On the chance we can’t cover these …
Junie B. Jones - Northwest Children's
Froggy Went A’Courtin’ – Ladybug Theatre
Miss Nelson is Missing! – Oregon Children’s Theatre
Where’s Charley? – Lakewood Theatre
The Yellow Boat – Insight Out Theatre Collective
If You Take One Elf Off the Shelf – The Twelve 14 Group
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49 comments:
Escape From Happiness:
no other company does material like this better. hilarious moments and dedicated lunacy, amidst which Erik James and Yolanda Suarez bring a lovely gravity. never better work from Jennifer Healy. excellent space-altering set from Ben Plont. for my taste, the script doesn’t quite know when to end and pace could occasionally be tightened. that said, a totally enjoyable evening. it’s been too long since i’ve laughed out loud that many times in a performance. and, as gravy, a terrific intermission choice. i recommend it.
Miss Nelson Is Missing:
Great show for the kids; my children absolutley loved it. Some stand out kids including Justin Moyer, Mary Lucerelli, and Tanner Ward. Jim Caputo and Annie Kaiser gave amazing performances as well. Some other kids lacked, but over all OCT did a tremendous job with the set, and the live band was a great addition.
You should cover Escape from Happiness. I haven't seen an ensemble work with a set like that ever in Portland. Both ensemble and set are incredible.
I've had Justin Moyer in several of my classes he is a talented and very pleasant young man...good work to all is Miss Nelson.
I also loved Escape From Happiness. Highlights for me were the bloody opening and the collective audience groan when intermission lights came up. The show was solid all around, great work from the ensemble, and DANG, Ben, that set rocked that space. Special thanks to Vertigo for scheduling a Sunday performance, as well. Awful nice of ya.
I also had a blast at Escape from Happiness. Kudos, in particular, to Nathan Gale for some of best work--he and Garland Lyons pull off a number of builds, one on top of another, with some wonderful timing--but the whole cast is terrific.
Ditto on the Escape from Happiness approval. Loved the set, the tension, the whacko plot twists. Too bad Walker couldn't find the exit.
Cecily Overman is my new favorite Portland actor.
Cecily Overman was delectable in Peter Pan, I suppose I will go see it now that she's in it.
Hey Ben, I think she's single now. Your crush calls for a love connection!
I think my wife might object
Wouldn't that make for great drama? I'd buy tickets to that.
This is probably as good a place as any to share this. I'm reading Anne Lamott, and ran across a terrific quote she attributes to someone else, but not by name:
A critic is someone who arrives at the battlefield after the battle is over and shoots the wounded.
Frenchglen posted a thread for Escape from Happiness, so we can continue the discussion of that show there.
In its place in this catch-all thread, I've added a listing for Junie B. Jones... at Northwest Children's Theatre, in case neither of us is able to get to that production.
I'd like to encourage people to see The Yellow Boat with Insight Out. It's the first time in a long time that I found myself drawn so inexorably into a story onstage that I forgot other people were sitting next to me. There is some really great ensemble work and the imagination of a child is beautifully captured. It really is a lovely story of tolerance and acceptance.
Where's Charley?
Why he's at the Lakewood Theatre till 2/18
Possibly the most beautiful show I've ever seen on the Lakewood stage. Costumes, John Gerth's sets, Carla Kendall's choreography and Alan D. Lytle's music direction are all top notch.
The show of course belongs to Alan Anderson as Charley he sings, he dances, he puts on a dress, he leaves us exhausted with laughter and begging for more. I wanted to sing along "Once in Love with Alan" (I'm a new fan)
Funnyman Jay Pevney and debonair Todd Hermanson have some great comic moments as suitors to Anderson as the aunt. Kelly Stewart left me dizzy with delight as she sang about "the woman on the piano in his room" and Joe Theissen and Louise Clare Barney's duet "My Darling" was a slice of old -fashioned musical theatre heaven. A must-see, feel-good "Forget your troubles come on get happy" kind of show.
Has NOONE seen this Elf play?
If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything, right?
You haven't been reading this blog very long, have you?
where's charlie is a perfectly charming piece of nostalgia. the fact that it is getting done anywhere is a rare treat.
if you are a musical-theatre-phile, this is a must-see.
i have to give a shout out to Yellow Boat...a very moving piece of theatre that easily could have been schmaltzed up if not for a great director and terrific ensemble. it’s stuck with me. i found my "ticket" in my pocket last night and it gave me pause. again.
Really?
I don't see what you guys have against "The Elf Play" as you put it.
It made me laugh.
A lot.
And it made me think.
And most importantly, the actors looked like they were having fun. I think too few of us have fun up there.
I'm all thumbs-up about it, anyway.
Seriously? Where's Charlie as a "must see"? I must say I wholeheartedly disagree. Now thats not to say that the cast does a superb job, but the book itself is SO contrived and boring, as is the music. Just like Most Happy Fella, this one should have stayed iin the vault never to see the light of day again. I thought the direction was rather bland, as was the choreography, but the performances are top notch. Alan Anderson once again proves that he's a musical force to be reckoned with as he carries the entire show on his back. Other notable performances include Joe Theissen and Todd Hermanson. In all honesty, though, not one of Lakewood's finest. Those of you who are claiming that obviously didn't see Ragtime from earlier in the season. That's my two cents.
I'm not saying Charlie was better than Ragtime. I'm not comparing it to anything. I'm saying that I had a GREAT time the night that I saw it and the audience loved it (Not just me) I thought it was very well done and a welcome tonic to the heavy drama I have seen lately (on and offstage)so nice to just sit back and enjoy. Thank you.
Where's Charley?
We had a thoroughly enjoyable time last night at Lakewood Theatre's production of Where's Charley? My mother saw Ray Bolger in the show back in 1948 and can not remember him being better than Alan Anderson. She loved this production; but more surprising is the fact that my two pre teen sports-minded nephews were totally enthralled by the antics on stage. Their comment? "We need to see more theatre like this" I have already purchased them tickets for Lakewood's Oklahoma. So nice to go to the theatre laugh, have a good time and not be embarrassed by or have to explain anything on stage to my husband, my kids or my mother.
Well, of course. Any show with antics is A-#1 in my book. And I agree, I hate having family members who are too dumb or prudish to enjoy a show. I mean, who doesn't like a good fart joke?
I love Most Happy Fella "How Beautiful the Days is one of the best songs Loesser ever wrote! And I wonder that our anonymous calls a musical that deals with age disparity, infidelity, extramarital pregnancy, economic injustice, and hints of domestic violence "contrived and boring."
As for Where's Charlie, well, I don't get out to Lake Oswego much.
Because clearly geography is a significant factor in what makes good theatre.
When people criticize Lakewood by taking jabs at LO, I'm never sure what they are really criticizing. Is it the style of the shows they select? The fact that 'pushing the envelope' is not a part of their mission? Is it the commute?
Or is it that people really are offended by the entire community? If so, yikes - got over it. There is good stuff happening there!
"Charley" is what it is - every art form has myriad styles and mediums . . . I went in expecting a very light, farcical show with tongue planted firmly in cheek - and that is exactly what I got. These actors obviously understand the form and have mastered the techniques that the style demands - I thought it was delightful.
Sure - the form is dated - and the one-joke nature of the show means some will go along for the ride and some will not. But the show was handled with aplomb by all!
Sorry! I only meant to say that I haven't seen the show.
If the next Lakewood show doesn't get Portland folks out, nothing will.
Oh, Ben Ben Ben. . . that's not all you meant. . . if you're going to be catty, at least fess up when someone calls yo on it - I for one would love to hear from the horse's mouth what the beef is. . .
Huh. I've never been to Lake Oswego.
And I certainly don't mean anything else by that statement other than I've never actually been to Lake Oswego.
I'll take Ben at his word.
Ben (and Tim)
let me know which night you would like to go (this Thurs Fri or Saturday)and I will put tickets aside for you for Where's Charley?at Lakewood (do you need a ride too?)
Ron Daum
I can't speak for Ben but I can probably count on one hand the number of Lakewood shows I've missed since starting this thing ... And I regret missing "Where's Charley?" -- since I love Lakewood and I love musicals -- but I don't think this one is in the cards for me given my other commitments ... But I'll be back ...
dear followspot: here's two gripes for ya.
1. when a post is placed before you start your offical thred, it never gets put on the thread when it starts. in fact, it can't even be found with a searchword.
where does it go?
2. re the coopwood piece in the paper today, front page of living; 3 color photos.
GREAT! another actor is LEAVING town so the oregonian CROWNS them.
the time to attract attention to them is WHILE THEY ARE HERE.
it helps promote attendance. when you decry their departure, dear oregonian, you are saying in effect, "well another reason to go to the theatre just LEFT TOWN."
how about a feature about someone who STILL LIVES here?
as my professor used to intone, "LET'S PUT ON OUT THINKING CAPS!!!"
OUR THINKING CAPS
Anon 7:46:
1. I understand what you mean by comments in catch-alls not always getting transferred to a new show thread, should one subsequently get started. I'm trying to make that a practice now, such as with Escape from Happiness. And I wouldn't be surprised the Blogger's "search within this site" function doesn't work -- or, at least I have never gotten it to work. That said, all published posts and comments live on in the archives, which can be accessed from the sidebar on the home page. All the shows from the current season are listed alphabetically; click on one of those and you go to the post and its comments. YOu can even still add a comment if you want. Then you'll see a link for "previous seasons" which take you to alphabetized lists of previous seasons' shows ... Or you can browse by month .... or, now with the labels feature, by theatre company.
But when folks reference show B in show A's thread, I don't really have a way to cross reference all that -- well at least not without giving up a good chunk of my waking hours.
2. Coopwood deserves his praise, no doubt, and I also agree with you whole-heartedly about highlighting folks who are working here and now. Same goes for previewing work as often as reviewing it.
And on 2: Mr. Followspot I think should be applauded for his profiles of artists living and working here now! I look forward to the next one...
Major loss.
Does Coopwood have a blog or some other way to keep informed about his work and what future shows he's in?
I dare say I am not the only Portlander who would consider some road trips to see him.
Come to think of it - is there any existing service that does this? How cool would it be if any time you saw a show and liked someone involved (whether actor, director, designer etc.), you could easily subscribe to that person's future performance schedule - "sign me up".
Kind of like a forwarding service. You could email that person @ artsschedule.com (or whatever). Then they could send out emails to people who wanted to be kept informed on future shows.
Right now, trying to track different theatre people you like around the country is hard.
Nice idea. I often wonder what happens to folks after they leave town.
If I remember correctly, Scott's going on to a gig at Arkansas Rep, and then he's moving to the Bay Area for a spell, so you might catch some of his work there.
RE: Oregonian coverage of local theatre ... better something than nothing ...
There's a lesson to be learned here: Get out there and enjoy what we have, while we have it! Who knows what other diamonds are waiting to be discovered.
i agree about Followspot's artist profiles! Can't wait for the next one? How about a musical theatre focus? lots going on in that vein, and lots of up-and-coming talent that i'd love to see more of!
Where's Charley?:
Thank you Lakewood Theatre Company for once again allowing Director Ron Daum to bring one of these delightful old theatre chestnuts to your stage. I've always been delighted by his productions (I never in my life expected to see Irene, Ernest in Love, Carnival, The Grass Harp, Most Happy Fella produced locally) and he does such a beautiful job with these classic pieces. I knew I would not disappointed with Charley and I wasn't. The casting (especially exuberant Alan Anderson in the title role), staging, set, costumes and orchestra were all top notch. I left the theatre with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. Can't wait for the next one.
Ha ha! My, but that poster was certainly keenly familiar with Ron Daum's resume.
Yeah, I'm a fan of his too especially his direction of Spitfire Grill and the Fantastics.
I've seen several kudos to him here as an actor,why is he so unsung as a director?
uh huh! but not so keenly aware
the shows listed as "Ron Daum's resume" are mentioned in his bio in the Where's Charley program
Did I miss someting?
Was there a thread link for Where's Charley? posted here?
Somewhere?
This IS the "Where's Charley?" thread, as it indicates in the list at the top . . . along with various other shows, such as "Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business" at NW Children's Theatre, which has outsold every preceding NWCT production in this February time slot, as well as most other NWCT shows; and though it may not end up outgrossing "Beauty in the Beast," which had more performances than Junie B.'s 35, it may beat B&B for many individual performances.
This weekend's (Feb. 23-25) are the final performances -- extra 5:00 p.m. show on Sunday -- and if you call Sarah Jane Hardy at the theatre, she might be able to get you in.
All right, let's move on it's 1/2 past February now.
Let's see what you won't be getting to this month.
Loved the kids in Junie B. Jones.
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