Theater Thread

[Minty Fresh]

Opening night for The Man Who Came To Dinner tomorrow night.  My seven year old ended up with a small walk-on part and he's super excited to be in his first play.

[Baseball is Life]

Just discovered goldstar.com. Great for reduced theater tickets. I might actually be forced to "go out more often" as their tag line says.

[saltydad]

Opening night for The Man Who Came To Dinner tomorrow night.  My seven year old ended up with a small walk-on part and he's super excited to be in his first play.

Great for your son. Now I wonder who he knew????

Break a leg.

[Minty Fresh]

Review is in.  Can't say I disagree with too much of it.

http://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/This-tale-of-a-dinner-guest-shines-despite-timing-3501620.php

This tale of a dinner guest shines despite timing flaws
By Michael Eck
Published 09:41 p.m., Sunday, April 22, 2012

SCHENECTADY – Tracy Trimm is "The Man Who Came to Dinner." The white-haired Trimm plays Sheridan Whiteside for Classic Theater Guild in the troupe's current production of the 1939 three-act classic by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

The playwrights created the piece in order to skewer puffed-up critic and radio personality Alexander Woollcott and Trimm strikes the right chord in his uppity portrayal.

The play — directed by Karen Christina Jones — is a large ensemble piece but it plays almost like a one-man show.

Trimm is onstage virtually all the time, barking orders, regaling friends and enemies alike with his glorious stories and whining, whining, whining while he engineers various revenges and conspiracies.

The writing is tart, with that certain early midcentury style. Kaufman, who also wrote for the Marx Brothers, is adept at updating Oscar Wilde's sense of outrage with an American slant.

Trimm seems to understand how that style of comedy works. His timing is not always the best, but his vigor is on the mark. Unfortunately, the timing of his satellites is quite spotty, meaning that the setups for some of Trimm's remarks fall away from the target.

There are too many dropped, half-remembered or simply late lines from the supporting cast at the Fenimore Gallery at Proctors.

The gimmick of the show is that the curmudgeonly Whiteside has accepted a dinner invitation from the Stanleys of Mesalia, Ohio, who are thrilled to accept a celebrity into their house. But, as the play opens, we learn that Whiteside has slipped on a patch of ice outside the door and is now quarantined within the house for a few weeks rather a few hours.

He's not happy. And neither are the Stanleys, especially the lord of the house, well-played by Chas Heritage, who is the only thing close to a match for Trimm.

Nicole Galligan and Matt MacArevey are strong as, respectively, Whiteside's secretary, Maggie, and a local news reporter, Bert Jefferson. They fall in love midshow — Kaufman was well was aware of romance's commercial appeal — and that revelation helps push the plot along in unexpected ways.

There are a few standouts among the many supporting roles.

Alan Angelo appears late and loud, in the third act, as the one-named Hollywood actor, Banjo, and he's hilarious. It's an old school portrayal of an old-school type, which allows him to get away with slapping ladies on the bottom and making a fool of himself.

Newcomer Tracy Henry is also bright as the Stanley's cook, Sarah.

Less successful are Phil Matthei as butler John and Lee Lattimer as the pestering Dr. Bradley.

Plainly put, this Tracy Trimm's show.

It doesn't get as many belly laughs as it should, but fans of classic American comedy will appreciate the effort.


"The Man Who Came to Dinner"

When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Fenimore Gallery, Proctors, 432 State Street, Schenectady
Length: 2 hours, 30 minutes; two intermissions.
Continues: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Through April 29.
Tickets: $17.50
Info: 346-6204; http://www.proctors.org

[DPMOmaha]

Off to dinner, then Fiddler!

[DPMOmaha]

Had one of the coolest the coolest theater experiences of my life tonight.  There's an upstart theater company here in town that puts on grass roots performances in their attic and back yard.  They've expanded the past couple of years and have used a vacant lot just down the street.  They've adapted musicals based on the X-Files and Jurassic Park.  I wasn't able to see them the past couple of years but this year they got incredibly ambitious and adapted a musical experience based of Wagner's "The Ring Cycle".  They started and ended at the the park but in between there they had 4 different scenes set up throughout the neighborhoods and downtown Lincoln.  You could see them in any order and on street corners throughout the route they had mini-scenes and musicians doing little vignettes and such.  We got tipped off as to which one to see last and thank goodness we did.  The final scene we saw was on the steps of the state capital and ended with the star being murdered in a fierce battle scene.  The cast picked him up and carried him on a primitive stretcher back to the park.  We had a stream of probably 300 people wandering through the neighborhoods near downtown for 15 blocks.  It was one of the most creative, interactive and engaging theater experiences I've ever been a part of it was really cool.  I don't think I can describe it well enough to do it justice but it was really quite something.

[CALSGR8]

Wow cool!

[Minty Fresh]

Had one of the coolest the coolest theater experiences of my life tonight.  There's an upstart theater company here in town that puts on grass roots performances in their attic and back yard.  They've expanded the past couple of years and have used a vacant lot just down the street.  They've adapted musicals based on the X-Files and Jurassic Park.  I wasn't able to see them the past couple of years but this year they got incredibly ambitious and adapted a musical experience based of Wagner's "The Ring Cycle".  They started and ended at the the park but in between there they had 4 different scenes set up throughout the neighborhoods and downtown Lincoln.  You could see them in any order and on street corners throughout the route they had mini-scenes and musicians doing little vignettes and such.  We got tipped off as to which one to see last and thank goodness we did.  The final scene we saw was on the steps of the state capital and ended with the star being murdered in a fierce battle scene.  The cast picked him up and carried him on a primitive stretcher back to the park.  We had a stream of probably 300 people wandering through the neighborhoods near downtown for 15 blocks.  It was one of the most creative, interactive and engaging theater experiences I've ever been a part of it was really cool.  I don't think I can describe it well enough to do it justice but it was really quite something.

Could you post the name of this company?  I'd be interested in learning more about them.

[DPMOmaha]

http://www.thecolonelmustard.com/

http://journalstar.com/entertainment/arts-and-culture/theatre/sprawling-theater-show-to-take-over-swath-of-near-south/article_cb1a9668-205a-53b3-9fa9-30ba39a2b4bb.html

http://witchingblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/people-we-like-the-colonel-mustard-amateur-attic-theatre-company/

http://www.facebook.com/colonelmustardtheatre

[Minty Fresh]

The title page has self-depricating quotes.  Epic Win without even researching...

[Minty Fresh]

X Files: The Musical
- performed Summer 2011 -

X Files: The Musical was the seventh production and third backyard musical. Millions of people worldwide love The X-Files, and we transformed the show into a full-length theatrical spectacle, complete with alien ballads, UFO sightings, mad scientists, monster attacks, and far more fake blood than is necessary. Songs include "Totally, Platonically Us", "I Want to Believe", and a fan-favorite barbershop quartet by the Lone(ly) Gunmen. The Truth was out there.

[DPMOmaha]

You can watch it all here, well the Jurassic Park and X-Files productions at least:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cmustardtheatre

[Nathan]

The title page has self-depricating quotes.  Epic Win without even researching...

You can watch it all here, well the Jurassic Park and X-Files productions at least:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cmustardtheatre

I'll have to check those out.  I wish there were more recorded performances to watch for someone like me who doesn't have any real theaters nearby (and because I get a lot of anxiety in crowds )

[DPMOmaha]

I haven't watched them on you tube.  I'm not sure how they'll translate over that medium.  They're a heck of a lot of fun in person, though.  I'm sure this weekend's performance will make it's way up there eventually.

[Vega]

(and because I get a lot of anxiety in crowds )

Why is that? I'm sure you could murder the ass of anyone who bothered you.

[Minty Fresh]

My son opens his first show with lines of his own on Friday.  Seven years old and already acting!

[lastobjective]

Awesome, Minty! I remember doing a few school plays at that age. My mother sewed all my costumes! I remember being Prince Charming's mother in Cinderella never got into it at a later age though.

School plays are the best, I loved all the ones my high school put on. Grease and Beauty and the Beast being my favorites.

[Nathan]

Why is that? I'm sure you could murder the ass of anyone who bothered you.

Missed this back when it was posted

I could, and that's why I have the anxiety of going Hulk mode

Actually I'm just really fat and self conscious around people in general

[CALSGR8]

My son opens his first show with lines of his own on Friday.  Seven years old and already acting!

  God bless us every one

[CALSGR8]

3 plays I want to see in Dec.

Les Miz
White Christmas
A Christmas Carol at Fords.

Anyone else interested?

[mitlen]

I've been peeking at "My Fair Lady" at Arena Stage.   I first saw it done by performing arts high school students 3 years ago and it was great.    I even bought the movie.    I'm afraid the weak reviews of the Stage's rendition are keeping me away.      Only other musical I ever saw in its entirety was "Hair"  ...  NYC/New Year's Eve 1969  ...  but that's another thread.   

[Minty Fresh]

Awesome, Minty! I remember doing a few school plays at that age. My mother sewed all my costumes! I remember being Prince Charming's mother in Cinderella never got into it at a later age though.

School plays are the best, I loved all the ones my high school put on. Grease and Beauty and the Beast being my favorites.

I actually worked as an assistant director on a show back in February and my son was asked to participate because he "looked cute" and they needed a couple of white kids on the stage for a walk on part.  He had so much fun doing it that he asked if he could do another show and I told him when someone needs another cute kid I would bring him to auditions.  About a month ago, one of the guys who was an actor in the show called me and asked if my son would be interested in playing Tiny Tim in his modernized version of A Christmas Carol and my son jumped at the opportunity.

Kid's a natural and is very comfortable; in fact, last night at final tech, one of the adult actors said that he was putting the adult actors to shame.  Small role, but he has 15 lines and also fills in as "Want" from Want and ignorance and gets to sing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as a caroler in the first act.  He's loving it and he's developing a great deal of self-confidence.

[Minty Fresh]

Y'all need to get to Shakespeare Theatre and Studio Theatre.  Great work at those two spots - and IMO, the two best DC based resident LORT theatres.

[lastobjective]

Kid's a natural and is very comfortable; in fact, last night at final tech, one of the adult actors said that he was putting the adult actors to shame.  Small role, but he has 15 lines and also fills in as "Want" from Want and ignorance and gets to sing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as a caroler in the first act.  He's loving it and he's developing a great deal of self-confidence.

That is completely awesome I didn't have such self-confidence boosters at that time in my life (luckily I got some later) so I really love hearing about kids who find positive outlets other than a computer or TV.

[saltydad]

Carol- I'd love to go to the Kennedy Center to see Les Miz with Mom. Have you scoped out prices and availaility yet?

The movie is also coming out the end of December. Hail Jean Valjean!!