The Snowstorm—CoHo Productions—NW Portland

People of Many Facades

The show is produced with Many Hats and written and music direction by Eric Nordin.  It is directed and choreographed by Jessica Wallenfels.  It will be playing at the CoHo space, 2257 NW Raleigh St., through February 7^th.  For more information, go to their site at www.cohoproductions.org or call 503-220-2646.

Although a lover of classical music, I was not really very familiar with Rachmaninoff.  To see this very Russian story, set to music and movement, was really quite a treat.  But the presentation defies a specific genre, not necessarily bad, but just means you are going to see something that will not fit well into any specific bag of knowledge of yours.

It has elements of Peter and the Wolf, The Good Doctor, Into The Woods and a touch of Noh theatre, a dash of ballet & interpretive dance/movement, mime, masks, acrobatics, a hint of silent movies, and a whole lot of classical music.  It covers the span of the imaginative, innocent childhood, to death and rebirth.  But, instead of going “into the woods” to discover adulthood, one must survive the conflicting snowstorm in order to move forward in life.

The story takes place in Russia around the 1900’s.  Much of it is set in the home of Dmitri Volkov (Chris Harder), a munitions businessman, his imaginative, young son, Pavel (Elisha Henig) and the boy’s wise tutor, Nicolai (Brian Demar Jones).  Other characters involved with these lives are Anna (Jamie M. Rea), a lady of the elite in love with a lowly gypsy, Sergei (Matthew Kerrigan) and Yuri (Garland Lyons), a friend of the family.  And, of course, there are the other gypsies themselves (Beth Thompson and Kira Batcheller).

The story basically follows Dmitri and his son, and the strained relationship and Anna and her tragic love affair with Sergei.  Into this mix, though, is a child’s view of the adult world, as he dons a mask and become a fox, his father, a wolf, Anna, a swan, the gypsy ladies, a bear and a hen, and his tutor, a hawk.  These transformations enable the boy to see the complex adult world and relationships in a more understandable way.  It follows, perhaps, Shakespeare assertion that “all the world’s a stage and the men and women, merely players….”

But let this “insubstantial vision” fade from your minds and find the real magic in the music and movement in the presentation of the piece.  Most of the story is performed to music and the actors sway with the interpretation of the classical motifs.  Wallenfels as the choreographer/director has done an amazing job of marrying the emotion and movement of the actors with Nordin’s playing of the music on the piano.  They both should be commended for allowing us to participate in this extraordinary event.  It is one for the Ages!

My own special moments of these captivating events were “The Snowstorm” dance sequence, very moving and well conceived.  And the “Ice Dancing” scene, which was so realistic I wasn’t sure that if I walked across the stage I wouldn’t slip on the icy pond.  Also, beautifully done.  And the actors were all very multi-talented, having to master mime, mask, and movement, as well as presenting credible acting in the characters they portray.  And the young boy who was the son, Henig, should be proud of his achievements, as he was able to match his elders every step of the way in both acting and movement.

This is a unique opportunity in theatre and one that probably will not be duplicated in this form anywhere else.  It may defy connecting to any one genre but, instead, has created its own.  And is that not what brave innovators, like Disney, Tesla, Mozart, Hawking, et. al. always do, take the first step in creating a whole new way of looking at things?  My (many) hats off to them!

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

Searching for Aztlán—Milagro—SE Portland

“The Stuff that Dreams are Made on…”

This is an original work, written and directed by Lakin Valdez, and will be playing at their space at 525 SE Stark St. through January 17^th (then it will go on tour).  For more information, go to their site at www.milagro.org or call 503-236-7253.

The search for the elusive Shangra-La, Camelot, Narnia, Oz, Brigadoon, Neverland, et. al. or, in short, a Garden of Eden, is a universal one.  A magical land where everyone is happy and dreams really do come true.  A place where you are free to live the life you choose.

But, into every Paradise created, there is always a Snake in the grass…a Wicked Witch controlling the winds…a Big, Bad Wolf ready to pounce.  Just when we’ve eased on down that yellow, brick road to those Golden Gates, Reality raises its ugly head.  But, according to a theme of the play, in order to change that Reality, you have to change yourself, and create a new Reality.

The echoing of The Wizard of Oz in this play is deliberate.  It traces the journey of Dolores (Alida Holguín Gunn), a history teacher of Mexican-American Studies in Tuscon, Arizona, circa 2012.  It seems that the powers-that-be want to reduce the Mexican contribution to American History to a mere cipher.  Dolores is not pleased with this outcome but, before she can protest too much, a dust storm arrives and whisks her off to possibly a mythical land call Aztlán.

But, according to some characters she meets along the way, a Dreamer (Angeles Perez Peña), seeking a better world; a Revolutionary (Ajai Terrazas Tripath), wanting to overthrow the old world; and a HighSpanic (Ana Silva), guarding the heartland from intruders, this place is controlled by a Witch, who governs with an iron fist…either her way or the highway.

They eventually reach their destination and, like in its counterpart, garner an audience with the Sun Stone (a phony Wizard).  And her advice does not set well with the troop, for it means taking several steps backward.  The advice and the outcome and a couple of surprise twists in the plot, will have to remain mute in this review, for that is for you to discover.

This production is without a doubt, though-provoking, and will hopefully spurn discussions throughout its own journey.  And yet, it does have a mischievous lilt, a contagious energy, and a bold enthusiasm that propel it forward to be equally entertaining as well.  It is said the “pen is mightier than the sword” and this is a good example of that.  The creator, Valdez, has succeeded in marrying the head and the heart into a digestible food for thought.

The backdrop by Scenic Designer, Sivonna West, is quite impressive and is a work of art in its own right.  And the cast is truly amazing!  Essentially three actors played almost all the supporting characters and in rapid succession, too.  I admire and applaud their efforts, for it is truly a unique ensemble!  And Gunn does a nice job of holding the plot together.  But, to me, Silva stands out in this wonderful cast, with her well-defined and clear definition of the roles she plays.  She obviously has something extra special to offer the production.

It should be noted that the play is presented in Spanish and English.  Although they do a good job of presenting the material so that you really don’t lose track of the story, even if you don’t understand both languages, there were occasional lines in Spanish that were getting laughs from the audience and I felt I might be missing something important.  It just goes to show you that being bi-lingual is definitely an asset.

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

Miracle on 43rd St.:…—Bag & Baggage Theatre—Hillsboro, OR

A Kruely Krazy Khristmas

…A 1940’s Holiday Radio Massacre is, in part, based on the classic Christmas film, A Miracle on 34^th St. by George Seaton and Valentine Davies and adapted and directed for the stage by Scott Palmer (B&B’s Artistic Director).  It performs at their space in the Venetian Theatre at 253 E. Main St. in downtown Hillsboro and runs through December 23^rd.  For more information, go to their site at www.bagnbaggage.org or call 503-345-9590.

This is labeled as a parody of the best filmed version of the story, with the award-winning, Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle.  The original movie is very touching.  This stage adaptation is very touchy in both content and physical comedy.  Half of the story follows, it seems, the actual script of the film.  The other half is the radio cast’s personal life smeared across the boards.

In case you’re one of two or three people that do not know the original story, I’ll give you a brief summary of it.  Once upon a time, it seems, there was this little girl who did not believe in Santa Claus.  So, when Macy’s had their annual Christmas display, she reluctantly sat on his lap and wished what she thought was an impossible wish, for a real home.  And, it seems, there was also some question from Macy’s as to whether their Claus was a few marbles short in the head.

So, there was a Great Trial to prove whether Santa Claus was sane and, was real.  And when children from all over discovered that Santa was jailed, where do you think they sent their letters?  The courthouse, of course, and since the Post Office is a branch of the Federal Government, as is the Court, then it is conclusive that Kris must be the real Santa, since he receives the letters.  And, oh, yes, the child does get her wish and, forever more, believes in the existence of the bearded wonder.  Amen.

This part of the show follows pretty faithfully the original script with the cast playing multiple characters.  But the real fun is discovering the secrets of their lives.  It seems the blustery station manager of the radio station, KBNB, Winston Whiteside (Gary Strong) has recently married a bouncy, buxom, beauty, Lana (Jessica Geffen), who is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.  It also seems they have hired a handsome, vain, screen idol, Donald Donaldson (Chase Fulton) for one of the parts, as well Felicity Fay Fitzpatrick (Clara Hillier), an equally vain, emoting, stage star, who just happens to be in the final stages of marriage to Donald.

Also on hand for the frivolity is their meek, handy, Foley artist, Peter (Branden McFarland) who always talks with his mouth full and who nobody seems to understand what he’s saying, except Felicity.  Go figure.  Then, an intruder with a gun, Tony (Luke Armstrong), a mobster and former boyfriend of Lana’s, decides he wants her back.  But, not so fast, an effeminate, off-duty policeman, Gilroy (Jeremy Sloan) arrives to watch how they do the show and gets rope into becoming one of the performers.

Complications arise when Peter earlier is accidently shot and killed by Tony, and so when the cop arrives, although they can’t tell him what happened, for fear of getting shot themselves, they definitely want to keep the law around until they get the upper hand.  So, of course, they must also keep Peter “alive” by animating him (like in Weekend At Bernie’s) and explaining to the officer that he is just “dead” drunk.  I don’t believe this is a spoiler alert because it happens fairly early in the story and much of the comedy centers around the “walking dead.”  Needless to say, they must also keep Tony occupied, so they enlist him into the script, as well, until they can formulate a plan of escape.

The main focus of this plot is the highly stylized, physical comedy that ensues which, for the most part, is very successful.  It is more like a well-choreographed dance than a normal play and that is its charm, all thanks to Palmer, the director.  The antics with the animated body were priceless and my favorite comedy bits.  Palmer is highly inventive with all his shows, especially in movement and this one is the cherry on top of a well-spiced cake!

This stylized approach may not be everybody’s cup of tea, as it is highly exaggerated in movements, gestures and expressions.  Hillier (ala, Gloria Swanson?) moves much like the silent movie stars with dance-like precision.  Geffen is a master of voice characters and her Judy Holliday/Jean Hagen dumb blonde, complete with high squeaky voice, are a perfect parody of those stars.  Fulton (ala, Leslie Howard?), as the matinee idol, has the right look for the role and plays it to the hilt.  And Armstrong, as the hit-man, gives us the typical, Robinson/Cagney/Bogart gangster impersonation of that era.

McFarland may have the most difficult part in the play, as he has to be “dead” most of the show but his physical flexibility is excellent and the mush-mouthed words a great bit.  Sloan is over-the-top in his picturing of the stereotypic gay, but would be considered politically incorrect in this age, although it was the norm in those days.  And Strong, as the ringmaster of this menagerie, is a comic wonder!  His comedic timing and movements are perfect and he is always an asset to all the shows I’ve seen him do at B&B.

Only shortfall I found with this production is what to watch, as the radio script is being performed on one side of the stage, and many, silent comedy bits with the corpse are played at the same time on the opposite side of the stage.  Both are very funny but, because of the staging, some of it is being missed.  I decided to listening to the “scripted” part, since I knew the story, and watching the mimed parts of the backstage antics for the most part.  Anyway, that how I solved the dilemma.

I would recommend this show but it may not be for everybody because of the adult humor.  If you do choose to see it, please tell them Dennis sent you.

Mary Poppins—NW Children’s Theatre—NW Portland

“Walking With Giants”

This stage musical is based on the Disney film by Richard and Robert Sherman, with additional material by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and book by Julian Fellowes, from the stories of P.L. Travers.  It is directed and choreographed by Sarah Jane Hardy (NWCT’s Artistic Director) and plays through January 4^th at their space at 1819 NW Everett St.  For more information, go to their site at www.nwcts.org or call 503-222-4480.

As mentioned, this play is based on the film which, in turn, is based on the stories by Travers about a dowdy, middle-aged, no-nonsense nanny, but transformed into Julie Andrews for the movie.  It is usually the film based on a play.  But, in this case, some memorial songs/plots/characters have been deleted and new ones added.  Unfortunately, these additions/deletions are not always an asset in the play.  This is not the fault of the production, which is amazing, but of the script.

Travers always insisted that the story was never about saving the children from an authoritarian upbringing, but in rescuing Mr. Banks, the father, from becoming like a Scrooge.  I guess you can consider Poppins a sort of Marley of the story.  This, in turn, inspired the movie, Saving Mr. Banks, with Emma Thompson as the author.  And, admittedly, this adaptation does place more emphasis on this character.  He is akin to the militarist Capt. Van Trapp (The Sound of Music) with his children.

The story follows the Banks’ family.  The father, George (Andrés Alcalá), is the respected member of a banking firm, and authoritarian in the way he treats his family.  The mother, Winifred (Elizabeth Hadley), is a wannabe artist but is stifled in her dreams by her strict husband.  The children, Jane (Kaylee Bair or Libby Rouffy) and Michael (Kieran Gettel-Gilmartin) are brats because of this domineering atmosphere.

Enter, Mary Poppins (Chrissy Kelly-Pettit), the magical nanny from a netherworld.  She does not tolerate bad behavior, in anybody, but does believe in exercising one’s imagination.  She introduces the children to a world of magic, with her cohort, Bert (John Ellingson), a sometimes chimney-sweep and sometimes artist, who is a bit sweet on Poppins.  Her influence is contagious and little by little things begin to change in the household.  But the success of this production is not the story but the songs and the staging of the musical numbers.

Gone (unfortunately) are the musical numbers, “I Love to laugh” and, especially, “Sister Suffragette.”  But the rest of the classics are firmly in place, such as, “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Jolly Holiday,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” “Chim Chiminey,” “Step In Time,” “Supercala…(well, you know)” and my personal favorite (who, I understand, was also Disney’s), “Feed The Birds.”  As well as all the songs are performed by the cast, the elements that hit it out of the ballpark are the dance numbers, “Super…,” “Jolly Holiday,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” and the absolutely astounding, “Step in Time!”  That is, in my opinion, the best choreographed dance routine I’ve ever seen on the stage!  A showstopper and an amazing stunner!  And all thanks to Hardy.

Kelly-Pettit has the right look and sound for this role.  She was terrific in lead roles in The Music Man (Broadway Rose) and Avenue Q (Triangle) and again excels as Poppins.  She is the quintessential performer for all those great, musical lead roles.  Ellingson as Bert (and the scenic Designer) is one of the mainstays of NWCT.  He has played major roles and designed many of their musical productions and has always been an asset to a show.  His singing and dancing in this one are amazing and his cockney accent sounds spot on.  Alcalá is a standout.  He plays this complex role, showing both the stress of his position as bread-earner and the product of an abusive childhood, and the softer side of the man with his dreams.  A beautiful performance.

Hadley has a great voice and the children show their talents, too, as they traverse the demands of such heavy roles in song and dance.  And to be highly commended are the 10 actors that manage to portray the other 50 roles in the show.  They are definitely a major part of the success of the production!  Among them that shine are Erik James, Sam Burns, Leif Schmit and Signe Larsen.  And I must also give kudos to the usually forgotten souls in this production, the scene changers.  They were essential to the quick and smooth flow of the show and rarely had a hiccup in these frequent maneuvers.  The costumes (designer, Mary Rochon) and music (director, Tracy Ross) were also solid leaders in the show’s success.

But the real champion is Hardy, herself, who led the charge.  It must have been a monumental challenge to coordinate all the many aspects of this production.  And to have done such an outstanding job of choreographing it, too, makes it almost unbelievable.  She has delivered an absolutely, scrumptious delight in providing us with such an energetic, enchanting entertainment!  One for the Ages, I believe!

It should be noted that this run is almost sold out so best get tickets quickly.  I highly recommend this production for the whole family.  If you do choose to go, please tell them that Dennis sent you.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs—Oregon Children’s Theatre—NE Portland

Piggy Power…or not?

OCT’s Young Professionals Company is presenting this play at their school site at 1939 NE Sandy Blvd.  The musical is adapted for the stage by Robert Kauzlaric, Paul Gilvary and William Rush from a book of the same name by Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith.  It is directed by James Sharinghousen and is playing through December 20^th.  For more information, go to their site at www.octc.org or call 503-228-9571.

It is a well-known adage that the History of a War is written by the Victors.  The same can be said of fairy tales.  Are they not related by the heroes or survivors of a tale?  Some recent plays have attempted to partly vindicate the villains in some of these stories, like Wicked, with the evil witch, or Frozen, and the Snow Queen.  Which begs the question, do we ever know what truly happens in any given circumstance?  Just look at recent events and the ensuring riots.  As long as we have to deal with He said/She said scenarios, real Justice may never be meted out.

And so, in a very roundabout way, this story is concerned with the same issues.  I’m sure we all know the tale of how the Big, Bad, Wolf huffed and puffed his way through two houses, one of straw and one of sticks, of some neighborhood…“hams” and failed on the third house, which was made of brick.  The story never does speak of him actually eating the porkers but, I guess, it is implied, or why would he blow down their residences.  Of course, this is all told from the Pigs or Victims point of view, those cute, chubby, little creatures, and the ugly, hairy beast with big teeth is pictured as the bad guy.

Well, in this musical reimagining, Alexander T. Wolf (Joshua Harding) may be the actual victim, as the town is run by swine and, being an outsider, he feels he is being picked upon because of the prejudice of the majority.  Nevertheless, he is brought to trial, which has all the appearances of being rigged.  The Judge, Prudence (Piper Tuor), is a pigster from birth but does like a good tune now and then, which the wolf can supply with pizzazz.  And the D.A., Julia (Hannah Lauren Wilson), obviously against him, pulls all sorts of sly tricks out of her sty.

And a bevy of witnesses, a doctor, a neighbor and the actual brick house pig, himself, Maxwell (all played by Kallan Dana) swear that this is the culprit responsible for the death of two of Pigslvania’s citizens.  His only ally seems to be Lillian (Christina DePinto), a roving reporter, covering the trial.  The story the wolf tells has a similar ring as to the facts, but his motives seem to be quite different than the ones implied.  And so it is up to the Jury (the audience) to decide his Fate.  More I cannot tell you, as it would give away too much of the plot, but the theme seems to be, as I mentioned earlier, Truth is in the Eye of the Beholder.

The music/songs do have a catchy, upbeat sound, some rock & roll, a ballad and a touch, perhaps, of Rocky Horror….  The music direction by Eric Nordin and choreography by Ashlee Waldbauer add a great deal to the liveliness and quick pace of the show.  And the director, Sharinghousen, has chosen his cast well and has them animated and focused every moment of the play.  He, himself, is a fine actor, having performed in former OCT and Triangle productions.

The cast are all first-rate and make some exhausting work look easy.  And they are all top performers musically as well.  I marvel at Dana and the variety of characters she portrays, some in quick succession of each other.  Tuor, as the bouncy judge, is quite fun to watch, as she oozes her juicy corruptness.  Harding gives us a rather down-to-earth wolf with a terrific talent for song.  DePinto, as the reporter, is fascinating to watch, as she flits from one side of the fence to the other, giving us various perspectives to consider.  And Wilson is a gem, as the smart but devious attorney, willing to try any trick, legal or otherwise, to win the case.

A side note, I have know some of the performers over the last couple of years from Young Professionals, and have been very impressed with their talent.  Madeleine Delaplane is now at Cornish studying theatre and she was in a featured role in a local film called, Nightbumpers.  Haley Ward and Madison Wray I have touted more than once in OCT’s shows.  And Ward and Thom Hilton are cast in a radio Christmas drama that will be aired during the Season on KXL.  And Wilson, I believe, was also in a rather good, Indie film called, The Void.

I point up all this to highlight just some of the extremely talented young people we have in this area.  And since the public school system all but ignores sponsoring the Arts, it is good to know that Oregon Children’s Theatre (Dani Baldwin, Education Director) and NW Children’s Theatre (Sarah Jane Hardy, Artistic Director), are all dedicated to see that talent-will-out in our Young and they are both excellent at providing the training and experience in putting those talents to work.  They need and deserve all the support we can give them!

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