Shakespeare Without Words - Hamlet, Sleep No More and Amaluna- Shakespeare Reviews

Hamlet - National Ballet of Canada at Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts - Toronto, ON - ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Choreographed by Kevin O'Day, based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Music by John King
Runs until June 10th 2012

Sleep No More - PunchDrunk at The McKittrick Hotel - New York City, NY - ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Based loosely on William Shakespeare's Macbeth

Amaluna - Cirque du Soleil's Le Grand Chapiteau at The Quays of the Old Port - Montreal, QC - ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Directed by Diane Paulus, Music by Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard, Based loosely on William Shakespeare's The Tempest
Runs in Montreal until July 15th 2012, Opens in Quebec City on July 26th, Toronto on Sept. 6th, Vancouver on Nov. 23rd 2012, continues on to Seattle.

Is William Shakespeare without his text even Shakespeare? Is it a bastardization, or a form of flattery, that his plays have been taken beyond his writings and transformed into other mediums?  It’s not a new thing, nor does it only happen to Shakespeare, but from West Side Story to countless opera’s and ballets, to loosely adapted teen comedies, we seem to love using Shakespeare as a template, excising or altering his words and prose to be easily digestible in other formats. Is it simply simplification to dumb things down? If The National Ballet of Canada (via Kevin O’Day), Cirque du Soleil (via Diane Paulus) and PunchDrunk have anything to say, they’ve heighten the drama and emotions behind three of Shakespeare’s plays in three very different, but equally mesmerizing productions.

The National Ballet of Canada brings us the Canadian premiere of Kevin O’Day’s exciting ballet adaptation of Hamlet (first seen in Stuttgart), a production without any of Shakespeare's famous words. The ballet turns the interior emotions and conflict within Hamlet (and the other characters) into outwardly physical movements of beauty and rage, easily conveying Shakespeare’s story of a torn Prince.

With an effective clingy-clangy music from John King, (that at times sounded like sounds from a Foley studio) and set against a beautiful stark set of perforated bone-like walls (and projections) on a platform held by stilts (by Tatyana van Walsum), O’Day’s production takes on an operatic quality. From the first moment of silence as the lights go out, as the audience sits uncomfortably in the dark for the show to begin (with rustles and coughs unacquainted with the purposefully pointed pause at the beginning of the ballet), O’Day uses the medium of dance and awkward body movements to highlight the interior monologues in the externalized art form of ballet. Hamlet’s tortured situation gets the full dramatic treatment that choreography and movement easily accentuates.

I will confess, most of the time I am watching a Shakespeare play, my brain is in overdrive trying to understand the text, trying to interperate the words beyond mere plot points. I usually judge a production on how easily Shakespeare’s words are understandable, but even with the best productions, it usually takes me all of Act 1 before I get in the groove of his prose. So watching Shakespeare without having to internally translate the Elizabethan language is somewhat of a relief, and makes the Coles notes situation all the more bearable.

And while a ballet of Hamlet will be missing the beautiful poeticism of the original play,  I found it far more revealing of every character’s interior motivation, and emotional state, making the plot far easier to understand, than the play has ever done for me. Sacrilegious! I know! But when you’re watching the amazing company of National Ballet dancers moving to O’Day’s choreography, it seemed far easier to get emotionally invested in Hamlet’s plight.

The opening night cast had Guillaume Côté (above) as a thrilling Hamlet that was equally thrilling in his emotional portrayal as his physical dancing. Finally reunited on stag with Heather Ogden (above,  Côté's real life wife) as Ophelia, 

Côté and Ogden danced together with a spark that no manufactured chemistry could recreate. During her character’s breakdown, Ogden also showed a crackling and exciting solo as Ophelia dissolves at Hamlet’s rejection.
Jonathan Renna and McGee Maddox, as Polonius and Laertes, Ophelia's protective father and brother, respectively, are in spectacular form, especially in their dance with Ogden as the men try to hold Ophelia from flirting back at Hamlet. O'Day's choreography turns this dance of three into a fun, funny, but telling moment that involves Ophelia into Hamlet's plight. 

Jiří Jelinek is in superb form as the evil Claudius (which he originated in Stuttgart),  while Robert Stephen (who rotates in the role of Hamlet) and Christopher Stalzer are delightful as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Elena Lobsanova (who rotates in the role of Ophelia) is the vision of loveliness as one half of the actors Hamlet uses to reenact Claudius' betrayal, with up-and-comer Corps de Ballet member Dylan Tedaldi filling in the other half.

With the cast of Hamlet already being filled with the National Ballet's biggest Principal stars and First Soloists (including Stephanie Hutchison as Gertrude), it was exciting to see a lot of the exciting up-and-comers from the Corps filling roles right along side, and not missing a single dance beat. Along with Stalzer and Tedaldi, Brendan Saye (above with  Côté) is wonderfully stoic and gentle as Hamlet's more rational friend Horatio, while Giorgio Galli has a wonderful presence as part of the ensemble, and takes on the role of Laertes on rotation. The male heavy play gives the men in the company lots of opportunity to shine and continues to prove why I had taken notice of all of them in previous shows.

You have probably heard of Sleep No More by now. If you don't know the name exactly, you know you've heard about that walk-through play that is more of an experience than anything else you can describe. Audiences are told to wear a mask, stay silent, and then explore the confines of The McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea, discovering the AMAZING set decorations of the 100 room building that makes this just as much of an art installation as it is theatre. But then a choose-your-own-adventure moment happens as you spot an unmasked couple dancing, or a bald-headed witch whizzes by, or you see King Duncan stroll by, or trees start moving. Do you watch? Do you follow them? Who do you follow? 

What you get out of Sleep No More really depends on you and your choices, what rooms you enter and what items you might riffle through. As you slowly discover The McKittrick Hotel, the events in Shakespeare's Macbeth begin unravelling around you a la Hitchcock, without words, solely through dance, movement, and music (timed to the action AND the room you're in!), but what parts of the play you see all depends on what you decide to do. It can be extremely frustrating (as I've heard some people complain), especially as my personal natural tendency is to move away from the crowds, but you'll quickly learn that a crowd probably means something is happening. Whether it is Lady Macbeth watching the blood off her body in a tub, or a strange disco orgy with a goat head and a baby, the events that lead to Macbeth's ultimate demise is enacted for you to discover and while following the crowd often gets you to major scenes, but sometimes going it alone can yield some surprising and cool results!

I happened to catch Lady Macbeth seducing King Duncan to drink the poisoned wine, then followed Duncan as he slowly died a painful death. Watched as his cohorts wrapped his dead body and buried him, then ran along (and I mean RUN) as they seeked revenge up and down 6 levels of The McKittrick Hotel. By the final scene (and yes, there IS a final scene and do NOT leave before then), I was exhausted, enthralled and amazed by the adrenaline pumping experience and absolutely loved the experience. But I ran. And kept watch of the major characters, always following one of them by the half-way point in the show (using the first half to work my way at discovering the lay of the lands). 

I've since traded stories and experience with others who have gone to experience the show, and have heard countless things I've managed to miss, and vice versa. You may not get to see all, or any, of Macbeth, but the mystique, the fully enveloping set, and the voyeuristic experience (that many have noted resembles the famous scene in Eyes Wide Shut) is reason enough to visit The McKittrick Hotel.

Amaluna the newest Cirque Du Soleil show in the touring Grand Chapiteau has made its debut in Montreal, the first stop for every Big Blue and Yellow Tent show before it tours the world. While the last one I saw there, Totem, was still a bit of a mess (since Montreal in a sorts, acts as a preview stage for the rest of the tour), Amaluna starts off its run strong and cohesive and ready to go! The clowns could still use some work, being the least funny clowns in my Cirque memory (and I’ve seen Banana Shpeel, a whole Cirque show about clowns), and a part where a woman in a big white dress dancing begins to drag the first act, but all in all, this was one of the best Cirque shows I’ve seen, despite it having some of the least death-defying types of circus tricks.

What makes Amaluna work is a unified and well-flowing narrative, much like Ovo, my favorite Cirque I’ve seen to date. Is it maybe a coincidence that Amaluna is only the second Cirque show to be directed by a woman, with Ovo being the first? Plus as Amaluna's director, Diane Paulus, this may be the first Cirque show directed by a Broadway musical director (if I'm correct). Diane Paulus leads a female heavy cast, an all-female band, in a celebration of women in a bit of a twist on one of Shakespeare's plays.

Diane Paulus (Hair, The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess) fashions Amaluna as an interpretation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest (although I’m gathering it is a very loose adaptation), except Propero being a woman this time around. It gives Cirque’s usual line up of circus acts a wonderful story as a backbone (instead of its usual unintelligible "story") and lets the characters continually interact with each other throughout the show, giving us a deeper connection to the performers (who in many previous Cirque shows, would disappear once their act was over). Amaluna also gives us a love story to hang onto and hope for, especially when said star-crossed lovers (Miranda and Romeo, switching it up from Ferdinand) are super fit athletic circus performers with bodies of steel (who have their own impressive circus acts of their own)! 

A winning and lovely Ikhertsetseg Bayarsaikhan as Miranda, and the handsome and gentle Édouard Doye as a muscular (hands-only) pole climbing Romeo, centre the efforts of Prospera (Julie McInnes) as she keeps watch over her island kingdom. Cali the lizard (juggler Victor Lee) protectively keeps watch of Miranda as she innocently flirts with this endearing lost Romeo, all while other fellow male sailors (who will later bounce and flip over high bars) flee their nets and into a gang of female warriors keeping watch of the island (swinging from high and low bars). The circus acts, while seemingly simpler than some more gimmicky and dazzling acts from previous shows, are still each uniquely stunning and awe inspiring. A duo of unicyclists, tumblers who juggled, aerialists, tightrope walkers and more, round out the cast, but it's Lara Jacob Rigolo quiet act of intense concentration and balance that surprisingly garners one of the biggest applause of the night. Rigolo balances bone/palm stems one by one like a mobile, turning it into a showcase of core strength and quiet balance. 

As always with Cirque, the music, the set (by Scott Pask), the lighting (by Matthieu Larrivée), the costumes (by Mérédith Caron) are wonderful, and save for some moments in Act 1 and the clown antics, Paulus has created a beautiful ode to women through the art of the circus, and perfectly pairing Shakespeare's strange tale of The Tempest, with the strangeness of Cirque du Soleil's own unique style.

Shakespeare might be rolling in his grave, but I thank Kevin O'Day and The National Ballet, PunchDrunk and Cirque du Soleil for giving us beautiful and exciting works that should only mean to flatter Shakespeare.

Hamlet photos by Vincent von Tiedemann
Amaluna photos by Vincenzo D'Alto
Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Let the Farce Be With You - Clybourne Park, The Game of Love and Chance, One Man Two Guvnors, Potted Potter - Play Reviews

Clybourne Park - Studio 180 and Canadian Stage Company at Berkeley Street Theatre - Toronto, ON - ****1/2 (out of 5 stars) Written by Bruce Norris, Directed by Joel Greenberg Runs until Apr 28th 2012 (Also running on Broadway in different production based on the original Off-Broadway production at Playwrights Horizons)  

The Game of Love and Chance - Canadian Stage Company at Bluma Appel Theatre at the St. Lawrence Centre - Toronto, ON - *** (out of 5 stars) Written by Marivaux, Adapted and Translated by Nicolas Billon, Directed by Matthew Jocelyn Runs until May 12th 2012
 
One Man, Two Guvnors - Music Box Theatre - Broadway, New York, NY - **** (out of 5 stars) Written by Richard Bean, Directed by Nicholas Hytner 

Potted Potter - Panasonic Theatre - Toronto, ON - *** (out of 5 stars) Written by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner Begins previews Off-Broadway at the Little Shubert Theatre on May 19th 2012, Opening June 3rd, until Aug. 19th 2012


As they keep saying, dying is easy, but comedy is HARD. And Farce, a particular branch of comedy, has slowly disappeared from our stages in these contemporary times, but a few current shows are bringing what's seen as a lowbrow art to the highbrow stages. Canadian Stage is doing a new translation of Malivaux's The Game of Love and Chance while the National Theatre of Britain has found a huge hit in and updated version of The Servant of Two Masters called One Man, Two Guvnors in London, and it seems like it'll repeat its box office success on Broadway. Meanwhile, every city, including Broadway, seems to be performing last year's Pulitzer winner Clybourne Park. While not actual farce, and with the label as the Pulitzer winner for drama, a repeat viewing of Clybourne Park (in Toronto, after first seeing it at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in D.C. last year) reminded me how funny the play actually was, with it devolving into an almost farcical in the second act, all while hitting some serious issues in a very funny manner.

Then there's Potted Potter which also ran in London's West End, then Toronto, and soon opens in New York. With its premise of performing all 7 Harry Potter books in 70 minutes, its creators and performers Dan and Jeff have a magical time trying to get through the hundreds of characters re-telling J.K. Rowling's epic story in a low budget romp.




Seeing Clybourne Park for the second time in a completely different production only cemented for me how clever and genius Bruce Norris' play is. As a counterpoint to A Raisin in the Sun (which is not necessarily required to enjoy and appreciate this new play), Norris looks at the house that was being sold to the Black family in Lorraine Hansberry's play. We're in the very White neighbourhood of 1949 Clybourne Park and Karl (from A Raisin in the Sun) takes up issues he has with the sale of the house to the incoming Black family. The current homeowners Russ and Bev, their maid Francine and her husband Albert, and the neighbourhood priest Jim, weigh in on the debate. Without giving too much away, the second act fast forwards to 20009 Clybourne Park, when a White couple have purchased the same house in a now predominantly Black neighbourhood and plans to completely redo the house.

With the same cast playing two sets of folks from two different times in America, all within the same house being discussed, the play goes full force on issues of race and urban development, from architecture to the bricks to build a community. The play questions what society owes to us, and what we make of a neighbourhood. The characters questions each other's ethics, and each other's tastes. There are some serious and intellectually fascinating issues through the entire play, and yet, the play is VERY funny and almost devolves into a madcap slamdown of tasteless jokes, written purposely into the story to break down the very heart of underlying issues simmering beneath the politeness we attempt convey.



The Toronto ensemble cast is terrific, with Maria Ricossa doing a wonderful mother Bev and a hilarious lawyer Kathy. Michael Healey grunts his way while standing his ground nicely as Ross. Audrey Dwyer gets to have a lot of fun changing from the polite maid Francine to the "polite" neighbour Lena. Everyone gets to have fun with the intermission character switch up and local faves Jeff Lillico and Sterling Jarvis continue to do great work, while Mark McGrinder is perfectly slimy as Karl and Kimwun Perehinec does a complete switchover between the two acts (which I won't spoil).




The Game of Love and Chance over at Canadian Stage's other theatre is a cute and fun little farce about two classes of singles who mix it up to try to get the upper hand in what ends up being a comedy of love errors. When Monsieur Orgon (William Webster) gives word to his daughter Silvia (Trish Lindström) that a handsome suitor Dorante (an endearing Harry Judge) is about to visit, Silvia hatches a plan to pretend to be her servant Lisette (a positively bubbly Gemma James-Smith). Meanwhile, Dorante had the same idea to switch places with his servant Arlequino (a hilariously fit Gil Garratt) all while Orgon and Silvia's brother Mario (a sly Zach Fraser) know of both schemes.



The cast has a lot of fun with the switcheroos, with James-Smith and Garratt upping the energy with particularly winsome performances, and Fraser having a ball trying to throw the pairs of gaming lovers a wrench or two, but as they games of love and chance play out on the beautiful set by Anick La Bissonnière, Matthew Jocelyn could have upped the zaniness level that the story lends itself to. Lindström's Silvia is particularly heavy in a role that requires a cynical woman, but in such a delightful farce about love, the role could still be played with an airy lightness in keeping with the show.




One Man, Two Guvnors definitely has no problem being zany. It thrives on it. Particularly when star James Corden (Gavin & Stacey) is at centre stage of this very silly farce full of slapstick and pratfalls. While the play itself is pretty simple and almost negligible (about a large man working for two "guvnors" (employers) so that he can feed his large appetite, all while the two guvnors are unknowingly connected), the show keeps the audience grinning, when they're not howling with laughter, at every moment, including starting the show with a Beatles'ish band The Craze (featuring the talents of Jason Rabinowitz, Austin Moorhead, Charlie Rosen and Jacob Colin Cohen, all deserving of teenage fandom) who intermittently show up to entertain us with more boppy music between the boppy comedic scenes.





Oliver Chris (who's bio in the Playbill alone is worth going for) and Tom Edden are absolutely hysterical in their absurd performances (that I hope Tonys won't forget) as one of the guvnors and a new waiter, respectively. Suzie Toase and Jemima Rooper are wonderfully lovely as Dolly and the 2nd guvnor, respectively, while Claire Lams and Daniel Rigby are adorably funny as the central romance that are forced to split apart in a case of mistaken identities (of sorts). Still, this is James Corden's show and we all know it. The rest is just all set up and it's fun but then James shows up and it's f-word fun. Actually, while Bean's play is a fine template for all the shenanigans, it's the improvised stuff from James Corden that had me in stitches, particularly when our friend Rachel accidentally "stopped" the show. So not sure exactly how that scene is normally played out, but without revealing too much, even Corden broke character and added some hilarious asides that made the night.




The Potted Potter boys, Dan and Jeff, gave me the same zany farcical performance with silly jokes and antics that Corden reminded me of in One Man, Two Guvnors. While Rachel disagreed, and I agree no one is quite the expert as Corden is, Dan and Jeff have created a wonderfully silly little show that lovingly sends up Harry Potter and the gang. While I actually saw it twice, the second time with the understudies, it's really Dan and Jeff who make the show as funny as it is, including working in some hilarious improvised quips. The show goes through every book in JK Rowling's series but some abridgements are particularly funnier than others, although the biggest flaw is that the last book is slightly shortchanged. Still, if you're a Harry Potter fan, Dan and Jeff will win your hearts in an amusing whirlwind guide to Harry Potter's world.

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Hot Summer Fights - Was Spring and Other Desert Cities - Play Reviews

Was Spring - Tarragon Theatre Extra Space - Toronto, ON - *** (out of 5 stars)
Written and Directed by Daniel MacIvor
Runs until May 6th, 2012

Other Desert Cities - Booth Theatre - Broadway - New York City, NY - **** (out of 5 stars)
Written by Jon Robin Baitz, Directed by Joe Mantello

Daniel MacIvor's newest play Was Spring is a beautifully poetic look at three generations of women as they spar against one another as they recount to the audience (in some hilarious asides) their feelings of one another as they struggle to deal with life and a tragic event. Without giving too much away, the brilliancy in the details of the three women's performances, Clare Coulter as the cutesy and vulgar elder woman, Caroline Gillis as the snarky and embittered middle aged one, and Jessica Moss as the young hopeless romantic, made it easy to spot MacIvor's clever framing of the play. While the play has some beautiful, thoughtful and funny insights on women, life, and their struggles, the overall play doesn't become quite as powerful as the initial set up has prepared itself for, nor does it quite give the impact the three actresses seem to be delivering.

Clare Coulter as the older woman, and Jessica Moss as the young naive girl, give particularly strong and satisfying performances. Coulter's delivery of the sass and wit, with the touch of dreary resolve, captures your attention right from the start and she doesn't let the audience go until she calls for the lights at the end. The sparkle in her eye shows the years of living she's letting go, just as the two younger women remind her of the good times and the bad.

Jessica Moss (Fringe's Modern Love) blends a naive youthfulness with a decisive denial that keeps her on this side of the stupidity line, making her all the more adorable and believable. As she trades barbs with Gillis, but sticks to her sunny demeanor, her hope becomes our hope.

As a character study, MacIvor's new play is fascinating and curious, and while it is never boring, I found the play to sort of float away into a dreamlike memory. Hazy, with happy memories, but with the details blurred so that you couldn't remember. Despite a clean and highly effective simple set of reflective tinted glass and three chairs (by Kimberley Purtell), MacIvor's simplicity in his production may have oversimplified the effect and left the performances to overpower the play itself.


In Jon Robin Baitz's (Brothers and Sisters) new play Other Desert Cities, a simple tale is twisted into big drama as lies and more lies entangle a rich white family (are there really any other plays on Broadway?) where the grown kids confront their Republican parents on a dark tragedy in the family's past.

The whole story is slowly revealed to us after the lies some family members have told begin to unravel. One could see it as a lot of unnecessary drama created by the characters themselves to save face, with much ado about almost nothing, but Baitz twists it all up as we follow Brooke Wyeth's, the adult daughter, wrenching return as she tries to publicly deal with her side of a family tragedy by writing a revealing book, one that the rest of the family wants to bury. If only the parents told the truth from the beginning, or sooner, none of this drama would exist, but the Broadway cast works its astounding magic to create a believable and fascinating play.

Lead by Stockard Channing and Rachel Griffiths (now replaced by Elizabeth Marvel) as mother and daughter, it's a powerhouse of raw emotions that pour onto John Lee Beatty's beautiful desert home set. Stockard Channing (Six Degrees of Separation, The West Wing, Grease) is a hurricane of upper crust values as she vehemently defends decisions as she's backed into a corner by her daughter. Rachel Griffiths (Hilary and Jackie, Brothers & Sisters, Six Feet Under) is the liberal leaning daughter who still enjoys the luxury her conservative parents have provided her, and Griffiths slinks her way to point her buried anger towards her parents, justified or not, and Griffith's Brooke soon makes no apologies. The progression Griffith takes Brooke is so natural that you forgive a lot of the play that this drama is almost self created by these characters. (Yes I know a lot of drama is self created and there would be no stories otherwise, but this one seemed particularly so, and if it were any other actors, I probably would have screamed "just tell the truth").

Sitting on the sides is Brooke's aunt, who nudges Brooke to reveal the truth, all while always holding onto a drink glass. What easily could have been a caricature part, the side role for comic effect, is giving a full throttled no-holds-barred performance by Judith Light (Ugly Betty, Wit, Who's The Boss?). If you've only ever thought of Light as a lightweight performer on sitcoms, look again. Light is magnificent.

The men, Stacey Keach as Brooke's father, and Thomas Sadoski (now replaced by Matthew Risch) as Brooke's brother, give equally powerful performances and hold up toe to toe against the women on stage, but this play is really geared towards the three women, who overtake the beautifully lit house (lighting by Kenneth Posner).


While the two plays, Was Spring and Other Desert Cities, both written by men, aren't quite as great as they could have been, each has created three beautifully juicy roles for women. Allowing six superb actresses in Toronto and New York to fill those characters to such stunning and satisfying effect. Was Spring could have probably benefited from a plumper production to balance the simple and beautiful poetic prose and some of the stinging plain truths in the characters diatribes, but nonetheless, there's a nice calm to MacIvor's new show that you cannot dismiss. Baitz' Other Desert Cities has the plumper production and story thread that hides the simple story, but when you're distracted by the magnificent set, or the magnificent acting, I was willing to go with the narrative and simply let Griffiths, Light and Channing take me along for the sizzling night of familial fighting.


Was Spring Photography by Cylla von Tiedemann.
Other Desert Cities Photos by Joan Marcus

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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A Breath of Fresh Air - The Seagull - Ballet Review

The Seagull - National Ballet of Canada - Four Seasons Center - Toronto, ON - ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Choreographed and Designed by John Neumeier, After the play by Anton Chekhov, Music by Dmitri Shostakovich, Evelyn Glennie, Pyotr Iliych Tchaikovsky and Alexander Scriabin
Runs until Mar. 25th 2012

From it's curtainless opening with a threadbare stage against a blueish-white backdrop alluding to an oceanfront setting, the ballet The Seagull is like a breath of fresh sea salt air that calms and relaxes the nerves. As the cast of dancers enter the scenes, slowly introducing us to the array of characters based on Anton Chekov's play, and move to John Neumeier's exquisite choreography, we glare out in wonderment the same way one stands along a beach and takes in the splendors of our world.

John Neumeier fully transforms Anton Chekhov's play into a movement piece that playfully allows dances between characters in the interlinking relationships and train of love or loved lost. Neumeier's choreography gives each character such distinctive movement traits, and along with his easily identifiable (but not overt) costume designs, it was strangely easier to follow along with Chekhov's maze of soap opera dramatics than his original play (which I never really "got"). In fact, while I've always loved the concept and story ideas Chekhov's presented, I've never actually enjoyed any of his plays, feeling the words dragged on forever. Neumeier counterintuitively excised Chekhov's famous words, and replaced it with dance, and in doing so, opened up Chekhov's story to an operatic quality. With Neumeier's staging on his sparse (but beautifully crisp) set, the imagery and moments he creates manages to communicate the heartaches and heartbreaks of the characters far more than I could ever connect to with during the play.

Neumeier also gets to have a bit of fun with the shows within the show, as the troupe of actors in Chekhov's story have now been transformed into dancers and choreographers. With various types of music, the choreography gets to play out in very different tons and styles, going from a modern Japanese Kabuki inspired number, to a full follies-bergere cabaret style number in Act 2, as well as a thrilling dream ballet, and a spoof on the tutu number that utilizes some humour character acting from the corps de ballet.

It also helps that the opening night cast for The Seagull seemed born to play their roles, using the talented National Ballet company to perfection. Guillaume Côté makes his debut as Kostya, the artistically brooding but handsome centre of this piece, and it uses its matinee idol Principal Dancer with his side artistic interests and quirks to perfection here. Playing against him, Sonia Rodriguez gives a wonderful genteel but inquisitive Nina the heart needed as she goes between interest in Kostya and Trigorin. Aleksandar Antonijevic, stoic and confidently distant leaves the 3rd quadrant of a love square (I think? It all gets quite complicated!). Greta Hodgkinson is perfect with grace and snootiness as the prima ballerina Arkadina. McGee Maddox is hilariously cast as a pompous, cocky Dorn, using his huge football type build and youthful swagger to perfection.

Jonathan Renna slips into the bumbling but affable brother Sorin role so well. I couldn't stop watching his body portray the character with such ease (and made me want to pair him up with Rebekah Rimsay in a future show, as they would make a great comic duo). The tall and handsome Noah Long hides under his hat and glasses as the bookish Medvedenko (although it did seem like if this was a modern romantic comedy, Long would easily be the friend-turned-leading-man-romantic-interest-under-her-nose-all-along). Instead, he gets continually spurned by Masha until she finally gives up and accepts her life bound by a marriage to someone she does not love. Chelsy Meiss, formerly from the corps, now a second soloist, is an absolute revelation in my first experience with her in a prominent role, and I cannot wait to see more of Ms. Meiss. Her Masha is an emotional devastation with a looming sadness and Meiss easily conveys all the levels of her gloom and sparks of passion for Kostya (and really, who can blame her?), giving a passion to her movements and dancing that made me wonder why I have never noticed her before.

Though with such a great opening night cast, it would be great to see Elena Lobsanova or Jillian Vanstone in Nina's role, or Jiří Jelinek or Piotr Stanczyk as Trigorin but alas, too many great dancers, too little time.

It was nice to see Robert Stephen and Christopher Stalzer as part of Kostya's Dream Dancer although with this performance, I can't believe Stalzer hasn't been made second soloist yet.

While there were brief moments in the story that slowed things down, and some of the dancing could have been a bit tighter or more in sync, particularly in the first quarter, the ballet manage to keep me awake through something by Chekhov, which is a feat on its own. Neumeier should be highly praised for his intriguing and clever transformation of a classic drama that allows for some amazing choreography that furthers the intricate soap opera dynamics while keeping each character distinct. With costumes that seemed unified, yet make each dancer decipherable from each other, Neumeier's own design vision (along with his crisp sets), makes The Seagull a beautiful looking ballet that often has subtle dramas happening in different corners of the stage, while never feeling cluttered or overwhelming.

The Seagull ballet is such a fascinating and stunning work that mixes various choreographic styles with a wonderful mix of music types, all to aid in telling the stories and emotional connections between a group of individuals. As love is gained or love is lost, transporting Chekhov's story into solely music and movement manages to actually clarify the intricacies and the layers in his tale of emotional bonds. Truly a mature and captivating theatrical experience presented in the hands of an exceptional company.


Photos of Sonia Rodriguez and Guillaume Côté in The Seagull
Photos by Bruce Zinger

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Stage Trickery - The Neverending Story and KÀ - Stage Reviews

The Neverending Story - Young People's Theatre - Toronto, ON - ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Based upon the novel by Michael Ende, Adapted and Directed by David S. Craig
Runs until Mar. 17th 2012

Cirque du Soleil's KÀ - MGM Grand - Las Vegas, NV - **** (out of 5 stars)
Written and Directed by Robert Lapage

Two fantastical shows with some ingenious set magic that takes us to another world, with (my guess) budgets from the opposite ends of the spectrum. The Young People's Theatre does it again with their ingenious use of deceptively simple looking costumes and the most creative use of a back curtain I have EVER seen, and transports us into the story within the story of The Neverending Story. Meanwhile, I've gone back and forth about KÀ which probably has a set that cost 10,000x more than The Neverending Story, and visually blew my mind. But a series of expectations that come with seeing a Cirque show, in Las Vegas, made the beautifully theatrical show somewhat of a disappointment.

I've never actually read the book or seen the movie The Neverending Story, so while I have no real attachment to the story that seems to have quite the following amongst the young and my peers who grew up with the film, the production feels solid with it's terrific cast that includes Natasha Greenblatt (The Railway Children), Derek Scott (Slava's Snow Show), Richard Lee (Other People), Walter Borden (Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter) and Adamo Ruggiero (Dog Sees God, Degrassi: TNG).

While some of the episodic elements feel a bit like a best-of series to the uninitiated like me, the audiences seemed to be enraptured. Much of it helped with the extremely clever production and stage craft that manages to use some simple curtains and theatrical elements (and 6 hidden stage hands) to create the fantastical world within the book The Neverending Story, as the audience follows Bastian (Greenblatt) as she escapes her bullies by diving into the mysterious book. The magic behind David S. Craig's direction, Glenn Davidson's sets and lighting, and Lori Hickling's costumes, are so simple, yet so effective that I found myself in the same wonderment as many of the kids surrounding me. With mature and serious performances from the entire cast, it gives the magic the grounded balance such a weird and wacky story requires.

Those going into Cirque du Soleil's KÀ might have to adjust their expectations if they've seen other Cirque shows before. As a Vegas sit down production with a theatre created for the show, there's a special no-stage stage and fully encompassing theatre setting (by Mark Fisher) that is mind-blowingly awesome. But as a Cirque show, one needs to expect less actual circus tricks and more theatricality, brought to you by Montreal director Robert Lapage. This definitely feels like a Robert Lapage show, with some stunning visuals using some of the most jaw-dropping awe inspiring stage technology intermixing with some clever theatrical tricks. There are lots of stunning imagery pulled together with the most narrative Cirque show I've seen yet (and not the usual mysteriously vague story that you never quite understand that strings together most other Cirque shows), but with the height and vast size of the stage area and two floating spinning platforms, you sort of expect far more flying and acrobatics that Cirque has come to be known for. So there is a slight disappointment in the lack of draw dropping circus elements, despite the numerous ones KÀ does actually have. Still, that stage is jaw-droppingly stunning.

The story follows brother and sister twins separated by attackers who wage war on an Asian looking kingdom. Each twin tries to survive and escape the attack in various places until they find their soulmates, reunite, than wage a final attack on the nemeses in a final sequence that seems like a superhero movie. The story allows for plenty of circus tricks to be integrated into the story, including the Wheel of Death, but there seemed to be a lot of use of "simpler" circus tricks like stick play and tossing sticks. There seemed to be a lot of sticks thrown around. Great stuff, but when you have such a spectacular stage setting, with giant flipping platforms and a vast vertical space, you'd expect more flying, but the only flying done was during a Tarzan type scene, and a giant bird made up of several people hung on a wired contraption. Amazing to look at, and athletic I'm sure, but we want to see some people flip in the air without wires.

There's also a sequence on a beach with literal costumed turtles and crabs, a fun way to throw in some contortionists, but quite a jolt from the rest of the shows vibe and look.

And then there's a part where a twin and his surviving guide start doing shadow puppets. Beautiful against the giant platform hung in midair, and I understand it's a slower moment to connect with the characters, but really? Shadow puppets? When you're paying over $100 a ticket for a Cirque show in Vegas, shadow puppets is the last thing you expect or want. So again, is it my own expectation for what the Cirque brand, especially the Cirque brand in Vegas, means to me, or am I under-appreciating the theatrical nature of Lapage's work here that integrates the athleticism that Cirque offers with his beautifully imaginative visions?

When the show does get moving, it's because people are moving. While the story allows for a bit too many chase sequences, some of them, particularly on the climbing wall, as people flip and fall while sliding up and down the angled platform, is absolutely breathtaking.

The Wheel of Death is always thrilling, and here used as a torture chamber as part of the story. Earlier in the show, a boat takes our attackers and captives into a wild and stormy sea, but the contraption seems to be ready made for more gymnast styled acrobatics but mostly the characters just seem to wave around a lot before many are tossed overboard.


So while KÀ certainly cost in the millions, millions more than Young People's entire budget I'm sure, both stories were fun enough, buoyed by creative use of stage magic. The Neverending Story propels it's story (within the story) with some imaginative theatrical tricks, and anchors it with a terrific cast. KÀ certainly dazzles simply with the mechanics and technology of its non-stage stage, but sometimes the simplicity in some of the theatrical moments tends to underwhelm against the overwhelming backdrop, but that overwhelming backdrop certainly makes the show something to behold and see.


Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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God(spell) Giveth

Are you one with God? Do you believe in Jesus? Well, no matter what beliefs you may have, I may be able to help convince you on Hunter Jesus Parrish and the cast of Godspell, the revival of the Stephen Schwartz classic!

Well Prepare Ye!

In honour of their current Tuesday Nights Talkback Series, I'm giving away a pair of tickets to Godspell at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway! (One of my faves from last year that I've seen twice already and gave ****4 stars (out of 5))

Each cast member has or will be featured in a talkback that follows the Tuesday 7pm shows, hosted by Julie James of Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s “On Broadway,”.

The upcoming Tuesday Night Talkback Series schedule:
February 21 - Nick Blaemire
February 28 - Anna Maria Perez de Tagle
March 6 - Uzo Aduba
March 13 - Telly Leung
March 20 - Hunter Parrish
March 27 – Understudies Hannah Elless, Eric Michael Krop, Corey Mach and Julia Mattison

To enter the Godspell contest:

- Email me at tapeworthycontest at gmail dot com and tell me which talkback you would want to go to and why (you may choose from past talkbacks as well).

- Contest closes at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, February 22nd 2012. A winner will be randomly picked from all entries received.

- Please subject the email: GODSPELL CONTEST and please include your name, email and City and State or Province.

- For a BONUS Entry: Share the contest on twitter and include your twitter handle and twitter post in the email.
- For a BONUS Entry: Share the contest on Facebook on Public setting and include a link to your Facebook page in the email.


- Tapeworthy is not responsible for the prize. Voucher issued by Godspell includes 2 tickets to the show on Broadway for a date of your choice (subject to availability). Travel is not included in the prize. You must present your confirmation to the Box Office when you pick up your tickets. Once an order is confirmed, it cannot be changed. Tickets can ONLY be picked up on the day of the performance. Tickets must be picked up at the Box Office no later than 30 minutes prior to show time or your tickets WILL be released for resale. Released tickets cannot be rescheduled.
Prize has no monetary value and cannot be resold to another party.

- Only one winner will be chosen.
I will ask for further details if you are the winner. Only the one winner will be contacted.

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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A World Hanging By A Thread - Penny Plain - Play Review

Penny Plain - Factory Theatre - Toronto, ON - *** (out of 5 stars)
Written and Performed by Ronnie Burkett
Runs until Feb. 18th 2012

I've heard SO much about Ronnie Burkett's marionette plays and I've tried to see them before and always made the mistake of waiting too long to get tickets and missed out every single time. So this time, I made sure I didn't miss out on Ronnie Burkett's newest play that uses his mastery of puppetry and his specifically created Marionettes in his never-for-kids show. These are dark plays. They may use puppets, but he's known for very dark plays.

In Penny Plain, the world is hanging by a thread, and I don't mean the puppets. An outbreak has ravaged every country with millions of deaths, there are food shortages and the food corporations are making excuses, and thus humankind is nearing the end of its rope. An old lady Penny Plain sits in her chair talking to her talking dog Geoffrey, which pretty much sets the tone for this absurdist look at the destruction of the earth and Penny's aim to survive it.

Burkett is the sole performer, voicing and moving every character (and there are many, with some characters having multiple marionettes in different states of dress and emotions), on an amazingly simple but beautiful puppet stage with two levels and various surprises in the mechanics of the stage that make watching Burkett perform his puppetry almost a whole show in itself. Burkett is pretty spectacular voicing every character especially when they go back and forth in conversations, and some of the details in the marionette's craft and movements are stunning.

The play itself didn't always quite work for me. I loved the dark subject matter and I loved the news clips that show the world in turmoil, but perhaps maybe my own politics clouded my view of the story. Watching the story of an old lady, already near her death (as well as several other older characters), didn't give the end-of-the-world quite the dramatic urgency as it should have. While it might have been interesting to denote how that generation aided in the worlds destruction, it never went that far in its commentary. There were some clever moments when Geppeto (yes, the one who created Pinnochio) creates a new puppet that has a stinging reflection on this new world, and when two neighbours from the south are satirized, but overall, the play felt a bit too soft on its characters. Biting but maybe not as biting enough, perhaps from all the expectations I've had built up before finally seeing a Burkett play.

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Dazed and Confused - Cruel and Tender - Play Review

Cruel and Tender - Canadian Stage Company at Bluma Appel Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Toronto, ON - **1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Written by Martin Crimp, based on Sophocles' Trachiniae, Directed by Atom Egoyan.
Runs until Feb. 18th 2012

A bold stark white set looms over the stage, with walls leaning inwardly on two sides resembling an airport control tower, with clean rectangular openings cut out near the top. Looking a bit like a Richard Meier or Gwathmey and Siegel building. The simplicity in the beautifully epic looking set (by Debra Hanson) prepares the audience for the operatic leveled emotions set forth in this modern retelling of a Greek tragedy by Sophocle. The power level sustained in the heavy story, much like the wavering lighting, is sadly uneven despite the best efforts by an impressive cast. Whether the absurdities in the play were heightened by director Egoyan or they were already in Crimp's play itself, the play failed to overcome my own personal dislike for the Greek tragedy play structure (often with long monologues spoken directly to the audience), and it diluted the overall impact of Cruel and Tender.

Jeff Lillico, who I have been touting as one of Toronto's best young talents (Soulpepper's Parfumerie, The Fantasticks), doesn't disappoint as the son of a General who has been away at war. His turn from spoiled son to anger at his mother should have been brought out more in the play to become the heart of the story, instead of a peripheral story around the mother at the centre of it all.

Daniel Kash, the General being spoken of in much of the play, is amazingly terrifying. Despite appearing only in the later half of the play, and never appearing in the same scene with his wife Amelia, Kash's General displays his reign of terror within seconds, pulling together much of the first half into perspective, and easily showing the cruel side of the play.

Arsinée Khanjian's Amelia is the disillusioned, in denial, devoted wife of the General. Amelia waits for her General husband to return but while waiting, slowly discovers the truths of the General's terror in war (all to, ironically, fight terrorism). While being pampered by her staff (a housekeeper Rachel, played by Brenda Robins; a physiotherapist, played by Stratford's Cara Ricketts; and a Beautician, played by Sarah Wilson). Perhaps it was Khanjian's performance, but while I believe we were supposed to feel the most for Amelia, I felt her performance left me cold through most of the play. There didn't seem to be a connection with Khanjian and the audience, despite having all the monologues that spoke directly to us. Then again, I've never really felt that device (with the 3 girls sort of acting as a chorus like entity) works in modern day theatre.

With lots of glasses breaking at the end of scenes, wildly varying lighting schemes, characters singing bad karaoke, and the appearance of Laela (a lovely Abena Malika), one of the General's new lovers he took from the war ravaged land he was in, there needed to be a coherence to put all the varying pieces together. It was absurdity without that underlying point which didn't quite make the whole play work despite interesting moments throughout. The play was never boring, but partly because I was just trying to figure it all out, trying to put all the pieces together. In the end, I didn't quite get it, but it was definitely a fascinating, if quite a mindf#ck of an experience.

The interesting thing about experiencing Cruel and Tender was that I didn't quite know what to make of it after the show, and even now. I could understand those that found it brilliant (and there are definitely fans), and those that hated it (which I didn't quite fall into either).

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Me and My People - Other People - Play Review

Other People - The Tank Theatre at the Young Centre - Toronto, ON - **** (out of 5 stars)
Written by Christopher Shinn, Directed by Aaron Willis

I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable watching "Other People" act awkwardly towards each other. For that, Other People, the play, was a fascinating look at the connections we try to form with other people, and our self destructive nature we seem to inherently have in building the bonds we want. With a terrific cast of young Toronto up-and-coming actors giving outstanding performances, Other People easily becomes a self-investigating look at our own relationships.

Shinn's play works best in its realistic moments of conversation or the awkward moments that come about. Roommates and friends Petra (Tatiana Maslany) and Stephen (Ben Lewis) invite Stephen's ex-boyfriend Mark (Indrit Kasapi) to stay with them as he returns from a bout in rehab. The intelligent Petra hides her job as a stripper from her roommates, and then finds her mind and personality as the object of a man's (Mike McPhaden) fascination. Meanwhile, Stephen says he's still loves Mark, but Mark, who has turned religious, finds himself entangled with a street kid named Tan (Brendan McMurtry-Howlett). Stephen finds Mark's religious epiphany a little perplexing, and returns to meet a bad date named Darren (Richard Lee).

Tatiana Maslany (Dog Sees God) gives an intelligent and thoughtful performance in Petra. She easily draws in the audience, never needing to fully explain her choice to strip for money, and yet still making Petra feel instantly relatable in her inability to move beyond the emotional boundaries she sets herself. McPhaden is instantly likable as the shlubby man, and his connection with Maslany's Petra gives Other People its heart, while Shinn gives Petra probably the best speeches and the best lines, including the explanation for the play's title.

Stephen is the centre of all the relationships axis and Ben Lewis (Dog Sees God, Degrassi: TNG) is a perfect foil as our audiences' entry point. Indrit Kasapi gives a solemn and mysterious performance as newly religious Mark and Lewis's Stephen outwardly vocalizes and reacts in the same manner I would have to such a turn of events.

Kasapi's performance is "weird" because I would find the same types of people's spin in life sort of weird and mysterious, and Kasapi nails down the role. When a completely energetic and confident Tan (a refreshing Brendan McMurtry-Howlett) pops into Mark's life, Mark is slowly drawn out yet afraid, with Kasapi slowly revealing the layers Mark is trying to keep tight.

Shinn's play falters at moments when it sacrifices realism with jolts to move the plot along, but when it settles backs into the conversations between Petra and the man, Stephen and Darren (a funny Richard Lee in a small role), Stephen and Mark, Mark and Tan, and when the roommates all converge in the apartment they live together in, yet not truly understanding each other's lives, does Other People hit its stride.

I left the show not exactly liking it, because it so easily makes you self-reflect into our own disconnections in our life. I liked the play because it's a perfect starting point to a great discussion. Despite some characters being strippers, or multi-millionaires and crack addicts, I found myself easily recognizable in all of these other people on stage, and making similar mistakes. The play isn't fun per se, since it gives the audiences so much to think about, but that's sort of the point, and it's taken me a few days to write this review because I keep trying to wrap my brain around each characters stories. Luckily, despite the sadness the play brings up, the production is clever and witty with some tremendous performances from some of the best young actors to watch out for. These are people to take notice of.

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Can Do Attitude - Hairspray - Musical Review

Hairspray - The Max at Signature Theatre - Arlington, VA (Greater Washington D.C.) - ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Music by Marc Shaiman, Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Based on the 1988 film Hairspray by John Waters, Directed by Eric Schaeffer, Choreographed by Karma Camp and Brianne Camp
Runs until Feb 5th 2012

You really can't stop the beat in your head once you've seen Signature's take on the musical Hairspray. Signature does it again on their tiny stage, filling it with an abundance of energy and sass on a superb looking set. Schaeffer, hot off his Broadway hit Follies, switches gears to a more fun and frothy musical that takes some serious issues of prejudice and overcomes it with positive can-do attitude, supplied in ample size in Carolyn Cole as our protagonist Tracy Turnblad.

Carolyn Cole is a true find as Tracy Turnblad, easily mixing sassy attitude with a lovability factor that is only topped by her comedic timing. Cole is VERY funny in all manners, from her demeanor and tiny laughs, to the sounds she makes as she bounces and twists around the stage, or her zippy line readings that add heart to her character and the story. Cole balances her Tracy just right, making her out-of-the-box-thinking believable while making her a champion of the outsiders without verging onto grating annoyance. It's hard not to smile when Cole's Tracy is on the stage, and when she moves, you can understand why Corny Collins is on her side.

Cole is surrounded by a terrific ensemble, probably the best set of enthusiastic and young dancers I've seen in this company. The choreography is probably the best I've seen come out from Karma Camp (this time co-choreographing with Brianne Camp), as it keeps the story flowing with a non-stop beat that gives the entire show its energy and helps sets the time and place.

The set by Daniel Conway (who also did the gorgeous set from Woolly Mammoth's In the Next Room, the Vibrator Play) , which I believe is a reconfiguration of his beautiful set from Sunset Boulevard, is simple but extremely effective, while leaving ample space for the dancing. The overhead crown of window and shop signs is a nice touch that really fills the room, making the audience feel right in 1962 Baltimore. Kathleen Geldard's costumes are fun and bright, and with sets that have an overall muted blues and pinks, it allows the characters to pop out from the stage.

Robert Aubry Davis makes a loving Mama Edna Turnblad, while Signature stalwart Harry A. Winter is an adorable Papa Wilber Turnblad.

Sherri L. Edelen (wonderfully opposite in Siganture's Walter Cronkite is Dead) is hysterical as the evil racist nemesis Velma Von Tussle, and really milks every look and walk and insult. Edelen takes a perfectly appropriate diva turn, while still emanating a mother's overbearing love for her "perfect" daughter Amber, played with wonderfully snootiness by Erin Driscoll.

Stephen Gregory Smith (so great in Signature's The Boy Detective Fails) is charming as ever as Corny Collins, the host of the dance show Tracy is trying to get onto.

James Hayden Rodriguez as Seaweed, is another great find. Handsome, smooth and charming, he's exactly what is required in Seaweed, and his connection with Lauren Williams' Penny Lou Pingleton is sweet and amusing. Williams herself is adorable and funny as Penny, Tracy's best friend.

Patrick Thomas Cragin is terrific as Link Larkin, the boy both Tracy and Amber like. Cragin has the voice and the moves of a leading man, and ironically, looks a little like a miniature version of Matthew Morrison, who originated Link on Broadway.

Nova Y. Payton rounds out the main cast, and while she doesn't appear until late in Act 1, she certainly makes up for it in every song she sings. With a quiet start, Payton nicely holds back in her diva songs, and in her dialogue delivery, giving the build up into her songs the patience they require. It makes Motormouth Maybell's "I Know Where I've Been" all the more moving.

I absolutely adored this production of Hairpsray, with my face grinning the entire time from cheek to cheek. A great response considering I felt indifferent to the show when I saw the Toronto sit-down of the original Broadway production. When the film version came out, I thought it was a vast improvement over the stage show, but Signature shows that the stage version can work with a terrific cast, a beautiful set, and an added intimacy Signature is known for. While the show inherently still has some tiny moments that don't quite work for me, (I still don't love the song "The Big Dollhouse", though here it's quite an amusing production number, nor the duet "(You're) Timeless to Me" which I never thought quite worked in any version I've seen), overall, its message of positive perseverance, it's buoyant songs and dancing, and a superb Signature production, easily won me over.

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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