The Three Musketeers

Lakewood Theatre Co.
July 11 - August 24, 2008

Review by Thursday

Production brings depth and humor to Ludwig's funny yet one-dimensional adaptation of Dumas's classic. Director Don Alder, with an all-around extraordinary cast, embraces the comedic nature of the piece, yet brings complexity to easily one-note characters. Design supports the action, and audience is easily immersed in the constantly engaging story.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Lakewood Theatre
May 2 - June 8, 2008

Review by Followspot:

An enjoyable evening, but something is missing. Perhaps its the sense of improvisational fun that is hinted at but never quite comes to fruition - this could be so much more fun than it is. Margie Boule and Ryan Duncan are excellent and underused. Tim Smith and Jennifer Miser sing beautifully.

The Full Monty

Lakewood
March 7 - April 13, 2008

Summary:

In this musical adaptation of the popular film, times are tough in Buffalo, NY for a group of unemployed steelworkers. To add insult to injury, a group of professional male stripteasers are stealing their thunder. In a desperate move, these ordinary guys decide to band together and stage a show

Curate Shakespeare As You Like It

Lakewood Theatre Company
January 11 - February 12, 2008

Review by Thursday

Nigro attempts to do many things with this play, including pare down all of Shakespeare into glib phrases. He fails at them all. Somewhat difficult blocking and lights don't help. Why see it? Actors Scales, Young, Bigelow, and Weston bring life to flat characters, amazingly. Sometimes funny, with excellent singing.

The Dinner Party

Lakewood Theatre Company

Thoroughly Modern Millie

Lakewood Theatre Company
September 7 - October 21, 2007

Noises Off

Lakewood Center for the Arts
August 18, 2007

Don Alder marshals top flight cast for near flawless rendition of Frayn’s frenetic comic masterpiece. Audience laughter at times so loud it drowns out actors, but fortunately physical action alone strong enough to tell the story. Entire cast deserves mention. Increasing visibility on city’s stages: Melissa Whitney. One wild ride.

Oklahoma!

Lakewood Theatre Co.
Posted by Followspot; closes June 10, 2007

What worked: Quite tuneful musical direction from maestro Alan D. Lytle; colorful, comedic performances from Courtney Freed, Ben Buckley, Jim Crino, who share a strong musical theatre sensibility; high overall “watchability” factor. Not so much: patchwork design elements, especially spotty lighting, hollow mics; several pleasantly sung but otherwise less-than-present performances.

Lakewood Theatre Company's 2007-2008 Season

Lakewood Theatre Company's 2007-2008 Season

Noises Off
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Neil Simon's The Dinner Party
The Full Monty
The Curate Shakespeare As You Like It
The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Arcadia

Lakewood Theatre Company
Posted by Followspot March 31, 2007; closes April 7, 2007

“Found all the mysteries and lost all the meaning.” Lost track somewhere in Act I, lost interest somewhere in Act II of more than three hours of poky trivial erudition, rather than sprightly mind-bending detective games. Successful: unencumbered charm of Todd Van Voris. Less: characters seemingly derived from belabored accents.

January's Fill

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

Comments, anyone?

Ragtime: the Musical

Lakewood Theatre Co.
September 16, 2006; closes October 29, 2006

Immediately relevant, but frustratingly erratic source material with more plots than a mini-series and few songs that felt whole, far less memorable. Plane direction; shadowy lighting; gawky scenery. Even so, this production deservedly received standing ovation due to Alan D. Lytle’s impeccable musical direction of first-class orchestra and stellar cast.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Lakewood Theatre Company
July 15, 2006; closes August 20, 2006

Worthy experiment, unexpected results. All ingredients were there but still chemistry — the play’s very essence — yielded base mixture of playful hippie concept and largely old-pro cast, rather than potent solution of sex appeal, love, mischief. Sobering to observe was contemporary audiences’, artists’ evaporating patience with language, speeches compounded with shtick.

Hello, Dolly!

Lakewood Theatre Company
April 29, 2006; closes June 11, 2006

A happily spry production of an old chestnut. The lithe Alan Anderson’s Cornelius and playful Todd Tschida’s Barnaby are a golden musical theatre pairing. The convivial, enthusiastic chorus was well supported by Alan Lytle’s swell-sounding orchestra. More original choreography and title-role charisma would've made this musical pleasantry even more welcoming.

Write Myself a Letter

Lakewood Theatre Company
April 22, 2006; closes April 27, 2006

Highlight was the hoppin’ (though under-utilized) Reece Marshburn Trio (including Bill Athens, Randy Rollofson). Otherwise: problematic split focus alternated between indifferent Sinatra songs with boring bridges stage-right, and static faux-fawning fan-letter recitations stage-left — pandering to nostalgic blue hair who (go figure) ate it up. Superfluous, ill-fitting technologies (lights, projection, karaoke).

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940

Lakewood Theatre Company
March 4, 2006; closes April 9, 2006

A strenuous grasp for laughs. Intentionally convoluted corn (not a musical, BTW) took some work to watch when it should effortlessly snowball. John Killeen, Sue Ellen Christensen seemed to get it; others mired in tiresome accents delivered at deafening tone amid directionless puttering on another well-executed set from Chris Whitten.

The Lion in Winter

Lakewood Theatre Company
January 21, 2006; closes February 19, 2006

Polished production, though vigorous pace, broad characterizations gave 12th-century black comedy a corny edge, downplaying acerbic bite to playful nip. And, like so many Portland plays lately, what’s with the acting-by-shouting? One can’t make up emotion with volume, nor are louder lines necessarily funnier. Technical elements were all well executed.

Broadway Bound

Lakewood Theatre Company
November 5, 2005; closes December 11, 2005

Best thing was being reminded how perceptively smart, heart-achingly funny this script really is. To succeed, blind optimism must be balanced by discovery of painful truth. Boys had chutzpah, but otherwise rather disengaged, deflated parental performances felt too-soon resigned. Missing spark and sparkle are a little attitude and alotta timing.

The Music Man

Lakewood Theatre Company
September 10, 2005; closes October 23, 2005

I went in singing, left singing, but in-between felt as if director was too busy trafficking line-ups to bother telling the story. Genial, but patchy–like change-of-hearts throughline was missing. Unfortunate, because first-rate voices of Jennifer Gill, Leif Norby and sound cast were all there. Beautiful costumes by Ashley Wase.

Bye Bye Birdie

Lakewood Theatre Company
July 16, 2005; closes August 21, 2005

Well-intended, I’m sure, but schlumpy, lackluster production seemed half-baked take on senseless, dated book with unmotivating score that needs lots of fanaticism to work. Energetic, devoted chorus suffered from weak or miscast principals, absent direction, bland choreography, unoriginal technical elements. And why not put the musicians in the orchestra pit?