn’t be better, the storyline couldn’t be more muddy & muddled. This was especially disappointing because Fela’s story is so interesting & peppered with personal, political, & historic plot points. This musical had the music but lacked the book. My favorite moment was Zombies, which was the most politically-charged & relevant moment of the show.

P.S. Fela! was produced by Jay-Z and Will & Jada Smith. I like it.

Bachelorette @ Profiles Theatre

BACHELORETTE @ Profiles Theatre 

I appreciated the basic premise & progressive approach to the complexities of contemporary friendships. It addressed the danger, pleasure, & power that comes along with being a seemingly-successful & somewhat worldly Cosmo girl. It felt like MEAN GIRLS meets SEX & THE CITY meets a LIFETIME movie. The script was well-structured & legitimately funny, but lacked a level of authenticity that would have made it exceptional. There were several great monologues, but some of the dialogue felt clichéd & contrived. The characters were not the most well-rounded or developed, but they provided enough of a blueprint that the right performers could potentially create missing dynamic. Overall, it is an exciting piece of contemporary theatre that borders on trite at times, but is largely an innovative, energetic, & enjoyable production.

Amanda Powell & Linda Augusta Orr stood out as GENA & KATIE. As the (unknowingly) unwelcome the pair of friends partying in the bridal suite, both actresses created distinct & dynamic characters that complimented each other while providing a realistic sense of history. Hillary Marren played REGAN, the semi-vindictive architect of the evening; her character was one that appeared put-together until the events of the evening cause her façade to crumble. Her role was the most complicated & sub-textually-based; she was adequate but did not conquer all the challenges demanded by the role. Her interpretation tended to largely overly-enunciated & she expressed only a lukewarm sexuality. As BECKY, the bride-to-be & seemingly central character, Rakisha Pollard had very little time to leave an impression but provided a refreshingly different tone & clean character. The men were outnumbered & had minimal stage time. As JEFF, Adam Soule was adequate but lacked a charged presence. I had seen Eric Burgher in A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE & loved his performance. In SPOKANE, his role provided necessary punctuations from the actions unfolding in a hotel room; he provides the same breathe of fresh air in this production as JOE & I would love to see his talents highlighted at Profiles in a leading role.

Movies like BRIDESMAIDS & BAD TEACHER have caused an insurgent emergence in the movie scene of the Raunchy Female Comedy. The trend has erupted so hard & fast that (Gilmore Girl’s alum) Melissa McCarthy earned an Academy Award nomination for BRIDESMAIDS; her name has been splashed all over the Oscar news because of the excitement & novelty that comes along with an under-the-radar sector of talent finally being acknowledged. There have been grumblings about the fact that Kristen Wiig didn’t receive a Best Leading Actress nomination, but she & Annie Mumolo were nominated for Best Screenplay (which is a better acknowledgement of the effort & involvement of her artistic input). The honor of both nominations is representative of some female step forward; I’m not quite sure what we’re stepping towards, but progress is progress. It’s not that I’m all about raunchy humor, but I am all about the female comedienne being honored & acknowledged. So, if this trend is a step in the direction of female-based humor & comediennes becoming more mainstream, I’m all about it

{I think America owes Tina Fey a big thank-you}.

MAD PROPS to Profiles for having the insight to capitalize on this contemporary influence.

The film adaptation of BACHELORETTE premiered this week as part of the Sundance Film Festival's out-of-competition screenings (and is one of the many Raunchy Female Comedies gaining early attention this year). The cast includes Isla Fisher, Kirsten Dunst, & Lizzy Caplan (all of whom I like & can completely envision in their respective roles). Playwright Leslye Headland adapted & directed the screenplay; she credited BRIDESMAIDS for paving the way for her film because

“for 10 years, people were really afraid that there wasn’t an audience for an R-rated female-centric comedy.”

Spring Awakening by Griffin Theatre Co.

I’ve loved Spring Awakening since Day 1. I saw the Broadway production in previews & have been looking forward to this new interpretation since September. I immediately loved the theatre space; it was reminiscent of Cabaret at Studio 54 with exposed brick & the semi-exposed band onstage behind the actors. A runway protruded from the stage space, which was great effect with their staging choices & choreography. However, there was little energy directed towards the establishment of the period setting. The stylized choices were not in bad taste or poorly executed, but it was so ambiguously stylized that the period element became muddled. A production of this musical needs to hang its’ hat on the antiquated setting since the moral is so outdated. There sense of history between the characters was also overall watered-down. Important plot moments were lost because the production seemed like a series of musical numbers rather than an entire unit. Despite my nit-picking, Griffin’s new interpretation of Spring Awakening was absolutely a worthwhile, innovative, & enjoyable production.

ACT I

Mama Who Bore Me initially had a more rockabilly vibe with the female ensemble providing loud energy & great food-stomping moments. I immediately liked Aja Wiltshire as Wendla; she established herself as a smart casting choice with her kewpie-doll face & strong, sweet voice. Throughout the production, she repeatedly proved herself as a quality actress as well. The first impression of the male ensemble was not quite as striking.

The choreography of B*tch of Living was very reminiscent of Broadway choreography & the minor male characters immediately established themselves as engaging than the male leads. As Melchior & Moritz, Josh Salt & Matthew Fletcher seemed more like similarly ordinary cousins who had nothing more in common than their setting rather than individuals with a meaningful history. Neither of them was overly lacking in acting or singing, but they both were detached & lacked ownership of their roles.

My Junk is a catchy song that does not provide the plot to move forward, so it must be artistically exquisite; this production’s execution lacking. It opened with strange choreography that reminded me of a maypole dance, which led into blocking was severely lacking subtlety. It was reminiscent of the choreography of Contact in Rent; the swaying & gazing longingly seemed unimaginative & lacked a sense of fresh, artistic perspective. The number found its’ redemption by the clean cohesion of ensemble & stunning male solos.

The Dark I Know Well is a difficult number, both for the actresses involved & the audience who must face this difficult subject matter. The performance felt like a disjointed attack & the characters lacked the necessary sense of solidarity. The storytelling element of this number was lost by the aggression exhibited. As Martha, Paige Collins did provide some softness, but she would have shone more in this number with more subtle direction.

The Last scene of Act I seemed forced, random, & unrealistic. The lighting was beautiful & the staging was a perfect use of the runway. This Wendla objected more & her interaction with Melchior seemed forced milestone, which is not a sentiment that is grounded in the text. Theirs was a quiet passion that lacked authenticity. It was like a baseball player who went from not knowing how to hold a bat to hitting a homerun on the first try; that change & drive needs to be driven by a force greater than one’s self. Communicating that tormented sentiment is the greatest challenge of Spring Awakening, and this performance did not dominate that challenge.

ACT II

As the highlight of Act II, Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind disappointed. It was an immature interpretation that lacked the softness of adolescent sadness. It is such a great number that weak actors could still perform it well based only on exceptional singing, but that was not the case. I was not impressed with Lindsay Leopold’s portrayal of Ilsa. Her Ilsa seemed like an intentionally rebellious outcast rather than one forced into displacement by situations out of her control. She did not instigate a curiosity in the audience as to her history and was overly-intense without explanation.

The Word of Your Body (reprise) provided the most authentic moment of the production. The characters have a history, both throughout the production & established through their chemistry. A relationship that changes & develops throughout the course of the show. As Hanchen & Ernst, Adam Fane & Adam Molloy’s performances were the highlight of the entire production.

Totally F*cked was a strong, energetic, youthful ensemble number that lived up to my expectations. Overall, the ensemble numbers were clean, articulate, & well-sung and served as a great strength of the overall production.

TheatreInChicago Review Round-Up

Slaughter City by Jackalope Theatre Co. @ Raven Theatre



Slaughter City
by Naomi Wallace/directed by Kaiser Ahmed

The effort & quality of the production outweighed the quality of the script. I loved the artistic interpretation of the script. It was very much my personal taste, and executed exquisitely. The pristine but crafty style of Julie Taymor meets tenement rags of Rags…it felt at the same time a period piece, a timeless commentary, & a futuristic cautionary tale. This is a feat of the production staff--the dramaturge (high-five for having one), the meticulous direction, truly artistic stage dressing, & a finely-tuned cast. However, none of this can make up for a script that I found largely lacking.

A lot of the blocking written into the script. Which makes the over-direction & air-tight blocking somewhat necessary. It's a good directing style for actors who have talent but lack instincts, but for the high-quality, interpretive actor the restriction is nothing more than restrictive. A micro-managing director can stunt the growth of an actor, and I wonder how much authority these actors were given in the opportunity to interpret their roles. For some actors, such as Jack McCabe, this directing style is so necessary. I saw him in The Homecoming at Mary-Arrchie & his performance in this production was of a much higher caliber. It still was not the best casting choice, in my opinion; this role required a more layered, subtle, & engaging performance that he was able to execute.

The roles of the factory workers required very specific actors, in race, physicality, & specific personal abilities. The cast fulfilled the specifications well. As Rose, Kristin Anderson was natural in her part & never broke focus. She was too young, but that’s a flaw I am willing to overlook due to skill & commitment level. Anne Sears was subtle, sweet, perhaps too guarded, but overall gave a strong performance. As the curious & central character Cod, AJ Ware mastered the dialogue & danced over the words with an articulated influx of emotion. This part can make or break a production & her performance was an excellent fulfillment of the demands of the role.

The script was just too serious & stylized for my taste. It vaguely reminded me a script InterAct would consider. I love a solid, serious, message-oriented script, but it has to be well-rounded. There was no humor at all. The only moments the audience laughed erupted out of awkwardness or irony, but a 2+ hour show requires a light moment here & there.

I wanted more historical context. Isn't that why we have dramaturges on staff? I wanted more narrative of the fire, not the fault of the company but still a fault of the production choice. I love that so much of Chicago-theatre is based on local history & the fire is an intriguing subject matter. With the script's literal smoke & mirrors, stomps, sharpened knives, & heavy-handed metaphors, it is easy to forget to wonder: What Is The Point? It was so thick in metaphor that I couldn’t figure out where to plant my feet. The script itself lacked a solid point-of-view & I didn't leave with a new perspective or education on the subject matter. 



God of Carnage @ The Goodman

I realized after I saw God of Carnage that Yasmina Reza also wrote Art. It put my experience in perspective because I had the exact same reaction to this production that I did to Art. Before I saw both of these plays, I thought they looked right up my alley...they have small casts, contemporary settings, and plotlines that are so simple & intriguing that the play's commentary has to be weighty & important. But at the end of the play, the simple plotline remained very simple. The script just lacked the essential element of enrichment & thought-provocation. Not to say it was pointless. There is something important about actually acknowledging the serious frustrations that erupt from the mundane problems of real life. There can be poetry & purpose found in cleaning up the messes of every day life. I just wish that poetry & purpose had been infused more heavily in the script.

In a quadrangle of a play, it is difficult to truly critique the actors unless they have strikingly varying skill sets. All four actors were sharply-tuned, charasmatic, & fully invested in their roles. To create a strong, 4-person ensemble (absent of a weak link) is a feat to be applauded.

The theatre was beautiful.
The actors were impeccable.
The point of the production....I'm not so clear on.

Sex With Strangers @ Steppenwolf

Sex With Strangers @ Steppenwolf


Sex with Strangers recounts an episodic relationship between two writers whose views on relationships, writing, and how the internet effects both. We first meet Olivia Lago, a writer turned teacher who is resigned to write without the expectation of publication to avoid mixed reviews and the effect of caring. We find her snowed in at a writer’s retreat cabin when we meet Ethan Strange. Ethan is taking a detox from his highly successful life as a different kind of writer. His has maintained a blog, Sex With Strangers, recounting his experiences doing just that. With the life lessons learned from the blog’s wild success, Ethan becomes an iMentor to Olivia. And a few nights in that snowy woods cabin lead him to become her boyfriend as well.

Overall, I loved how Laura Eason pinpointed the strange social mannerisms that have erupted from the cellular age. She brought those ideas from the back of our head into full-frontal focus. The audience's eruptions of laughter at these commentaries reinforced how universal the shift in social dynamics that have erupted from the Facebook Generation.

However, for the social authenticity presented in these commentaries, there lacked a cohesian of that nail-on-the-head writing with the presentation of the character of The Internet. This was a play with two actors, but three characters. The Internet served as dominant a role, in both the building of a character and in a plot-point perspective, yet was inconsistently presented and undeveloped. Yes, we are commenting on the dangers of a relationship with the internet. But in the world of Sex With Strangers, the danger seems somewhat benign. Olivia's searches prove that her boyfriend's sexcapades were extreme, but we already knew that. Olivia sacrifices part of her ideal dream to achieve a more tangible success. None of the repercussions of The Internet's influence reflect his actual influence because the driving effects result moreso from the characters' direct decisions. This Internet was not an online predator. And so we are just left with the question Ethan left Olivia regarding their relationship: how much of a villain can the villain be if the victim enters eyes wide open?


Saverio Truglia's Anatomy of this Photo

With a subject as broad as The Internet is taking over our lives and stealing our children’s souls, one’s perspective must be finely-tuned and razor-sharp in its’ articulation. That point, that shock, that line that makes you say Hmmmm…I never thought of it that way just wasn’t there.

I was a hardcore fan of Sex With Strangers until the last scene. I won't kill the ending, but ending the play at the moment Olivia said, "It was fine," would have been absolutely perfect. The last scene's simple Lifetime reflection on lessons learned diluted the effect of the sharp observational epiphanies that punctuated the dialogue. While the experience was overall insightful, entertaining, and skillfully presented, it left no taste in my mouth.

I liked watching this play. I loved moments of it. But the message pittered off to a shallow final note and there was little that I took with me from it. My experience can best summed up by Olivia's idol, Marguerite Duras, “It's afterwards you realize that the feeling of happiness you had with a man didn't necessarily prove that you loved him.”