Cabaret



Last night I got to go see a production of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret at the Backdoor Playhouse at Tennessee TechnologicalUniversity. This production was directed by student Adam Combs, and was their student directed production for the season. Mendy Richards was music director and choreography was done by Jennifer Dotson-Creter. This was the second night of their run, and I was lucky enough to get to see the show on the house, as my friend was the stage manager of the production.

 

As a pretty well-known movie, starring Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli, most people are familiar with the title song “Cabaret” and other songs like “The Money Song” and “Willkommen.” Cabaret is certainly not your average, feel good, feel good musical. Taking place in 1930 Germany as the Nazi party began its rise to power, there is a nearly constant feeling of darkness hanging over the show.

At the beginning of the show, the rousing opening number “Willkommen” from the Emcee, played by Anthony Herd, sets the mood for the entire show. Herd attacks the role of Emcee with hilarity, giving Emcee a sort of cartoonish and dream-like feeling. This gives the audience a false sense of what this show is actually going to be, but it works well when the show takes a shocking and serious turn later.

We then see starving American author Cliff Bradshaw, played by Joshua Spivey, making his way to Germany looking for inspiration for his book. He’s already been to several other European countries and is on the move again. In Berlin, Cliff thinks he’s found what he needs. Fun, friends, and the Kit Kat Club.

Cliff takes up residence in the boarding house of Fraulein Schneider, played by Mary Pashley. We’re introduced to Sally Bowles with her Kit Kat Club number, “Don’t Tell Mamma”, which perfectly tells the story of Sally’s carefree and flighty take on life very much reflects the feeling of the Kit Kat Club. She has friends of all kinds and seems to know everyone and very quickly worms her way into Cliff’s graces and his room.

While giving English lessons to supplement his income, Cliff becomes friends with Ernst Ludwig, played by Brent Fleshman. Fleshman’s Ernst is suave and smooth. He’s friends with nearly everyone, including Sally. But even from the beginning, you can tell there’s something more underneath. It’s obvious that he’s dealing in some less than legal projects, and we don’t find out until later in the show just what those dealings are.

 

We also meet an amazing ensemble of characters at the boarding house, including Fraulein Schneider’s beau, fruit market owner Herr Schultz, played by Lynn England. England and Pashley give an interesting touch to the roles of Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz. They play and adorable couple, with Herr Schultz ready to go all into a relationship, and longtime bachelorette Fraulein Schneider with some reservations. Their duet “Married” is both funny and sweetly adorable.

When the show takes a serious turn, tackling the ideals of the Nazi party, Emcee gives a creepy rendition of “Tomorrow Belongs To Me.” After that number, the mood of the show goes from flighty and dream-like, to depressing and serious. We being to see the relationship between Sally and Cliff disintegrate. Sally reveals she is pregnant and is looking for a way out of the pregnancy and the relationship. Cliff sees the state of Germany changing and wants to take Sally back to American where they can settle down and start a family.

We also see the relationship between Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz begin changing when it’s revealed that Herr Schultz is a Jew, making both he and Fraulein Schneider targets for the Nazis. Mary Pashley gives a touching performance of “What Would You Do?” when Fraulein Schneider is exploring the possibilities of continuing her relationship with Herr Schultz.

One of the last numbers in the show is “Cabaret.” Sally Bowles has ended her relationship with Cliff and you see both her heartbreak and her inability to change herself and face reality. She instead desperately clings to her flighty personality and outlook on life, in spite of all that’s happening around her and to her. 

One of my favorite lines in the whole show was one of Cliff’s. He’s describing Berlin when he says, “It’s so tacky and terrible & everybody’s having a great time.” I couldn’t help but feel like it’s a great description of the show itself. While it wasn’t terrible at ALL, the show itself is slightly tacky (the book itself), and you can’t help but have a great time while you’re there. The range of emotion in the show is wide, bringing in some depressingly serious topics that transcend the time period itself.

I must say that Cabaret is a HUGE production and the Backdoor Playhouse is not a huge venue. This could have been a complete staging disaster. It could have been, but it wasn’t. There was some very creative set design, including a raised area that was almost at the ceiling that served as Cliff’s room at the boarding house. That being said, there were a lot of scene changes, and because there were so many set pieces to be moved, and so many people to do it, sometimes the scene changes were distracting. Too many people, moving too many things and taking too much time.

Overall, this show is well worth your time and money to see. Ladies, I can even bet you can convince your significant other to go. Just tell him there are a bunch of girls running around on stage in their skivvies. ;) I know the elderly gentleman that sat next to me with his wife enjoyed the show…if his whistling at the girls on stage was any indicator anyway.

Cabaret plays at the Backdoor Playhouse at Tennessee Technological University thru November 17^th. Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 senior citizens and $5 for non-Tech students. Tech students get in free with their ID. You can call their box office at (931)372-6595 or visit their website for more information.

 

A Golden Goodbye

Friday was the closing performance of Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge at Cumberland County Playhouse. Hands down, this show has been my favorite production at CCP this season. With only a couple of shows I haven't seen, I'm guessing that it will probably hold out as my most memorable of this year.

I took my mother to see the show for the first time and it was a wonderful chance to spend some time with her.

I also took some sweet treats to the cast & crew. I occasionally get inspired to make cakes or cupcakes themed to a show that I love and this was one of those times. I tried to go with things that reminded me of the show and the set itself.

 

Banjos from the show poster, a mirror that Clayton admires himself in, moonshine jars from JM's still, and the shovel that started it all. Fall leaves inspired by those from the set decorated the rest of the cupcakes. I hope the cast & crew enjoyed them.

Making these has also put me in the mood to make more show themed sweet treats. Would my few readers be interested in seeing some more of my baked goods? All show themed, of course.

Broadway or Bust: Episode Three

 

The third and final episode of Broadway or Bust aired on Sunday night. Unfortunately my cable was out, so I ended up waiting until today when the episode was posted on the PBS website to actually see the show. Being at work all day I managed to miss most of the spoilers, but I did end up finding out one of the winners before I saw the show. Le sigh. The cost of social media.

The show started out the morning of the Jimmy Awards. All of the kids were all being shown around the theatre and ended up on the stage at the Minskoff (where the awards were held). It was pretty amazing to see all of those kids walking onto a Broadway stage for the first time. There were tears. There was a TON of giggling and smiles. Overall, it was pretty awesome to get to see their faces.

On to the quickest tech EVER. With only a few hours, they teched the entire show. I think I might have lost my mind if I were trying to work on that show. There was a funny quote from the stage manager. She said that keeping those kids where they needed to be, and keeping them focused was like “herding squirrels.” I find that hilarious because my best friend, who stage manages shows locally, has often told me that stage managing is really just herding cats. I can’t imagine that herding cats OR squirrels would be easy.

And then it was time for the show. As the curtain came up and those kids started singing their opening number I couldn’t help but tear up a little bit. Just a few lines into the number and you could see some of the kids onstage tearing up as well. At that point, a tear might have escaped my eye. Then they did a camera pan to the audience and there was a woman that I’m thinking was probably a grandparent, who was openly crying. That was it for me. I sobbed.

It’s just so refreshing to see young people loving theatre so much AND getting an amazing chance that not many young people get. For some of them, this is as close as they’ll ever get to Broadway. For whatever reason, they may pursue a different career. Or maybe they’ll try to get to Broadway and won’t make it. Not everyone does. For some of them, this may be the biggest thing they ever do. For others, it may actually be just a stepping stone to greatness.

After their group performances the judges picked their top six; three girls and three guys. There were some great moments shown by many of the kids, and it could have been argued that there should have been some different picks for the top six, but I think overall they did a good job.

In the top were

Eric Durham

Evan Greenberg



Elizabeth Romero

Drew Shafranek

Joshua Grosso

Nicolette Burton
 

There were three of those six that I had thought would probably be in the top. Joshua, Elizabeth and Evan. Joshua and Evan both got quite a bit of screen time in the other episodes, and Elizabeth caught my eye because she looks remarkably like a young Sutton Foster AND is extremely talented.

Each of the top six were asked to perform their solo performances. Honestly, you always remember when Evan performs. He’s just that funny. Joshua sang his song in Italian, so that was totally memorable, and seeing Elizabeth perform her song, Disneyland, was like watching a full production. She’s just that impressive with her acting skills. Nicolette, Erica, and Drew all did great as well, but my favorite three caught my attention for a reason.

When it came down to it, Joshua Grosso was awarded Best Actor and Elizabeth Romero was awarded Best Actress. I find it kind of funny that Joshua came into it as the only runner-up, there fully by default. Honestly, I’d like to have seen who beat him out, because I thought he was fantastic from the start. Both Elizabeth and Joshua were awarded $10,000 to go toward their future schooling, and I can’t help but hope to see them in the future on a Broadway stage, or on tour with a show. It would just seem fitting.

Overall I think this was a great documentary. It was inspiring, fun, happy, and left me feeling like the future of the arts could be in good hands. Some people were calling it reality TV, but I really feel like it was more of a documentary. Reality TV is often negative and so disheartening. This was NOT that. I can’t help but hope that PBS does this again next year.

As a total unrelated side note, there was a scene at the end of the episode showing a cake that was for the cast and that cake was SO AMAZING! I make cakes and cupcakes as a hobby and I love seeing a cake that is well done. I kind of wonder who made it. Any insiders know the answer?

Five Guys Named Moe

Yesterday I headed out to see a couple of shows at Cumberland County Playhouse. I’ve already seen Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge, but it was my first time seeing Five Guys Named Moe. Five Guys Named Moe, a musical based on some of Louis Jordan’s greatest hits, is interesting, to say the least.

Taken from CCP facebook page

Nomax, played by Quinn Carson, starts the show out alone and broke. His girlfriend has left him and he’s basically on a drinking binge. Honestly, I’m not sure he wasn’t drinking absinthe. Cause as Nomax is listening to the radio, the group Five Guys Named Moe come out of the radio and sing to him. Really.

Little Moe, Big Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, No Moe, and Eat Moe spend the next two hours singing a variety of songs to Nomax. Honestly, I felt like I should have had some absinthe before the show, cause I never really understood what was going on. The book…well, it wasn’t that great. There were a few times in the show when one of the Moes would ask Nomax “Do you understand what we’re saying?” Every single time, all I could think was, “Nope. No clue.”

Taken from CCP facebook page

That aside, the show was FUN. The front row of seats had been sat up in cabaret-style tables. There was plenty of audience involvement, including some people being brought on stage (I won’t ruin the surprise for you) and some singing along with the actors. The show has some amazing talent.

Quinn Carson as Nomax is hilarious. He has to be. He plays a guy who’s so drunk he’s hallucinating! :D But he’s also got that slightly innocent quality that makes you like him and know that he’s trying so hard to fit in with the Moes.

Little Moe was played by Donald Frison. Anytime I see him in a show at CCP, I am blown away by his dancing talent. This show was no different. Michael Ruff’s Eat Moe was perhaps my favorite Moe. Hilarious and always talented, Ruff kept me laughing through most of the show.

Taken from CCP facebook page

No Moe was played by Porter Anderson and Four-Eyed Moe was played by Earley Dean. Both were fantastically talented vocally and in their dancing. Horace Smith played Big Moe. I really loved his portrayal of Big Moe as kind of the father-figure of the group.

The thing about Five Guys Named Moe is that it is filled with a wonderfully talented cast. They sing. They dance. They do them both very, very well. But, if you are expecting a story, skip this show. Go into it expecting a comedy concert of sorts, and don’t try to actually figure out what’s going on. You’ll love it if you do that. And if you like some audience participation.

You can catch Five Guys Named Moe at the Cumberland County Playhouse through October 27th

Les Misérables Preview

I am not typically a movie crier. I just rarely cry when it comes to movies or television. I never have. Even at really sad movies, like The Notebook. Never shed a tear. I'm not heartless, I promise. I feel sad. But there just usually aren't any tears. I do tend to cry at plays, musicals, live performances. Especially musicals. I've always been moved by music and any live performance just enhances so many emotions for me.

 

Today there was an article on BroadwayWorld that shared a youtube video with an extended preview of the new Les Misérables film that opens Christmas Day. I've never seen a staged version of Les Miz, but I have seen the 25th Anniversary Concert. I own it on DVD. And while I was curious about the new movie, I wasn't overly excited.

 

Would I have gone to see the movie? Yes. But after seeing the extended preview, I will more than likely be in the theatre Christmas Day. If not that day, very soon thereafter.



 

 

I was incredibly touched by the fact that the music in the film was recorded live, instead of pre-recorded and dubbed over...and auto-tuned to death, like so many films and television shows are these days. *cough*glee*cough* Truth: I cried while I watched this extended preview. Does that make me a big dork? Probably.



 

I am not sure what the final outcome will be for the movie. It might flop. It might be amazing. The casting might be off. Or maybe not. I'm not even sure if I'll like it. But if the preview and the trailer are any indication, I think I'll be a fan.

Do you have any opinions on this movie? Will you be sitting in a theatre on Christmas Day to watch it as well?

Broadway or Bust: Episode 2

This episode started off with the one on one coaching from mentors and the kids and progressed on to the choreography work, and then to more vocal coaching, and finally ended with performances in front of the judges (the judges’ showcase) where the judges were left to pick the top contenders.

At the beginning of the show they had Brittany had picked “And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls as her performance piece. I was worried about this for a couple of reasons. She’s extremely talented, but the song wasn’t really working for her. She was struggling and I couldn’t help but wonder why she picked the song. I understand that it’s a beautiful song that has been performed wonderfully by some very talented African American women….but should you pick the song to sing if you struggle with it?

Luckily, after some fantastic coaching by Telly Leung that concentrated on Brittany finding ways to sing the song HER way, without trying to be Jennifer Hudson or Jennifer Holliday, Brittany was able to dig deep and do a fantastic job on the song.

Evan, from Georgia, is a very intriguing person. He’s not the most talented vocally, but he has a charisma about him that more than makes up for it. He has a way of making everything a character. From the interview videos and the behind the scenes stuff, you can tell he is always thinking about the future and his career. It makes me wonder if he’ll make it. And if he doesn’t, will he continue to act, even if it’s not on Broadway?

Sabaa is from my home state of Tennessee. I didn’t know that until I looked her up on the PBS website. She has a beautiful voice and I loved hearing about her family. She comes from a family of people involved in law and medicine, so the arts is a departure for her. On the flip side, this girl is taking AP classes like they’re going out of style, so it has to be difficult for her to keep up with everything. She chose to sing “Light in the Piazza.” While her voice was beautiful, her coach really focused on her connecting with the audience and pulling herself out.

It was beautiful to see the final, and I think most productive, method that her coach, Schele, used. She took her right to the window and made her look outside while she was singing, all while asking her “Do you want this? Is this where you want to be?” Sabaa was so moved by this she started to cry. It struck something in her. With passion like that, aren’t you almost destined to be a star? I’d hope so. While everyone has areas they can improve, I think that motivation is a major part of getting where you want to be. Do you need talent? Yes. But you need the motivation even more. I must say, she’s one of my favorites. And that was even before I realized she was from Tennessee.

Josh from Florida. This guy didn’t win his regional competition. He was 2nd and ended up there as the winner couldn’t go. I feel badly for him because he’s feeling so much like the underdog. But in all truth, he doesn’t have to feel at all like the underdog. He has an amazing voice. He chose “II Mondo Era Vuoto” from the Light in the Piazza. Liz Callaway, his coach, was blown away and was curious to see if understood what he was singing, as the entire song is in Italian. Turns out that he speaks Italian. Wow. He caught my eye last week and I couldn’t remember his name, but he’s definitely on top of my list. He’s super talented.

Choreography time was hilarious and sad all at the same time. Many don’t have technical dance experience. Choreographer Kiesha Lalama was having a time with some of the kids. Without technical dance training AND trying to keep a bunch of teenagers focused was difficult. Definitely not a job I’d have wanted to take on. At one point I thought Kiesha’s head might explode.

Another thing was that many of the kids weren’t used to furious pacing and were overwhelmed. There were even tears from one of the girls, Hanna. But Kiesha did let her take a moment, which I thought was very kind of her. Josh from Florida said “My very first impression of Kiesha was ‘This is gonna be a long rehearsal. I’d heard rumors.’” A funny, but true observation. Kiesha is only a glimpse into what these kids will face on a regular basis if they chose to pursue theatre as a career, so it was something that I think was eye opening for a lot of the kids.

Seeing the kids go to dinner at Sardi’s was pretty amazing. I remember going there, even as an adult, and being so excited to be there. Seeing them get the chance to dress up and have a little fun and take pictures was great.

The final day was their last preparations before the judges’ showcase, which is when the judges pick their top 16. There were several standouts that I feel like we might be seeing more from. Alli from Connecticut sang “The Life of the Party” from Wild Party and while she didn’t get much camera time, I didn’t think she needed it. She was so amazing that I remembered her name, her face, and her song without any trouble. She shines. Elizabeth from California really caught my eye in this episode as well. She reminds me a little bit of Sutton Foster. Anyone else agree with me? She just seems to shine when she’s onstage and it somewhat unassuming when she’s not on stage. I love that quality. Evan made a point to sing a character piece, which helps him shine and his coach, Michael McElroy really helped him focus and slip into his character so he would stand out and make an impression.

Honestly, from the amount of camera time that Evan got, I have my suspicions on who wins this whole thing. I could go look at the website, but I don’t want to spoil it for myself. Call me crazy, but I’ll wait to watch it on TV. I look forward to watching the last episode next week.

You can watch Broadway or Bust on PBS, Sunday night at 8/7 CST and you can watch the previously aired episodes on their website.

Legally Blonde: The Musical

I have seen Legally Blonde: The Musical approximately 4,372 times as it was filmed for MTV when it was on Broadway. Okay, this may be a slight exaggeration, but we know how all things filmed for TV end up on the internet in some form or fashion, meaning I can watch it pretty much whenever I’d like. I also saw Legally Blonde: The Musical when it was on tour in Nashville. And as the original Broadway Elle, Laura Bell Bundy, was living in Nashville at the time, she stepped back into her role as Elle for the week while it was in town.

As much of a fluff piece as Legally Blonde: The Musical can be, I love the whole thing. The music is catchy and hilarious. The story is one that even a brunette can relate to. And sometimes theatre is just made to entertain. I can often be found sharing lyrics and quotes from the show with a few friends on twitter and facebook.

When I found out that The Larry Keeton Theatre was producing Legally Blonde: The Musical, I knew I’d be making a trip to Nashville to see the show. I met up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a few years (I love keeping in touch via social media) and on Friday night, I was in the audience to see the pink wonderfulness that is Elle Woods.

Based on the 2001 movie starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde follows main character Elle Woods in her quest to win her true love. A Southern California sorority girl that measures life in fashion and fun, Elle is unprepared when her big man on campus boyfriend Warner dumps her when he heads off to Harvard Law School. Along the way Elle discovers that she’s more than a sorority girl and makes some fantastic friends along the way.

The mood is set immediately at the Keeton Theatre by the pink carpet in front of the building that leads up to the pink carpet covered stairs. Taylor Tracey’s Elle Woods is full of sass and spark, giving life to what could be a very flat character. In fact, there were some times that Tracey was channeling Laura Bell Bundy’s performance so hard that I forgot that I wasn’t watching the Broadway version. Other times, she made the character so distinctly her own that it was almost like seeing a completely different show. Together it worked well.

Darin Richardson played Warner with enough attitude and arrogance that the audience could truly dislike the character while having pity for a human that could be so shallow. Britt Byrd played Vivienne, fellow Harvard student and completion to Elle’s quest to win back Warner. Byrd gave a strong performance and was able to play to the softer side of Vivienne’s character very well.

I must give props (or in the case of the Delta Nu sisters, “snaps”), to Sims Lamason, playing Brooke Wyndham, and the ensemble cast for their fantastic jump rope scene during the “Whipped Into Shape” number. And the fact that Lamason can sing AND jump rope at the same time is amazing. I can barely jump rope without singing. Lamason’s performance of Brooke Wyndham was pretty hilarious, and also reminded me very much of the OBC performance of the same character played by Nikki Snelson. It works and was quite hilarious.

Stephen Michael Jones played Elle’s biggest support, Emmett. While he might have been a bit young to take on the role, he was by far one of the best on the stage. I suppose that in my head Emmett is slightly older. That aside, he was perfect for the role. Jones was great vocally, and was able to pull off the balance of awkwardness and strength that Emmett portrays. His diversity showed through most during his "Chip On My Shoulder" number in the first act, pulling in comedy, sarcasm, and determination.

For me, there were a couple of standouts aside from Taylor Tracey. Jaime London, who played beauty parlor owner Paulette was one. The character has always been one of my favorite in the show (if I could act/sing/dance, I’d want to take on that role SO badly), so I paid special attention to her throughout the show. London was hilarious. Period. Her take on the quirky, Ireland loving hairdresser was unique and wonderful. The other was Jennifer Tatum, who played Elle’s man-hating lesbian classmate, Enid. Tatum could blend in seamlessly onstage, but when it time for Enid to speak, I knew she was on stage.

Some of the best ensemble numbers, showcasing the talent of the entire cast, were "Positive" and "Gay or European," both of which are comically hilarious and the kinds of  songs that get stuck in your head for days. In fact, I woke up with "Positive" running through my head.

The show is directed by Kate Adams, with musical direction by Ginger Newman. This production of Legally Blonde: The Musical is great for a girls’ night out, or just for a light and fun evening with the family. You can see the show at The Larry Keeton Theatre through September 29th. You can purchase tickets HERE. My advice: don’t miss this one. It’s too much fun to let it slip by.