Hotel Gone—Imago Theatre—SE Portland

Genesis

This World Premiere, interpretive dance event is directed, designed and choreographed by Jerry Mouawad and produced by Carol Triffle (Artistic Directors for Imago).  It is playing at their space, 17 SE 8^th Ave. (just off Burnside, street parking), through December 23^rd (in repertory with Frogz).  For more information and tickets go to www.imagotheatre.com or call 503-231-9581.

Yes, my title does suggest the origin of something new (which this is) but it also suggests the beginnings of our existence, as it’s explained in the Bible.  And why would I connect this work with the Genesis of the Bible?  Because, as in most of Mouawad’s (and Triffle’s) artistic, movement pieces, it is open to interpretation, as in any Great Work of Art.  And, for some reason, my mind kept flashing on the Creation of Humans, as they begin with no real identity or personal effects but, as they evolve, they don and exchange clothing as an expression of who they are (or think they are), or is it to disguise who they are?  (There is even a murder that resembles the conflict between Cain and Abel).

And, as in some of their work, there is no specific story as such.  And so my review, thus, has to follow their format.  Your ways of expressing yourself, after viewing it, may be entirely different but that is the Nature of Art.  And so, here is my take on it in a similar language:  Moving to the primal beat of the tom-toms…a tribal experience…primitive in nature, but with a purpose, perhaps unknown, even to them…buried in their own world, they collide with other contradictory, merging but ever growing entities, as they dance to a different drummer…they struggle to keep in step, but the cadence is ever-changing, ever-evolving, ever-lasting…“those were the days, my friend, we thought they’d never end, as time goes by…”in the conclusion, then, we are left with a bitter-sweet finale and the loss of innocence…“and the beat goes on….”  A tear forms.  Curtain!

His company of dancers/movement personnel is BreAnna Rae Hansen, Nathan H.G., Kayla Banks, Leif Schmit and Mathilda Seger.  The musicians/beat masters are Amy Katrina Bryan and Sumi Wu.  And they are all quite mesmerizing, as one feels they are weaving a hypnotic, pulsating blanket around you in which existence ticks by and you are forced/invited to see Life whiz past before your eyes.  These few, these chosen few, have taken you on a journey and, in the outcome, with a whimper, leaving “not a wit behind.”  They are all captivating!

And Mouawad has, once again, (re)introduced us to a part of our psyche that is not often exercised (perhaps, exorcised, as well) and has left us with a nugget, a kernel, a seed, which will expand in our imagination and offer us…alternatives to our current way of existing.  The lighting (assumedly designed by Mouawad, as well) and ran by the stage manager, Michael Cavazos (I assume), is also an intricate part of the show and very precise and effective in creating mood and time passages in the production.  All in all, an evening well spent.

I recommend this show.  If your do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Cinderella—NW Children’s Theater—NW Portland

Cindy’s Fella

This classic tale is put to music, as well as lyrics, book and music direction by Ezra Weiss and directed and choreographed by Sarah Jane Hardy (NWCT’s Artistic Director).  And, as always, the set & props (John Ellingson) and costumes (Mary Eggers) are something special to behold!  It is playing at the NW Cultural Center, 1819 NW Everett St. (parking is a real challenge in this area, so plan you time accordingly), through January 1^st.  For more information, go to their site at www.nwcts.org or call 503-222-2190.

Some of you parents out there might remember, from the days of yesteryear, the familiar phrase from the film musicals of the 30’s & 40’s that would go something like this:  “Mickey:  ‘Hey, Judy, let’s get all the kids together and put on a show!’  Judy:  ‘You bet, Mickey.’”  And this rousing show, with dances and singing and loads of energy, would appear, as if by magic, out of nowhere.  Well, combine that genre of yesteryear with an even older time period, bygone lore, the fairy tales, and you have this rousing salute to this Edenistic era of a Neverland that will never grow old.  It’s a Tapapoluza of the highest order!

This delightful homage to those forgotten times is beautifully brought to life by Weiss and Hardy.  It recalls the days of Rooney and Garland, and their resoundingly tapping into our psyches, or the days of Fred and Ginger and their more sophisticated turns into our hearts.  Or, “Bojangles” and Shirley Temple, with their stair dance, or Ann Miller, the fastest tapper in the world.  “And the beat goes on….” But that was then and this is now.  This is a lovely Christmas card, a reminder, of what once was, and now is revived for us again, as a relief, for a while, from these troubled times. 

I think all of us know the basic story, as a poor step-daughter, Cinderella (Camille Trinka), to her rather well-to-do family consisting of the vicious, Puruline (Ithica Tell), the mother of the brood, who is unable to utter the word “please,” and her two worthless daughters, Pustula (Kelly Sina) and Putrice (Ashley Coates)—notice how the names seem to fit their dispositions.  This lost lady is looking for a partner (no, not a mate), a dance partner, specifically tap-dancing.

And it just so happens, on the other side of this caste system, the royal Prince (not “Charming”) Bobby (John Ellingson), is also looking for the ideal connection in dance “to trip the light fantastic” with.  His parents, the blundering King (Erik James) and his pushy mama, the Queen (Patty Price-Yates), humor him in this quest and agree to a Holiday Ball, hoping that primal urges will induce him to find a more permanent union, a wife that will, of course, eventually produce an heir.  The Prince’s younger sister, Sid (Crea Sisco), with her alter-ego, her pet-puppet, a man-eating dinosaur, has threatened to gobble up anyone not to her liking.  But he has one friend who understands him (and is actually more articulate, too) the charming, Vincent (Kimo Camat)—also the narrator of the play.

And so it came to pass, a fairy godmother, Madame Bernadette (Signe Larsen), in the form of a dance instructor appears, not to pander to Cindy’s wishes, but to teach her to become a better tapper.  She does get the full treatment in clothing for the Ball, at last, taps her way into the Prince’s heart (but in a rather unusual way) and, of course, promptly loses one shoe, as she rushes off at the stroke of midnight.  Of course, we all know he eventually will discover her after going through hundreds of young women including, her step-sisters, as well as some other maidens, including Abigail (Annika Cutler) and Tammy (Maggie Stanton).  They do put on their magical show but one should not assume that the inevitable match will happen, as in this day of female empowerment, the lady takes a stand and…well, you’ll just have to see it for yourself, won’t you, to find out how it turns out….

This is, as indicated at the beginning, Hardy and Weiss’s show.  The plot is a clever re-telling of a classic fairy tale with some very pleasant tunes to add to the mix.  Trinka and Ellingson have grand voices and are super dancers.  And they get fine support from the rest of the cast, all pros.  But the real treat is the dancing, and the Ensemble of dancers is a huge reason for its success.  They are fabulous!  “May they live long and prosper.”  Hardy is in her element here and it shows in her choreography, as the dance numbers are so reminiscent of that era one thinks they may have gone back in time.  Hardy is a treasure and this is an example of her at her best!

I recommend this show.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Every Christmas Story Ever Told...—Twilight Theater—N. Portland

A Not So…Silent Night

 “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)” was written by Carleton, Alvarez & Knapp and directed by Dorinda Toner (Twilight’s Artistic Director).  It is playing at their space, 7515 N. Brandon Ave. (just off Lombard--upstairs), through December 17^th.  Free parking is in a church lot directly across the street.  For more information, go to their site at www.twilighttheatercompany.org

When you think of Christmas, what do you envision?  I mean, after you’ve gotten though all the material crap, there has to be a little magic left over for all the beings that inhabit this Land of Imagination.  Depending on your age, memories of a childhood in Wonderland might encompass a parent reading a story to you, or radio songs and tales of Christmas, or a religious center that focuses on the Nativity, but my guess is that TV and movies had a lot to do with your impressions of this Yuletide season.

This is what these three gentlemen, Jim (Craig Fitzpatrick), John (Greg Shilling) and Michael (Rob Harris) want to share with an audience.  Jim wants to re-tell Dickens’s famous tale of “A Christmas Carol” but the other two fellows have a somewhat broader idea of what it’s all about.  It not only includes Santa and his little people, but also the legends of the anti-Santa characters from the lore of other countries.  Also reality raises its ugly head at times, such as how does this jolly, ole fat man visit billions of homes in just one night?  And are not the elves really slave labor and Santa is discriminating against little people?  And what about flying reindeers…really?!

Well, it seems obvious, Christmas is a lot of things to all sorts of people.  Even to the point of over-lapping and contradicting each other.  And so this play, with some help from the audience, explores every possible pathway, and even some not so possible.  (I myself have even written one on the Krampus legend from Europe for radio, which will be repeated nationally for the fourth time this year.)  I do not want to give away the gags in the show so will just feature my favorite parts.

I loved the Game Show in which the host (Harris) asks loaded questions of his panel about Christmas.  He obviously favors contestant #1 (Schilling), giving him easy questions and, even when he’s vague as to his answers, he re-interprets them so that he gets a point.  The Host doesn’t appreciate contestant #2 (Fitzpatrick), so he ignores him or gives him impossible questions to answer.  And contestant #3 (audience member) he obviously likes, so through gestures or voice inflections he gives them the right answer.  A very funny bit.

My other favorite moment is Act Two, as Jim finally gets his wish and they do an abbreviated version of “A Christmas Carol” with him playing Scrooge.  But it’s not all that simple, as John gets his stories mixed up and, as Scrooge visits the various visions from his past, present and future, John comes up with all the characters from “It’s A Wonderful Life” (amazing how these two stories blend together).  But you’ll have to see it to find out how it all comes out.

Fitzpatrick has always been a favorite of mine in the all-too-few plays I’ve seen him in.  His Scrooge is spot on, as is his George Bailey, and his slow burn at times over the proceedings is priceless.  Schilling’s plethora of supporting personages from Capra’s film is excellent.  And his rendition of Linus’s Navitity story from, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is perfect, nary a snicker in sight.  And the rubber-faced Harris is exceptional as the Host of the Game Show with an agenda.  He has been in many shows with this company and always a stand-out, as he is here.  Toner has cast this play very well and has kept it low-tech so that it retains the story-telling qualities, which are keys to the success of such a production.

I recommend this play.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

A Christmas Carol—Portland Playhouse—SE Portland

A Song For All Seasons
This classic story by Charles Dickens is adapted and has original music and lyrics by Rick Lombardo and original music and arrangements by Anna Lackaff, too, as well as music direction by Eric Little.  It is directed by Brain Weaver (Artistic Director for the company) and Cristi Miles.  It is playing at the Hampton Opera Center in the Hinckley Studio Theatre, 211 SE Caruthers St. (there is limited parking on the street and also a parking lot—but it is somewhat confusing as to what spaces are available to park in), through December 30^th. 
For more information, go to their site at www.portlandplayhouse.org or call 503-488-5822.

The original Christmas story, of course, is The Nativity.  But jockeying for second place would be Dickens’s ultimate tale of redemption.  And the main character, Scrooge, has had many incarnations, from the early 30’s with Seymour Hicks to the present-day one with Christopher Plummer (the best being Alastair Sim from the early 50’s).  This season in the Greater Portland area is one which includes Dickens himself at Bag & Baggage (excellent) in Hillsboro; a musical version from Stumptown Players at the Brunish theatre in downtown Portland and a staged radio version by Sam Mowry at the Kiggins Theater in Vancouver, WA.
The reason, in part, this story is so often repeated, is because it is universal and speaks a deeper language that all cultures can identify with.  It is also because most people would like to think, flawed as we all are, that we can be given a second chance…that wayward ways can be redeemed.  It would be comforting to know, in these tumultuous times, that Goodness and Right will win over Evil and Might.  “And the beat goes on….”
The tale, for the one or two that might not know it, is this:  As the original story goes, when we first visit Ebenezer Scrooge (the great, Todd Van Voris) in his counting house (he’s a money-lender), he has spurned some very animated charity collectors (Eric Little & Rachel Lewis), his own nephew, the joyous, Fred (Charles Grant) and even his sole clerk, the always hopeful, Bob Cratchit (Julian Remulla).  His place in society seems locked, until a visit from his old partner, the ghastly, Jacob Marley (Sarah Smith), now a ghost, who warns him of dire consequences in the afterlife if he doesn’t change his miserly ways. 
He then is visited by three spirits, the chiding, Ghost of Christmas Past (Lewis, again), the flamboyant, Spirit of the Present (Grant, again) and the ominous shadow of the specter of Yet-To-Come.  The first one gives him a peek at his past as a Young Man (Little, again) with his loving sister, Fan (Kayla Kelly), mother of his nephew, Fred, now deceased, and a rather jolly, old Fezziwig (Remulla, again), a generous employer and his best friend, Dick (Kristopher Adams).  And, of course, there is his true love, dear sweet, Belle (Lewis, again), who cast him aside because of his single-minded pursuit of wealth. 
The second spirit shows him the present, with the joy of the Cratchit family, Bob’s outspoken wife (Claire Rigsby), their children, Peter (Phillip Wells), Martha (Tina Mascaro), Willie (Chiara Rothenberg), Alice (Serelle Strickland), Belinda (Maeve Z. O’Connor) and the ailing, Tiny Tim (Margot Weaver). Then he visits the gay atmosphere of his nephew and endearing wife and friends at this very festive season of the year. 
The third visions, from a supposed time in the future, has his spoils being divided up by the “street” people (Rigsby, Smith and Lewis, again), and points to doom and gloom for Tiny Tim.  He also sees his own gravestone, which has a profound effect on the aging man.  These messages rest heavily on the old man’s heart as he vows then to keep Christmas in his heart all year round and make use of his wealth for the good of others.  As it should be said for each and every one of us.
The production is done is a story-telling fashion, with all the characters narrating bits and pieces of the tale as it moves forward.  It is also low-tech and is in the round, which gives the story a certain accessibility for the audience.  In this setting, Weaver and Miles have kept the scenes moving quickly and their casting is spot-on.  Van Voris is in top form, playing the essence of the man, not as a withered ole poop on the brink of death, but as a vibrant power of change, waiting to break loose his own chains, which his ghosts/muses happily provide the means.  Always a plus to have this gentleman as part of the cast.  And the rest of the actors are in fine form, too.  Little and Grant standing out in various supporting roles.  And this has to be the smallest Tiny Tim I’ve ever seen and Margot Weaver fits the role to a tee.
I recommend this production.  If you do choose to go, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol—Bag & Baggage Productions—Hillsboro, OR

Spirits of the Season

The adaptation of this classic Christmas story is by Scott Palmer (B&B’s Artistic Director), which he also directed.  It is playing at their new space in The Vault Theater, 350 E. Main St., in downtown Hillsboro (parking lot in back), through December 23^rd.  For more information, go to their site at www.bagnbaggage.org or call 503-345-9590.

The above title can be taken in more than one way, as Dickens meant the story to cause, not only reflection, but humor, as well as some jolly imbibing.  This is probably the most adapted of all Christmas stories and the title character has been played by numerous fine actors, the best of which was Alaister Sim in the British, 1950’s version.  Since then, Scrooge has been immortalized by, most recently, Christopher Plummer, but also by Albert Finney, in a rather good musical version, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, et. al., and voiced by Jim Backus in the animated, “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” (also rather good).

With this incarnation we have, in this day and age of cross-gender casting, a woman, Kymberli Colbourne (who also played Captain Ahab in their “Moby Dick”), as the rascal, Scrooge.  We also have the author, Mr. Dickens (Peter Schuyler), making an appearance, giving us examples of how he wrote this immortal tale.  The rest of the ensemble, consisting of part of his regular company (Jessi Walters, Joey Copsey, Andrew Beck, Jessica Geffen and Morgan Cox), play all the supporting characters, as well as a clock, the wind, some animals and a very animated door-knocker.

This tale should be known by one and all but, in case you are one of the few that is not familiar with it, here is contained a brief summary:  As the original story goes, when we first visit Ebenezer Scrooge (Colbourne), he has spurned some very chatty charity seekers (Cox & Geffen), his own nephew, the joyous, Fred (Andrew Beck) and even his sole clerk, the always hopeful, Bob Cratchit (Copsey).  His place in society seems locked, until a visit from his equally miserly, old partner, Jacob Marley (Copsey, again), now a ghost, who warns him of dire consequences in the afterlife if he doesn’t change his ways. 

He then is visited by three spirits, the chiding, Ghost of Christmas Past (Walters), a rather tipsy, Spirit of the Present (Geffen, again) and the ominous shadow of the specter of Yet-To-Come.  The first one gives him a peek at his past as a Young Man (also, Colbourne) with his somewhat incoherent sister, Fan (Cox, again), mother of his nephew, Fred, now deceased, and a rather dotty, old Fezziwig (Beck, again), a generous employer.  And, of course, there is his true love, dear sweet, Belle (Geffen, again), who she cast him aside because of his single-minded pursuit of wealth.  This episode concludes with a dire warning, which still is relevant in today’s world, to watch out for the products of such a murky climate, as they breed Ignorance and Want and will spell doom for all if they are given free rein. 

The second spirit shows him the present, with the joy of the Cratchit family, Bob’s outspoken wife (Walters, again), their children, Peter (Beck, again), Martha (Cox, again), and the ailing, Tiny Tim (Schuyler, again), and visits the gay atmosphere of his nephew and endearing wife (Cox, again), and friends, (Walters, again) as well as the outrageous, Topper (Copsey, again),  at this very festive season of the year. 

The third visions, from a supposed time in the future, has his spoils being divided up by the “street” people (Geffen & Walters, again), and points to doom and gloom for Tiny Tim.  These messages rest heavily on the old man’s heart as he vows then to keep Christmas in his heart all year round and make use of his wealth for the good of others.  Of course, one wonders what has happened to Belle (although there is a glimpse in this version) after all these years and why his hatred of Fred, his nephew, who is, after all, his beloved Fan’s son (explained very satisfactorily in the Sim film version).  But, perhaps, these are stories for another time.

This is presented in a story-telling style, as Dickens often agues with his Muses (and they with him) as to various outcomes, names and dialogue within the story (being a writer myself, I can attest to these mock battles), which only endears us more to the magic of the written word.  There are some marvelous costumes created by Melissa Heller (especially the charity seekers hats, very lively and colorful) and the terrific lighting effects, designed by Jim Ricks-White, which are a bit mind-boggling and quite effective for the mood of the scenes.

Palmer has done another amazing job in adapting/directing a literary classic.  He has accomplished this extremely well in the past with “The Great Gatsby,” “The Graduate,” Bronte & Austin stories, Shakespeare, et. al. and, the aforementioned, “Moby Dick.”  Their mission, in part, is to animate in the flesh, literary classics, which they have been very successful doing.  And he also has a multi-talented company to help him accomplish this mission, one of the best being the very fine actor, Cassie Greer, who was the assistant director on this production (and is the Associate Artistic Director for the company).  She will be directing a full-scale show this March, “Death and the Maiden,” and, if it in any way matches her acting prowess, it will be quite a production!

The actors are super in this show (and I would expect nothing less from them).  Some standouts were Walters as the mouthy, Mrs. Cratchit; Copsey as the eerie Marley and fussy, Topper; Beck as the forgetful, Fezziwig; Geffen with her elfin smile and laugh, as the tipsy Spirit; and Cox as the babbling, Fan.  Schuyler was perfect as the mouthpiece for this opus and Colbourne, as the cranky, old fuss-budget, was absolutely convincing, playing the many moods of Scrooge!

And, in this day and age of troubled waters, this might be just the ticket to view the positive possibilities of what can happen if we choose to build bridges between cultures, instead of walls, and put back the constitutional phrase, “We, the people…,” into our vocabulary!  And so, may it be truly said of all, as Tiny time observed, “God Bless Us, Every One!”

I highly recommend this production.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.