Monday, November 18, 2019

Tenderly—Portland Musical Theater Company—SE Portland



          What Price Success?!

    This two-character musical is based on the life of Rosemary Clooney.  It is written by Janet Yates and Mark Friedman and is directed and choreographed by Sharon Mann with musical direction and Producer, Deanna Maio.  It is playing at the Odd Fellows Lodge, 10282 SE Main St. in Milwaukee, OR, through November 24th.  For more information, go to their site at www.portlandmusicaltheater.org

    Wanna be a superstar?  Hope you’ve got your Will in order then, as the price often seems to be an untimely death, preceded by broken marriages, abuse of alcohol, and an unhealthy mixture of pills.  Clooney eventually did clean herself up but seems to be an exception, not the rule.  And, with opioids constantly in the news now, this is a very timely story to tell.

    To be honest, I knew very little about Clooney.  I knew she was a jazz singer, was married to Jose Ferrer, was the aunt of George Clooney and starred in the classic film, White Christmas…and that’s it.  But Maio and company has opened our eyes, not only to her talent but the uglier side of what it costs to get there.
The setting is very clever, as most of it takes place in a Doctor Monk’s (Mace Archer) office, a psychiatrist who was her therapist for many months after she was committed to a hospital after Clooney’s (Deanna Maio) nervous breakdown.  While there she recalls, in a flashback format of scenes and songs (all other roles are played by Archer), her years leading up to this junction.

    She enacts the painful times when her mother abandoned the family, and her father was absent most of the time, being raised essentially by her Grandmother.  But there were some happy memories with her sister, Betty, and how they broke into show biz together on the radio, and on tour in the Big Band era.  And then came a recording contract, but it was for just Rosie, not her sister, and so the rest of the entertainment journeys was hers to forge alone.

    She did meet and marry the fiery-tempered, great actor, Jose Ferrer and they had children, but his abuse of alcohol and flings with other women finally broke them up.  She did have some great buds in Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby but it was not enough to save her from the bouts of depression and self-doubt.  She finally adopted pills as her buffer and, before last stop before bottom, met Dr. monk and began the road to recovery.

    All her famous songs are here, too:  Hey, There; Sisters; Count Your Blessings; Paper Moon; Come on-A My House; Tenderly; and, one of my favorites, Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair.  All these tunes well presented by Maio and often joined in by Archer.  Mann has done an amazing job of taking a simple stage and transforming it, with two perfect actors, into a tale of hope and warning of the price of success.

    Archer has an extremely difficult role of playing Clooney’s husbands, lovers, mother and sister, and some famous stars and he does it, transforming in a flash to these characters and yet not trying to imitate them but play their essence.  Great job!

    And with Maio, it also has been a long journey, being privy myself to the last four years, when her company began as a dream and now is a successful reality.  Not only is she an accomplished jazz singer herself, having also directed and performed in musical revues and directed youth in showcases, but can now add enacting a very juicy role, that of a star’s descent into madness, for her crowning glory.  She is magnificent and more then once I got choked up myself while watching her.  She is a star in the same magnitude of Clooney but has the smarts to avoid Clooney’s pitfalls.  “May She Live Long and Prosper!”

    I highly recommend this production, as the performances are not to be missed.  But get your tickets Now as the last weekend is selling out fast.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.
--DJS

11 comments:

  1. I never thought i would be HIV negative again after been
    diagnosed in 2015, i ave tried everything possible in life from
    one doctor to another, one hospital to another, series of tests,
    different kinds of medication, i had already lost hope until i
    meet Great Dr okadibo online testimonies, a specialist in
    herbal medication from Africa, i contacted him ( drokadiboherbalcure@gmail.com ) and he
    prepared HIV herbal medication for me which i took for 7days
    and now i am completely cured. i want to use this medium to
    express my gratitude to him for saving my life and curing me
    from HIV, for taking away all my pains and sorrows, I''m
    indeed grateful and i am so happy I''m now HIV negative. i will
    continue to tell the good news of your great works to
    everyone, if you have HIV or other disease contact him, Email:
    his email: ( drokadiboherbalcure@gmail.com ) or whatsApp him via +2349032824947 thank you my great Dr okadibo
    for curing me keep up your great work

    ReplyDelete
  2. Doctor Razor God will continue to bless you more abundantly, for the good works you are doing in peoples life, I will keep on testifying about your good work, I was healed from HERPES VIRUS through the help of Doctor Razor. I saw a blog on how Doctor Razor cured people with his herbal treatment, i did not believe but i just decided to give him a try, I contacted him and he prepare the herbs for me which i took for only 18 days, after taking it, he told me to go for check up, could you believe that i was confirmed herpes negative after the test, and i went to a different hospital and it was also negative, i am so happy. If you have any problem or you are also infected with any disease, kindly contact him now with his Email: drrazorherbalhome@gmail.com or whatsapp/call him via +2349065420442

    ReplyDelete
  3. God bless Dr. USELU for his marvelous work in my life, I was diagnosed of HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS since 2018 and I was taking my medications, I wasn't satisfied i needed to get the HERPES out of my system, I searched about some possible cure for HERPES i saw a comment about Dr. USELU , how he cured HERPES with his herbal medicine, I contacted him and he guided me. I asked for solutions, he started the remedy for my health, he sent me the medicine within 3 days. I took the medicine as prescribed by him and 2weeks later  i was cured from HERPES contact him via email (dr.uselucaregiver@gmail.com) once again thanks to you Dr. USELU cure the flowing virus, contact his email or add him on whatsapp (+2349019328641) cancer cure
    diabetes cure
    ringing ear
    herpes cure
    warts cure
    HPV cure
    HIV cure
    get your ex back
    pregnancy herbal medicine
    Hepatitis     

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello! I’m very excited to inform everyone that I’m completely cured from my HSV 1&2 recently. I have used Oregano oil, Coconut oil, Acyclovir, Valacyclovir, Famciclovir, and some other products and it’s really help during my outbreaks but I totally got cured! from my HSV with a strong and active herbal medicine ordered from a powerful herbalist and it completely fought the virus from my nervous system and I was tested negative after 12 days of using the herbal medicine. I’m here to let you all know that herpes virus has a complete cure, I got rid of mine with the help of Dr KOFI and his herbal exploit. Contact him via email: drkofiherbalcure@gmail.com Call WhatSApp him for a solution in any kind of disease infection in your body (+2349039139161)...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Doctor razor has given me reasons to be happy by curing my HERPES with HERBAL MEDICINE. i was HERPES type 2 positive for over 2 years and all the means i tried for treatment was not helpful to me, but when i came on the Internet i saw great testimony about Doctor Razor on how he was able to cure someone from HERPES 2 this person said great things about this man, and advice we contact him for any Disease problem that Doctor razor can be of help, well i decided to give him a try, he requested for my information which i sent to him, and he told me he was going to prepare for me the HERBAL MEDICINE, which he wanted me to take for Two weeks, and after which i should go back to the hospital for check up, well after taking all the treatment sent to me by Doctor razor, i went back to the Hospital for check up, and now i have been confirmed HERPES type 2 Negative, I waited for three months and then went back to my greatest surprised it was still negative. Up still now I still can't believe that am HERPES  negative. You that is out there looking for help or cure , Reach him On email : drrazorherbalhome@gmail.com Believe beloved, you will testify after 18 days Whatsapp him on +2349065420442

    ReplyDelete
  6. Greatest thanks to Dr Oyagu for his herbal drugs that he prepared for me and when i start using it in just 2weeks i was completely cured and that ended my HERPES SIMPLEX 1&2 DISEASE i am so happy and grateful to Dr Oyagu . after reading about him on a testimony of Jason Cash on a blogger. i knew suddenly Dr Oyagu was the right Doctor to cure my HERPES SIMPLEX 1&2 DISEASE. i discuss with Dr Oyagu and he prepared a herbal medicine for me and when it got sent to me in south korean . i used the herbal medicine and 2weeks and i went to check up again. after 15years of suffering from HERPES SIMPLEX 1&2 at last i am smiling once again. Dr Oyagu also has remedy to others disease like COLD SORES,HIV/AIDS,DIABETES.CANCER,HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND MANY MORE. I oblige everyone to contact this powerful herbalist Dr Oyagu and be free from your suffering. contact his WhatsApp line: +2348101755322 or his Email:Oyaguherbalhome@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Do you need Finance? Are you looking for Finance? Are you looking for finance to enlarge your business? We help individuals and companies to obtain finance for business expanding and to setup a new business ranging any amount. Get finance at affordable interest rate of 3%, Do you need this finance for business and to clear your bills? Then send us an email now for more information contact us now via financialserviceoffer876@gmail.com whats-App +918929509036 Dr James Eric Finance Pvt Ltd Thank

    ReplyDelete


  8. i already gave up on ever getting cured of HSV2 because i have try many treatment none of them work out for me i have go to different hospital they always tell me same thing there is no cure for herpes when i came across a post about Dr oyagu, in the net from a lady called Rebecca i contacted him and he reassured me with him herbal medicine which i took according to the way he instructed, that how i was cured. I doubted at first because i have been to a whole lot of reputable doctors, tried a lot of medicines but none was able to cure me. so i decided to listen to him and he commenced treatment, and under two weeks i was totally free from Herpes. i want to say a very big thank you to DR oyagu for what he has done in my life. feel free to leave him a message on email oyaguherbalhome@gmail.com and also WhatsApp him +2348101755322..
    He can still be able to help you with this herbs medicine:
    1...ALS CURE/DIABETES CURE/EPILESY/HPV CURE/LUPUS/HEPATITIS/CANCER/GOUT

    ReplyDelete
  9. Suffering from herpes is a Terrible Experience which I suffered till I met a herbal doctor called Dr. KHAM. I tried all possible means to get cured but I never received cure from any of the 7 hospitals I visited.Just March,14,2018 I saw a recent post of how Dr. Kham herbal medicine cured people and that he is a honest man to work with in the procedures on finding a cure, then i contacted him in trial and he sent me a herbal medicine with the full prescription oh how to drink for two weeks and i exactly followed the guidelines that was given to me by DR. KHAM to cute the long story short the herbal medicine flushed out my whole system and make the herpes virus inactive all thanks to Dr. Kham who God is using to cure people of this terrible virus (herpes simplex virus) for anyone here that has herpes or other kinds of disease and Virus should mail all his or her complain to DR. KHAM on his email which is (dr.khamcaregiver@gmail.com) or whats app him on +2348159922297  and you can get in touch with him on his website: drkhamherbalhealingcenter.wordpress.com/    

    ReplyDelete

  10. DR OYAGU herbal medicine is a good remedy for herpes simplex virus cure. My name is MIGNON WRIGHT , am from USA,I am here to give my testimony about DR OYAGU who helped me in my life, i want to inform the public how i was cured from (HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS) by DR OYAGU, i visited different hospital but they gave me list of drugs like Familiar, Zovirax, and Valtrex which is very expensive to treat the symptoms and never cured me. I was browsing through the Internet searching for remedy on HERPES and i saw comment of people talking about how DR OYAGU cured them, when i contacted him he gave me hope and send a Herbal medicine to me that i took and it seriously worked for me, am a free person now without any problem, my HERPES result came out negative, I pray to God to never let me and my family forget you in our life, am now cured permanently, you can also get your self cured my friends if you really need this doctor help, you can reach him on his website ;https://oyaguspellcaster.wixsite.com/oyaguherbalhome Email: oyaguherbalhome@gmail.com or via whatsapp +2348101755322

    ReplyDelete
  11. Are you in need of a loan?
    Do you want to pay off your bills?
    Do you want to be financially stable?
    All you have to do is to contact us for
    more information on how to get
    started and get the loan you desire.
    This offer is open to all that will be
    able to repay back in due time.
    Note-that repayment time frame is negotiable
    and at interest rate of 2% just email us:
    reply to us (Whats App) number: +919394133968
    patialalegitimate515@gmail.com
    Mr Jeffery

    ReplyDelete