"The Sound of Music" Perfect Production at Beef & Boards

          There is no way Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II could top themselves after creating  the musical based on "The Trapp Family Singers". This musical "The Sound of Music" looms high as the world's most beloved musical.

          First of all, it was a delightful surprise to see Suzanne Stark on the Beef & Boards stage again. As the Mother Abbess, she proved she can still belt those songs out the way she used to. She has lost not one iota of talent since playing her majestic title role in "Kiss Me Kate" years ago. It was wonderful hearing her voice again. A talent like hers should not be wasted nor ignored.

          Of course the show revolves around Maria, fantastically portrayed by Cara Statham Serber. Nobody could take command of the stage away from her. The stern and whistle -blowing Captain von Trapp was played by David  Schmittou who had the difficult task of being charming at the same time. He pulled it off without a hitch.

          His seven children were delightful on stage.  Thomas Whitcomb, Kennedy Martin, Isaac Herzog, Madison Moll, Lucy Neal, Emma Rogers and especially Hillary Smith as Liesl, who had a voice like a  breath of springtime, made up this glorious family.

          Eddie Curry can add to his enormous resume of outstanding characters the role of Max  which he played magnificently. Sarah Hund played the role of Elsa (Maria's rival) with dignity.

          Adding to the cast were Jeff Stockberger, Nicholas Jones, Paul Nicely, and Ken Klingenmeier. 

         The spirits were kept high by the rousing musical tempos provided by orchestra conductor Kristly Templet. The scenic design by Michael Layton added to the evening's enjoyment, as well as the costumes by Jill Kelly.

          The person in charge of the casting deserves an A Plus as well as director Elizabeth Stark.

         Usually familiarity breeds contempt. In this "The Sound of Music " there is plenty of familiarity and absolutely no contempt. I have seen over 50 productions of "The Sound of Music" and this Beef & boards productions is the best one yet.


         

    

"9 to 5 the musical" SURPRISE HIT AT B&B

          Who expected "9 to 5 the musical" to be such a great entertainment at the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre? Not me, I readily admit.  I thought I knew the story, but I was wrong. I was thoroughly engrossed on what was happening on stage,just like the rest of the audience.

          This show was snappy, vibrant and full of energy. It had a completely different feeling than what I expected. This show is different, wonderfully different. The music and lyrics are by Dolly Parton.  The clever book is by Patricia Resnick.. The show is based upon the 20th Century Fox motion picture, but is far more exciting. 

          So many deserve credit for creating such a wonderful atmosphere, In no special order I shall mention the crew. Director Eddie Curry pulled out all stops, leaving no dull spots at all.  Ron Morgan's choreography was interesting and imaginative. The scenic design by Michael Layton was just what this show needed. The lighting design by Ryan Koharchik was brilliant.

          And now to the extremely talented cast headed by three incomparable ladies, Annie Edgerton  as Violet,  Crystal Mosser as Doralee  and Sarah Hund as Judy.  As magnificent as these three were there were two more ladies that deserve huge credit, Joanna Krupnick as Roz the lovesick secretary and Deb Wims as Margaret the drunk. Andrew Lebon played the maniacal boss with relish. He reminded me of the comic John Cleese with his long legs. I would love to see these marvelous six performers in more  Beef & Boards productions. I was really impressed with these enormously talented  people. In this production each one had the opportunity to shine and show off their enormous talent.

         I cannot reiterate enough how unusual and different this show is. It runs through to March 24th. I certainly would strive to see this wonderful entertainment. You will be surprised as much as I was.

"THE FOX ON THE FAIRWAY"

          Ken Ludwig's humorous play about snooty country club golf tournaments, "The Fox on the Fairway", is playing at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre in the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Ludwig is also known for his comic plays, "Crazy for You", "Moon Over Buffalo", "Twentieth Century", "The Game's Afoot",  and "Sullivan and Gilbert". But Ken Ludwig is most famous for his brilliant witty comedy, "Lend Me a Tenor", produced on Broadway by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It seems Ludwig keeps striving to match the success  of "Lend Me a Tenor" but just cannot get over the hump.

           His plays all have a touch of "Lend Me a Tenor", because Ken Ludwig is a very witty man, but none are as entertaining. "The Fox on the Fairway" was surprisingly disappointing due to the enormous expectation of  a Ken Ludwig play.

          Director Robert J. Sorbera pulled out his humorous shenanigans to make the show entertaining. His signature was all over the production. The set and lighting design by Ryan Koharchik were very unique as usual. The special effects were extraordinary, especially toward the end of the show when a golf tournament was in progress. 

          Jean Childers-Arnold plays the ingenue with gusto. Lynda Goeke exudes authority in her role as the wife of Parrish Williams  whose country club snobbery gets the best of him. Geoffrey McKinney plays the juvenile with the same amount of gusto as his counterpart. Melissa Mellinger plays the femme fatale with just the right sexiness. But the one who really impresses with his energy and characterization is Paul Ellis, whose outrageous costuming helps his flamboyance. 

          "The Fox in the Fairway" end its runs February 23rd.  The Civic climaxes its season with the musical, "Into the Woods", starting April 26th.

Dazzling at B& B Is Deadly

           The hysterical classic  "Arsenic & Old Lace" opened at the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre to a very appreciative audience. It is the humorous play that promotes drinking poisonous elderberry wine as a lethal health hazard.

          The play centers around  the elder Brewster sisters, Abby and Martha, who put lonely men at rest permanently with their fatal wine . These two are enjoyably portrayed by Karen Pappas  as Abby and  Gerri Weagraff as Martha. The sisters have three distinctive nephews. One, Mortimer, 
 is a theater critic endearingly played by David Schmittou, who comes through with flying colors in one of the most difficult comic leading man roles.

          Another is Jonathon  grimacingly played by Jeff Stockberger who is at the height of his evilness  in the menacing , maniacal Boris Karloff role. His side kick is Eddie Curry  as the incompetent Dr. Einstein. Curry is in top form playing one of his favorite comical roles. There is not a bit of Peter Lorre in his character.

          Teddy is the third nephew. Douglas E. Stark is wonderful as this deranged luna tickle nephew who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt with all his famous retorts. This very talented cast is full of splendid people. Lisa Ermel plays Elaine and makes more of her part than just another love interest. Darren  Murrell and Josh Stark impress as the two law enforcement officers. So did  Jim Habeggar and  Adam  O. Crowe doubling in two lesser roles.

          I must mention the banter between Jeff Stockberger and the two old ladies as to who killed the most.  It was delicious. When it was declared a tie at twelve Eddy Curry concluded the Brewster sisters were just as good as Jonathon.

          This tremendously entertaining play was written was written by Joseph Kesselring who has authored some other plays but none hit the jackpot like "Arsenic & Old Lace" which was based upon a very unusual true story. Congratulations to B&B for putting on such a marvelous classic.

MARVELOUS ACTING AT CIVIC

          The  Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre's Halloween gift to the community is the dark play, "The Woman in Black". The script by Stephen Mallatratt is based upon the novel by Susan Hill. This three character play has the title character taunting  the other two in this ghost story, a spooky tale of a ghostly visitor. The two men actually carry the show as the woman in black played by Sara Mark is slightly more than a walk on.

          Now here is when it gets a little complicated. Arthur Kipps, wonderfully performed by Dan Scharbrough, wants his mysterious story told. With the Actor beautifully played by John Michael Goodson, it is decided that the best way to tell the story is in play form. So as the play progresses John Michael Goodson  plays the part of Kipps while the talented Dan Scharbrough  plays all the other parts. The play demands much from these two actors as basically it is a two character show which  means immense memorization.

          Directed by Robert J. Sorbera  "The Woman in Black" is very unusual theatrical fare. The expert set and lighting design by Ryan Koharchik was ghostly effective. This play closes November 10th, 2012.

Simon and the Oaks

             A fine Swedish film with English subtitles, "Simon and the Oaks", comes to the Keystone Arts Cinema. This film is based upon the novel by Marianne Fredriksson. It is the story of two boys coming of age in Sweden during World War II. The marvelous screenplay is by Marnie Blok. The appropriate musical score is composed by Annette Fochs. The excellent cinematography is by Dan Laustsen, while the project is under the expert direction of  Lisa Ohlin. 

          Because Swedish Jews were fearful of what the Nazis would do to them the story can be said to center around anti-semitism.  But actually it is about two completely diverse cultures colliding and exploding. Farming and carpentry compete against fine arts, literature and music. At times this film gets syrupy like a soap opera. I must warn you that there is a very sexually explicit scene if this sort of thing offends you.

           Talented Swedish actors abound in this motion picture. Bill Skarsgard plays the title role of (the older) Simon while his Jewish friend (the older) Isak is portrayed by Karl Linnertorp. Helen Sjoholm is Simon's non Jewish mother,  while her husband Erik is Stephan Godicke. Jan Josef Liefers is Isak's Jewish father, Ruben. Simon's real mother, Olga, is played by Lena Nylen. This is the best film I have seen in this genre in a long time.

          This film opens October 26th at the Keystone Arts Cinema in Indianapolis. 

"NUNSENSE" IS JOYFUL

          "Nunsense" now playing at the Beef  & Boards Dinner Theatre is a joy to behold. It is amusing, funny, wonderfully sacrilegious and complicated "punsense".


          The frivolous  plot of "Nunsense" revolves around the misadventures of five particularly different nuns trying to raise money to bury their four dead sisters who are cooling off in the freezer. Dan Goggin created this hysterical musical, writing the script, music and lyrics. This updated version I am sure Nancy E. Carroll had lots to do with. Not only did the extremely talented Nancy Carroll direct this show, she also restages the choreography and plays the leading role of  the Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina. But sincerely this is not a vanity show.


          Carroll has magnificent help from the other four nuns on the stage. Namely Amanda Butterbaugh as Sister Mary Amnesia whose voice can get a laugh anytime she wants, Mary Robin Roth  as Sister Mary Hubert, Lin Tucci as Sister Robert Anne and Laurie Walton as Sister Mary Leo. Anyone of one these terrific performers could steal the show, but they do not, having the sense of ensemble being more important. The ensemble of these five wonderful characters blend together so naturally. Each one gets their own particular time to shine in the sun or light if you prefer. All five have pleasant singing voices as well as uncanny senses of comedic timing. By the way, B & B's favorite witch, Lynne Perkins, steps into the role of the Mother Superior with her heavenly machinations for the last two weeks of the show.


          The set design by Michael Layton is good as well as the lighting design  by Ryan Koharchik. I also would be remiss if I did not mention that B & B's food is the best I ever had there. "Nunsense" is very amusing and entertaining. The popular musical "Chicago" will follow the run of  "Nunsense" which goes through to August 26th.

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz Visits B&B

       
       No matter what great show you have seen at the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre,  like "Chicago", "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", "Singin' In The Rain", and "It's A Wonderful Life"  to name a few, their current presentation of  "The Wizard Of Oz" easily joins them. This Beef & Boards version of  "The Wizard Of Oz" is superior  to any other.


       It is possible you would think you might become bored due to the familiarization of the story and music, but that positively is NOT  the case. There is never a dull moment. Even with the familiarity you still can not anticipate what comes next. Enormous credit is due every member of the cast and crew.


       The glorious cast is full of tremendous talent. I have no idea where to start. Of course the main quartet (Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion) hold  this tremendous show together. Lisa Bark is terrific as Dorothy, who sings "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Doug King is perfect as the Scarecrow. His nimbleness is a beauty to behold. The Tin Man is Jeff  Stockberger, whose professionalism certainly adds to the production. The Cowardly Lion is brilliantly portrayed by Jayson  Elliott, who  sometimes gets big laughs imitating Bert Lahr's comedic character from the movie. I wish he would have done more Bert Lahr. He is hugely entertaining, especially his laugh.


       Trisha Shepherd as the Good Witch Glinda is superb. Aside from her television talent, she has a glorious voice and tremendous acting ability. She looks like a million bucks in her costume. Her first entrance flying over the audience is spectacular. Lynn Perkins is also eye popping as the Wicked Witch, especially when she melts. Her evil laugh can be heard down on the Circle. Deb Wims and Darrin Murrell  are very effective as Dorothy''s Aunt and Uncle. Even the little munchkins are impressive as well as the crows,  the soldiers, and the apple trees. Everyone contributes  to a wonderful show.


       The title role along with Professor Marvel is portrayed by the delightful Eddie Curry. Incidentally, his dog Gracie plays Toto, the dog. Eddie is so smooth on stage. He can play any role with aplomb. His expert direction along the excellent choreography by Ron Morgan makes for a super evening. Other crew members that deserve mentioning are Michael Layton for his set design, Ryan Koharchik for his lighting and especially Jill Kelly  for her costuming. This terrific show runs through July 15th. In my opinion every performance should be sold out.
       

IO'S "FAUST" FANTASTIC

          The  Indianapolis Opera  outdid themselves again with a spectacular rendition of  Gounod's "Faust". I have never seen a production like this. This was the best "Faust" I have ever experienced. Joachim Schamberger, the stage director, set and video  designer, was mostly responsible for this splendid event. His name will be repeated many times during this review. His special  effects were mind boggling and never interfered with the glorious music and singing. He directed this show with the audience in mind. He must have prepared months in advance. I will see any production his name is  associated with. Joachim Schamberger  is a man to be reckoned with, and a name that will be remembered.


      The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra played Charles Gounod's music brilliantly under the magic baton of conductor James Caraher. The Indianapolis Opera chorus was splendid under the direction of John A. Schmid. The costumes were magnificent under the auspices of designer Susan Allred.


       And now for the cast, which delighted the audience many times. First, I must admit there were two in the cast that just blew me away,  Kevin Short as Mephistopheles and  Sean Anderson as Valentin, Marguerite's brother. I have never witnessed a better Valentin than Sean Anderson, and that goes for Kevin Short also. He was graceful as he was powerful as the demonic evil sorcerer. He commanded the stage with menacing authority. Needless to say the devil stole the show. Kevin Short and Joachim Schamberger deserve Hoosier Oscars for their tremendous contributions to an exciting performance.


          Two scenes stood out and impressed me. There were many more I assure you. The waltz in the first act was gorgeous, and the dueling scene in the third act between  Faust and Valentin with Satan lending a helpful and fateful hand to kill Valentin was well maneuvered.


        I would be remiss if I did not mention the two leads. Faust was expertly played by Gran Wilson. His love interest was Marguerite, sung and acted well by Maureen O'Flynn. The trio (with Satan) in the third act was thrilling and sent chills up my spine


       Much congratulations to the Indianapolis Opera for such a  grand finale to this season. I am certainly looking forward to next season.

CIVIC'S "GUYS AND DOLLS" ENTERTAINING

       Civic's Director Robert J. Sorbera made the old chestnut musical, "Guys And Dolls" more palatable than expected. Naturally it was dated but who cares? What really saved this  production was the absolute familiarity of the music with such wonderful songs like "A Bushel and a Peck", "Guys and Dolls", "If I Were a Bell", "I've Never Been in Love Before", "Luck Be a Lady", and "Sit Down You're Rockin the Boat" to name a few. 


       Sarah Brown, the leading lady was played beautifully by Theresa  Koleszar, whose only fault was a terrific operatic voice which her role did not call for.  Opposite her was Nathanael Welch as Sky Masterson who seemed somewhat stiff at times in this romantic role. The person that impressed the most was Laura Lockwood, as Adelaide, especially in her musical  numbers, "A Bushel and a Peck" and her "Lament", when she infects the audience with her cold. J. D. Walls was funny as Nathan Detroit while  Dan Scharbrough was deliciously menacing as Big Jule. Craig Underwood and Troy Johnson were a very comic couple as Nicely-Nicely and Benny.


       The choreography  by the talented Michael Worcel was exceptionally lively. The costumes by Jean Engstrom matched the excellence of the unusual scenic  and lighting designs by Robert and Ryan Koharchik. Danna Sheridan had a lot do as she stage- managed the huge cast and crew.


        This Damon Runyon story was put to music by Frank Loesser,  who also created the lyrics. The book for "Guys and Dolls" was written by Jo Swerling  and Abe Burrows. It is no wonder this musical is a favorite and goes on and on being produced.

"THE MUSIC MAN'' SCORES

       "The Music Man" opened at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre to tremendous applause and accolades. The sold out house was very appreciative. For me the two standouts in this production were Katie Sina as Marian, the librarian whose voice and acting were super, and Will Hutcheson as Tommy, whose dancing and energy were simply spectacular.


       The costuming by Jill Kelly was beautifully appropriate, as was the skeletal scenery designed by Michael Layton. The lighting design by Ryan  Koharchik was equally good.


       However there were numerous small things that bothered me. The rapid fire delivery of Jeff  Stockberger as the Anvil salesman made him difficult to understand. One could not tell whether the leading man Harold Hill played by Curt Dale Clark was conning or telling the truth which could have been an attribute for his character. The lisp of the boy Winthrop  played by Abraham Rittenhouse was not  consistent. Douglas Stark as the Mayor and much of the rest of the cast missed many laughs due to the way they spoke the dated material. The usually talented choreographer Ron Morgan had uninspired dance maneuvers during the first act. This was much improved after the intermission. The thrilling finale was a surprise.   Children from the audience were dressed in  band uniforms holding brass instruments.


       I am looking forward to Beef & Boards next production, "The Wizard Of Oz" with director Eddie Curry in the title role. TV star anchorwoman Trisha Shepherd will be seen as Glinda  the good witch. Her counter part as the wicked witch will be reliable Lynne Perkins. Doug King  will be the Scarecrow as Jeff Stockberger will perform the Tin Man. This classic musical  runs from May 31 to July 15. A good time should be had by all.


       

OPERA AND THEMOVIES

The Indianapolis Opera presented one of their most ambitious projects, "Opera Goes to the Movies". This was a world's first. What the IO  put on was the first time anything like this had ever been contemplated. Film clips were shown on a giant screen, sometimes with a musical score, sometimes not. When there was background music it was operatic. Then live music came from the orchestra pit, and singers appeared on the stage. The transition was nothing short of miraculous. The smooth transitions from film clip to live music were magnificently seamless. The credit for this magic must go to a lot of talented people. Among them would be Derek W. Tow, the Visual Producer and James Caraher conducting the exciting Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, which sounded like the hundreds of talented musicians in a recording studio. The formula was simple. Film clip with musical score to live orchestra with singing performers.


The multitude of movies included film clips from "Mrs. Doubtfire"  to "Apocalypse Now" and "The Blues Brothers" to "Moonstruck", "San Francisco", " Breaking Away",  "Life Is Beautiful " and "Bananas" plus more in the first part, which featured music by Rossini, Wagner, Puccini, Gounod, Offenbach and other composers. After intermission film clips from "Quantum of Solace", "Awakenings", "Philadelphia", "Guarding Tess", "Cape Fear", and the huge series of "The Godfather" films ended the concert. In this second half music by Puccini,  Mozart, Donizetti,  Mascagni and other opera composers were featured.


The singers all were fantastic. Davia Bandy, a mezzo soprano, along with three other melodic sopranos  Stella Zambalis,  Rachelle Gilmore and Angela Gribble filled Clowes Hall with their voices from heaven. The tenors included Jon Jurgens and  Mark A. Thomsen with baritone Mark Gilgallon, who all showed their  exceptional mettle.


The host was wise cracking comedian Phil Van Hest making his IO debut. He did not seem ill at ease, but very comfortable in spite of not being familiar with opera.


I do have a suggestion though, for the next installment, if there is one, and I most certainly hope there is. Shorten the number of film clips. Describe to the audience why this particular music was chosen, how it was chosen, and what it was supposed to deliver. 


I am looking forward to IO's next production in May, Gounod's thrilling opera, "Faust". 

CIVIC'S ''LEND ME A TENOR" IS GRAND

The Civic Theatre at the Booth Tarkington Theatre in the Center  For Performing Arts in Carmel needed a blockbuster play to introduce itself to patrons  and repeat audiences. It has just what the doctor prescribed, the hilarious bedroom farce "Lend Me  A Tenor". Audience reaction was stupendous. Over heard comments from audience members consisted of  "This is the funniest show  I have ever seen!" to "I could see this play over and over again."


So much talent contributed to this huge success. It was a combined effort of so many people. There was even oohing and aahing  at the gorgeous art deco set. The sound, lighting and costumes were excellent. The intriguing glue that holds the whole production  together is the incredible direction by Artistic Director Robert Sorbera. He should conduct a Master Class in physical comedy. Due to his expert pacing the show flew by with so many laughs my side hurt. Credit also must be given to playwright Ken Ludwig for his wonderful script.


The cast of eight divided evenly  ( four men and four women)  were delicious. Parrish Williams played Tito Merelli, the tenor who wasn't there. The reluctant substitute tenor Max was brilliantly portrayed  by Cody Carwile. The theater manager Saunders was played by Bill Book, whose treacherous comedy was stinging. Jamon Randolph had his funny moments as the Bellhop. Robina  Zink was Julia, the enthusiastic opera supporter.  Maria, the tenor's wife, was superbly played by Kimberly Ruse. Diana, the sexy actress/singer, was portrayed by the talented Lisa Ermel. Maggie, the romantic interest of Max, was nicely portrayed by Gracia A.Gillund. 
      This entertaining show closes February 25th. It is a show you should not miss. 

The Dixie Swim Club

"The Dixie Swim Club" at the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre is a very unusual work. Its cast of five talent women each has their own quirks and idiosyncrasies. The characters are drawn beautifully.  The script  covers 33 years. The first act starts 22 years after they graduate from college. The second scene in the first act is five years later. The second act opens  another five years later with the second scene in act two a huge 25 years later. Unfortunately this very talented cast does  not age in acting, gesturing, costumes or makeup until the last scene when the performers wear grey wigs.


Sarah Hund is excellent as  Vernadette  who is accident prone and has a weak bladder. Jill Kelly also reveals her tremendous acting talent as Lexie, the egotistical one who is so in love with herself. Angela  R. Plank as Sheree,  the organizer and health food nut does a good job also. Rita Thomas as Dinah, the lawyer who has a drinking problem is very entertaining. Laurie Walton as Jeri Neal  portrays the ex-nun comically. J. R. Stuart directed this piece sometimes brilliantly, at other times flatly while still getting laughs. 
     This touching comedy is about friendships that last forever. It plays through to February 12th when the musical "Legally Blonde" moves in.

Milo's Baggy Pants Burlesque

     Jack Milo has directed and starred in a wonderfully entertaining show celebrating the good old days of Burlesque. The Beef &Boards'  show is  very funny and very rapidly paced due to Milo's direction. There is never a dull moment. Sharing star billing with Milo is Douglas E. Stark, resident B & B funny man, Jeff Stockberger, and Erin Cohenour.


     The triumvirate of Milo, Stark and Stockberger triumphed in their comedic sketches and bits. The traditional sketches included the schoolroom, the hospital, the courtroom, and "Meet me Round The Corner In a Half Hour".  Kenny Shepard and Deb Wims added to the hilarity. It should be mentioned that Lauren Morgan, Maggie Taylor, Monique LeFlore, Sally Scharbrough, Alissa Robinson, and Blaine Boyd were members of this extremely talented cast. The choreography by Doug King was appropriate and very good. The costumes by Jill Kelly were flamboyant and skimpy for the beautiful girls. Doug Stark was quite energetic as he seemed to relish every one of his characters on stage. He appeared to enjoy himself thoroughly. Milo and Stockberger mugged their joyous way through the show. However, they were not on stage in a lot of the scenes. They gave plenty of precious time to the chorus.


      This brief run lasts until Sunday, January 8th, so if you want to be greatly entertained get your tickets soon . I hear New Year's Eve is sold out. Too bad this run  is so short.

"Amadeus", An Ambitious Production

The Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre gave a bold presentation of the play, "Amadeus"." Amadeus" is thought to be a fictional account of the relationship between composers, Salieri and Mozart. Mozart was Salieri's rival. The resentment of Salieri to Mozart's musical  talent turned into an intense hatred of Mozart's genius. Peter Shaffer's play is overly long, but the Civic's production did not seem so. In a conversation with the director, Robert Sorbera, he jokingly referred to the play as a" three hour Salieri monologue".

John Michael Goodson was superb as Salieri. Talking to the audience for much of the show is a difficult task.
At times he started his monologues too high and loud. Thus he had no place to go. Goodson carried the show wonderfully. As Mozart, Jeremy Allen Brimm, gave an energetic and delightful performance. Adam O. Crowe was authoritative as Count Orsini- Rosenberg. Alan Whaley was royal and funny as the emperor. Mikayla Anne Reed was a fiery, Constanze, Mozart's wife. Members of this talented cast had to speak many languages, but did it with ease.

The technical side to this ambitious production was very difficult. The set and lighting design by Ryan Koharchik was excellent. The costuming by Jean Engstrom was lavish. Robert Sorbera expertly blended the technical with the acting to make a very successful result.

FROM SCREEN TO STAGE

           The Frank Capra film classic, "It's a Wonderful Life", has been wonderfully adapted for the stage by the multi-talented Douglas E. Stark. While magnificently directing his creation he also stars in it in a very important role, that of the miserly Mr. Potter. Even though Stark's script is a technical monstrosity Stark's inspired direction includes well known tunes with choreography by Deb Wims. The very long exposition is covered quickly and smoothly. With the numerous scene changes the lighting plot must look like gibberish. Solving the huge technical obstacles Stark's wizardly prevails, making a complicated story into an extremely entertaining piece. His difficulties did not stop as a casting problem arose when an actor became ill. This did not prevent the production  from being an entertaining creation.


          The glue holding the show together was Sean Patrick Hopkins as George Bailey, the character who decides life is not worth it. The splendid Eddie Curry as Clarence, the angel Second Class trying to earn his wings, naturally saves George from non- existence at the end of the show which makes for a very happy ending. With Doug Stark as Mr. Potter the very talented and huge cast includes the humorous Jeff Stockberger who easily convinced me he was a drunk. Betsy DiLellio gave a good performance as George's wife, Mary.


          This stage production of "Its A Wonderful Life" is spectacular. It runs through November 20th. 

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

       First of all, "The Drowsy Chaperone" is NOT a tribute to old time musicals, but a masterful spoof of the 1920's musical shows with such preposterous plots. Through the character of Man in a Chair "The Drowsy Chaperone" is explored for its truisms and fallacies. When he puts the recording of "The Drowsy Chaperone"on his phonograph the stage goes back in time and comes alive. For example, when a Chinese production number is just thrown into the show just for good measure, The Man relates it is wrong, Asian is not for the occasion.  And then there is a song about a monkey which just seems thrown in, but its clever lyrics make it palatable.


       The role of  Mrs. Tottendale was originated on Broadway  by Georgia Engel well known for her role on the Mary Tyler Moore Show on TV. When Engel left the show she was replaced by other former television stars of the 60's and 70's Cindy Williams and hoosier Jo Anne Worley.


       This show is filled with zany characters that blow your mind like the Mutt and Jeff cooks who are really gangsters. And just like in those old musicals plots there are many mistaken identities and outlandish decisions. The title of the show comes from one of its characters, a chaperone for a bride to be. She also happens to drink a lot which puts her job to protect the bride in extreme jeopardy. Obviously she fails, because her drinking makes her blotto and drowsy.


       Now for the production credits. The complicated goings on are held together with the magical glue provided by the Man in the Chair, who also narrates and talks to the audience. This role is superbly played by Paul Hansen. The gangsters are nuttily played by Vincent  Accetturo and Craig Underwood. Kitty is played by Karen Frye whose role surprisingly resembles that of  Lina Lamont in "Singin' in the Rain". Nathanael Welch excellently plays Robert  Martin, the handsome  conceited groom. His tap dancing routine with Anthony Snitker as the best man is wonderful. Mrs Tottendale played by Vickie Cornelius Phipps,  Janet Van DeGraaf  played by Julia Bonnett, and the title role played by Nathalie Cruz all added to the hilarity. Nathalie's husband Ian Cruz plays the over romantic Aldolpho. There are so many in this talented huge cast that deserve mentioning but the audience's favorite supporting actor of the night I was there was Mark Fishback who  played the butler with the unusual name Underling.


 The show was directed and marvelously choreographed by Ron Morgan who hit the difficult stylization of the 1920 musical right on the head. The elaborate costumes were created by Jean Engstrom. The brilliant lighting design was by Ryan Koharchik. This exciting production has so many entertainment values that crew credits are also difficult to mention. It would be like mentioning  the whole program of cast and crew. So many contributed to the thorough enjoyment of the evening.


      "The Drowsy Chaperone" will be at the Tarkington Theatre  at the Center For The Performing Arts in Carmel through September 24th.

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

The Beef  & Boards Dinner Theatre has a great show on its stage. This is one of the best productions of "Singin' in the Rain" I have seen, and I have seen quite a bunch. The credit has to go to the talented cast and crew.


Starting with the magnificent direction by Eddie Curry and the spectacular choreography by Ron Morgan there is not a dull moment on stage. Jill Kelly is responsible for the elegant costuming. This is really a fun show.


Heading the cast as a perfect Don Lockwood is Timothy Ford. He is truly a triple threat performer. He can act, sing and dance superbly. The night I saw the show, during the "Singin' in the Rain" number he slipped on the wet stage and went down with a resounding thud and splash. Immediately he ad libbed "I'm alright", finished the complete routine and the rest of the show without a hitch. A remarkable feat. 


Reliable Douglas Holmes reveals his remarkable comedic timing and posturing as Roscoe Dexter,  the film director.  Jeff Stockberger amusingly plays the pompous  Simpson, the studio boss. And Doug King surprises all with the best portrayal I have ever seen him do, that of  Cosmo Brown, the flamboyant dancer, singer, actor, piano player.


Sara Brophy compliments Tim Ford with a wonderful portrayal of  Kathy Seldin. Sarah Hund is the mad cap so called actress with the screeching voice, the villainous Lina Lamont. Sally Scharbrough is adorable as Zelda, the snitch, and Kenny Shepard impresses as the diction teacher in the hilarious number, "Moses".


What steals the show is the spectacular execution by the dancing performers. Ron Morgan's choreography is imaginative. The extremely talented supporting cast contributes immensely to the exciting production.



The stage version of "Singin' in the Rain" is based upon the MGM film, with choreography by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. The screenplay was written by that wonderful team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green. The familiar songs were by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. 




 The"Singin' the Rain" production on the Beef and Boards Stage is a long show that you do not want to end. 

THE TARKINGTON TOUR

           This summer I had a most thrilling experience. I was treated to a grand tour of the Tarkington Theatre complex, which is the new home for the Civic Theatre at the Center  For the Performing  Arts in Carmel, Indiana. The Tarkington and the Studio Theatre are in a separate building from the Palladium. My distinguished guide was none other than Mr. Robert Sorbera, the artistic director of the Civic. He took me and my wife all through the complex, a maze of offices, conference rooms, rehearsal halls, costume storage, educational facilities,  and so much more. On the way we met some of his friendly hard working staff.  


          The actual 500 seat Tarkington Theatre is just a small but wonderful part of the huge complex. One aspect I thoroughly liked was the seat availability for the handicapped. The theatre itself is state of the art equipped and well designed. The schedule of presentations is really ambitious. On September  9th "The Drowsy Chaperone" will open the season. I have heard wonderful things about this musical. It is being directed by the talented Ron Morgan. The next show is the spectacular "Amadeus" directed by Robert J. Sorbera which opens October 28th. I must mention how gracious  and polite Mr. Sorbera was as a tour guide. I was greatly impressed by this new home for the Civic Theatre. This theatre will be a welcome addition to the local arts scene.