Whatever Wednesday - The Outsiders

Treated myself to a Sunday matinee at the Music Hall at Fair Park, Dallas.  Nosebleed seat  - could see and hear great.  S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders in 1967.  This was a teenager (age 18) writing about teens in Tulsa, OK.   It struck a nerve.  

  It did become a movie in 1983 with a cast of young up and comers - C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, and Diane Lane.  Wow - quite the lineup of future success stories. 

 Now The Outsiders - a musical won the 2024 Tony Award and is touring the country. It is a stunning production and I highly recommend it.  Basically it is a bit of a West Side story tale - only in Oklahoma. The Greasers vs. The Socs.  Nolan White as Ponyboy Curtis had a gorgeous plaintive voice. He's a kid who likes to read, enjoys a sunset, and feels sad for his brothers, his friends - all poor, all struggling. It's a tough world, especially being bullied by the rich kids.  This is a musical about justice, understanding, communication, hope, and respect - all from a teen perspective. 

Great songs, voices, and the choreography was innovative and fabulous. Quite the production. 

Support the Arts!

Whatever Wednesday - Shucked

I enjoyed a Sunday matinee at Bass Hall on August  3rd.  Shucked is a Tony Award winning  musical and the road cast is excellent. As you can tell from the title, this is a very corny show.  Seriously, the first song is "Corn".   The lead character's name is Maizy.  Aw, shucks - she is  so sweet, but can she  save the town in Cob County?

Maizy is almost engaged to Beau and he grows the  best corn.  But there's a crop  problem and no answers.  Maizy decides  to be the first person  to actually leave the town to find answers.   She ends up in Tampa, FL.  (Don't ask too many questions. Yes, this is very silly.  But entertaining).  Anyway, she meets Gordy (he's a corn specialist - i.e. scamming  old ladies and their feet) and brings him back to their town.  Oh, there's a lot of jealousy.  Maizy and her best friend Lulu get crossways. 

Lulu (Miki Abraham) stands out. What a voice!  Her song "Independently Owned" was a wow.  And  her duet with Maizy (Danielle Wade) "Best Friends" is gorgeous. 

"Corn Mix" is one of the finale songs.  This  whole show was just  heartfelt, funny, punny, and we left with smiles. 
 

Finally Friday - Mean Girls, the Musical

 So we had the original 2004 hilarious movie by Tina Fey.  Then there was a Broadway musical. Now we have the 2024 musical movie Mean Girls and it is truly funny. 

Tina Fey's creation is hysterical. It's campy fun. Renee Rapp as Regina George captures the Hot Girl Leader of school. 

Angourie Rice as Cady Heron is the innocent young lady who grew up overseas and is clueless. 

Christopher Briney as Aaron Samuels is great as our token stud. 

Clicks abound. High school is brutal.  But this musical has great voices, good acting, and is just an enjoyable two hour romp for all of us who survived.  Believe me - I understand the Mean Girls vibe and I was not a cool girl. I was on the receiving end of the high school horror. I can laugh now!

Finally Friday - Sing The Color Purple

 The latest iteration of The Color Purple is too long.  Edit  Edit  Edit

However, I did like it and was entertained. Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize in 1982. A movie adaptation was done by Stephen Spielberg. Then a Broadway musical sprung from that movie. And now full circle - this is a movie adapted from the Broadway show.  It follows the story of Celie (Fantasia Barrino) from 1909 to 1947 in dirt poor Georgia. It's a tale of abuse, sisterhood, racism, and forgiveness. That's a simplified sentence for all that the movie shows through excellent acting and song. I loved Danielle Brooks as Sofia and her song "Hell No" is an anthem of strength, power, and not giving in. What a voice!

Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery has the showiest role and does a good job. Colman Domingo as Mistah is the villain in this tale and he's solid in the role. Fantasia as Celie reprises her Broadway role and is suitably innocent, strong, vulnerable, and has a unique voice. The production is rich. Just a bit of editing please.  Alice Walker's book deserves the attention. 

Whatever Wednesday - Oliver!

 Saturday September 16th, my friend, Candice, and I enjoyed a matinee at the Artisan Theater Center. Oliver!  A golden oldie musical featuring our favorite Dicken's urchin, Oliver Twist. 

 "Please, sir. May I have some more?"

I really do need to  get back to re-reading  Charles Dickens. What  a tale. Poor Oliver, an orphan, sold, run away, joins Fagin's gang of thieves, arrested, "saved", taken again, and reunited with the remaining family he had. 

Great songs - Food, Glorious Food, Oliver, Where is Love, You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two, As Long as He Needs Me, and more. 

Memorable characters - Oliver, Artful Dodger, Mr. Bumble, Fagin, Nancy, Bill Sikes (boo hiss), Mr. Brownlow, plus all of the urchins and street folks. 

The Artisan cast gave a rousing  performance. Solid vocals, acting, and production set. We had a fine time. Support local theater! 

Finally Friday - Soul Train to Christmas

 Sunday December 4th, Ray, Linda and Tom Hoffman, and I enjoyed an afternoon matinee at the Jubilee Theater in Fort Worth - Take the Soul Train to Christmas.  This was a very fun show featuring a trip  through African American Christmas history. It featured songs from This Christmas to Jingle Bells to Thank you Lord - plenty of soul, gospel,  and glorious tunes. 

The show featured a talented cast and an original story. I love this theater and the creativity. 

A very special moment - Ray was seated next to Miss Opal Lee.  Look her  up. She's 96 and an inspiration. An educator and activist - she worked hard to get Juneteenth recognized as a holiday. A gracious woman and an inspiration for all. She and Ray had a good chat and we wished blessings upon her as we left the show. 

What a fun afternoon to kick off our Christmas season. I feel the glory and spirit. 

Dreamgirls

Treated myself to a Sunday matinee musical at Bass Hall.  The Jubilee Theater presented Dreamgirls, and it was fabulous. 

 I had great seats in the orchestra parterre level. 

Dreamgirls was a hit on Broadway and in the movies (starred Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, etc).  It's a tale of music dreams, girl groups, greedy managers, friendship, love, lust, and power. Good songs, dancing,  and amazing voices made this a wonderful  afternoon. 

The signature song, "I'm Not Going, "  sung by Effie (Contessah Irene Davis) is a show-stopper. The woman can SING and this one hit deep in the soul. 

I was glad that Bass Hall was filled to the brim. Folks could witness the talented Jubilee ensemble in a larger lovely setting. The final curtain drew everyone to  their feet.  Fabulous afternoon. 

Jubilee Theater - How I Got Over....streaming style

I've written about the Jubilee Theater in Fort Worth before. They feature black performers, and original shows with a message - very positive - Black Lives Matter.

In this case, How I Got Over, has a 1968 story with a back drop of gospel music. It's a fantastic production with superb actors and fabulous voices. And when the show had to stop live performances, they got on board with streaming. I jumped at the chance and enjoyed a Friday night in the comfort of my own office computer.  It was way beyond worth the twenty dollar ticket.

It's an Easter Sunday, 1968, and MLK has just been killed. The background involves protest (gee, sound familiar - do we ever learn?) and Niecy has returned to her hometown church. She's greeted warmly by some and suspiciously by others - Mama ain't happy. Lots of underlying family tension, and Niecy has to defend herself for making a stand.  Praise for some old church tunes - Precious Lord, Move On Up a Little Higher, His Eye Is on the Sparrow, and When the Saints Go Marching In.

This is a high energy, hand clapping, foot stomping, soul stirring show.  (show blurb)
I agree and I've always loved and supported the talent at this theater. I sure hope they can stay afloat and keep bringing us musical theater that matters.

Support your local town arts however you can!

Showtime - Anastasia

Two Sundays ago, I cleaned up for the theater and treated myself to a matinee musical at Ball Hall. The touring production of Anastasia was topnotch.

In a journey to the past, we see a glorious life in czarist Russia- beauty and splendor. In just a few scenes, shots ring out and the family is dead. Clever scene changes bring us to a young girl sweeping streets for money. She meets two con men who decide she could pass for Anastasia, the young daughter of the Czar. Myth and rumor says she's alive and her grandmother in Paris is offering a reward for her safe return.

Strange circumstances, dreams, comments make this girl more than just a pawn for these men. Maybe?  Just maybe?  She could truly be Princess Anastasia.

The show through song and dance weaves this old tale into magic. Voices were strong. Acting was very good. The sets were gorgeous - one of the prettiest shows I've seen. It was a splendid afternoon where an audience was whisked by theater to Russia and Paris. Anastasia.... I believed in her.

Hamilton is the H beyond H

Before the show even won Tony awards, I bought the soundtrack to Hamilton, the Broadway musical sensation. I listened to the soundtrack and was wowed by the story, music, score, variety, and genius of Lin Manuel-Miranda.

I vowed that somehow I would see it when it came to Dallas.  Oh yeah - I won the lottery, literally. I was able to enter the ticket lottery and the day came and Ray was off work and could sign on and get us tickets.  Golden!!!

and then I waited and waited and finally April 4 arrived. We got to Fair Park Music Hall, sat in our seats, and the soundtrack came alive.  Amazing voices, sets, costumes, and production.  So clever, so superb - mix of hip-hop, rap, show tunes, current and past reference. Hamilton is the real deal!!

I loved it and the touring production was excellent.  Alexander Hamilton - young scrappy and hungry, just like his country.  Ready to give it his shot.  Rise up. And Eliza by his side......putting up with his crap.  The Founding Fathers - feuding for a new nation.   King George - ready to take us "back" and unbelieving that this rabble wants to leave and survive on their own.

The great experiment that is America has a lot to thank his obedient servant - A. Ham and his brilliant mind and writings like he was running out of time.

And Aaron Burr - the damn fool that shot him.  (Great singer - the actor was excellent)

If Hamilton comes to your town...........do it, get in a lottery, buy tickets, be amazed at musical magic.

Beehive - The 60s Musical

Beehive - The 60s Musical.  If you live anywhere close to Fort Worth, TX book your tickets now. This show is a must see. I've talked about the Jubilee Theater in downtown Fort Worth before. It's the little theater with big voices. I've never seen a bad show, and Beehive proved to be a blast.

It's a trippy look at all the great women who made 60s music so fun, energetic, thoughtful, and enjoyable. Your toes will tap, your hands will clap. From the Chiffons to the Shirelles, to Supremes, from Aretha to Cher to Tina. Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, and Lulu. And a final Janis Joplin song.  The young ladies in the show pulled out all the stops in vocals, choreography, humor, and grace.

Kyndal, Jenna, Ayanna, Devin, Nikka, and Mattie - they sang their hearts out.
A very special shout out to Kyndal Robertson for channeling her Tina Turner - that number was lights out fantastic.

Tease that hair, go back in your time machine, sit back, and enjoy Beehive - The 60s Musical.
The Jubilee pulls off another awesome live show.

An American in Paris - a Musical

One of my New Year's resolutions was to do more stuff.......well, I am lucky some awesome shows are rolling through the DFW area.  An American in Paris is glorious - sumptuous, beautiful, rich, and sublime. The dancing and singing were on point. The sets were visually stunning.

It's Paris, right after WWII and three men vie for the attention of a beautiful dancer. There's a lot more to the story than that - residue of war and other issues rise to the surface. The plot has a strong structure, and the musical numbers keep the story line flowing.

Gershwin tunes galore - I Got Rhythm,  S'Wonderful,  But Not for Me,  I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise,  They Can't Take That Away From Me

Hum along and escape to Paris.  S'Wonderful, indeed....

Movie Review Madness - La La Land

Musical.  Step away if you do not want actors breaking into song. 

Are you still with me?  La La Land is absolutely delightful. It’s light, frothy, fun, and just joyous.  It’s a golden salute to Los Angeles, Hollywood, the film industry, jazz, and joy. Am I gushing?  Yes, I am.

Emma Stone (Mia) and Ryan Gosling (Sebastian) are not necessarily strong singers or dancers, but they are on key and have rhythm and they bring youth and exuberance to their roles.  From the time they meet to how they keep bumping into each other to how they bond and to how they move upward in the world of creativity…oh it’s fun.

From the opening number – cars stopped on the freeway, everyone getting out, singing, and dancing – to auditions, to jazz bars, to soulful glances – this movie has it all. It’s fun to root for Mia and Sebastian to “make it” – get chosen, be successful, work hard and sweat for the applause. And this is a duo you want to be in love, to be successful , to make it all work out.  I won’t give anything further away. Go watch these crazy kids and bask in their youth, their optimism, their hard work, and sacrifice. This is a good movie about the arts – there are no overnight success stories. It’s a lot of sweat and tears and gumption.

Fun song and dance numbers, fun palm tree backdrops, and you just can’t go wrong with time spent with Emma and Ryan. They are excellent at their craft and give it their all.  La La Land represents the soul of Hollywood. I predict happiness on Oscar night. We’ll see.

Sing Along with Beautiful

So Far Away
It Might As Well Rain Until September
Some Kind of Wonderful
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Up on the Roof
The Locomotion
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
One Fine Day
It's Too Late
You've got a Friend
Natural Woman
Beautiful

What a songbook and that's only a few from Carole King. Wow - if the touring production of this show comes to your town, go see it. We meet Carole at age 16 - in college (early admissions). She meets Gerry Goffin and the rest is music history. They write songs for the Drifters, Shirelles, Righteous Brothers and more. Their marriage has many ups and downs - will you still love me tomorrow.

then Carole on her own.......Tapestry......and history.

The musical Beautiful is a gem and you will leave with a song in your heart, soaring tunes and lyrics re-embedded in your brain.

Local Theater

I've said before that it's often good to poke around your backyard.

For me, that's Fort Worth, Texas - an easy twenty minute drive to a variety of culture. Saturday, August 15, I saw a local production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels presented by the Stolen Shakespeare Guild (www.stolenshakespeare.org) at the Ft.Worth Community Arts Center.

The musical follows the plot of the original movie (starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin), and is silly fun. The two lead men (Ben Phillips and Trey West) had very good voices. The crew and cast, the dance ensemble, etc. obviously put a lot of work into their production.

Lots of talented folks out there, eager to entertain. Support your local theater. You'll be surprised.

Musical: Kinky Boots

 Saturday February 28, Linda and Tom Hoffman and I saw the musical Kinky Boots at Dallas Fair Park Music Hall. Wow - what a production.  Based on a true story that had been a movie, Harvey Fierstein wrote the play book and Cyndi Lauper created the music and lyrics for a Broadway musical. Now the touring groups are kicking up their heels

 Here are a pair of signed boots from the Broadway show

 Here's our touring group. Picture courtesy of an email sent by the Dallas production. The premise is Charlie Price has to save his family's shoe factory. His new niche is stiletto boots for drag queens, et al. In working with Lola/Simon, the key theme is acceptance of a person, even yourself, without judgment or preordained thinking and presumptions. The factory is a family and has to work together too. All in all -  fabulous sets, catchy tunes, lovely voices, and the show makes you smile.

Linda and I in our very basic shoes. We've been friends for over thirty years!

Theater Musical - Once

 I took myself to Bass Hall in Fort Worth on Saturday, and treated myself to an orchestra seat to enjoy the musical "Once".  It was originally a movie created by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. A boy and a girl meet - he's Irish, she's Czech and they bond over music for a brief period of time. But once is the spark that changes their lives. It's a nice little love story about chance, dreams, and two cultures.

 Excellent cast and voices. These photos are courtesy of an email from Bass Hall. No photography during the performance!

The musicians were superb and the song "Falling Slowly" is sublime. It won an Academy Award, and it's haunting. If a touring production of "Once" arrives in your town, treat yourself to a ticket and two hours of magic.

Movie Review Madness: Into the Woods

It had been a long time since I saw the stage musical “Into the Woods”, but I have fond memories of its magic. Now the movie directed by Rob Marshall is on screen and it’s a lush production. Into the Woods has  a great cast and is faithful to the story as  a childless couple seek to end a witch’s curse.  However, it seemed really long despite just two hour running time. And Stephen Sondheim music is tricky – it’s not hummable, but it does tell the tale. If sing-talk annoys you, then stop reading now.  

Emily Blunt (baker’s wife) has a lovely voice. I liked her best. James Corden (baker) is pleasant. Johnny Depp as the Big Bad Wolf is amusing. The young lady playing Red Riding Hood has a nice set of pipes, and the boy Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk) took his part well.  Anna Kendrick (Cinderella) is decent but a tad shrieky on high notes. Chris Pine (the Prince) is dashing and he says, “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.” He appeared to have fun in his role and could sing just fine. The star is the witch and Meryl Streep can certainly act -  but to me, she is only an adequate singer. Critics are suggesting Oscar nomination – I say no.  

All of these characters converge in the woods and all seek different things. The Bakers want a child and must gather four items – a red hood, a white cow, golden hair, and a gold slipper – by the blue moon so the witch can create her potion and lift a curse upon them. Thus encounters with Red Riding Hood, Cinderella escaping the ball, Jack taking his family cow to market, and Rapunzel stuck in a tower are crucial to the success of the Bakers. All must conquer fears, and learn about risks. There are lessons in the songs and the famous song “Children Will Listen” is important.  

All in all, I liked the film okayish (C+, B-) for my $4.50. It kept me warm on a cold day for two hours. However, unlike some musicals (like Rob Marshall’s Chicago) this did not generate audience energy. You did not want to burst into song or tap dance or do jazz hands. However, it makes you think as you go “into the woods”  (i.e. enter your own life challenges) and come out on the other side.  

Musical Review: Billy Elliott

I'm late to seeing Billy Elliott: The Musical, but better late than never. I enjoyed the movie version immensely and wondered how it would translate to theater. It worked better than I expected and, of course, the dancing was phenomenal.

British Mineworkers went on strike in 1984 and it lasted one year. Margaret Thatcher held firm and broke the unions. Happy story, huh?

We meet Billy's family on the eve of the strike. His mother is dead. His father and older brother are coal miners - dedicated to the job and the union. Poor Billy is an eleven year-old kid, floundering in life, missing his mom, helping his doddering grandmother, and yearning to break free from his life. He just doesn't know how.

He attends boxing lessons, but doesn't want to hit or be hit. Fortunately, after boxing lessons the space is occupied by ballet lessons. He joins in by happenstance, likes it, worries over his young manhood, but can't shake the joy that ballet gives him - the freedom to express himself. The teacher (Faith Prince, an old Broadway veteran) sees a spark in Billy. He has a chance to escape this bleak town and future and perhaps audition for the National Ballet Company.

Naturally there's a lot of angst, issues, and ultimate (strikers, family, teacher) confrontation. Fortunately, the dances flow, the singing is decent, and Elton John's music with Lee Hall's book and lyrics, is pleasant. Billy Elliott's message of finding yourself, expressing yourself, and looking to the future is an inspiring one.

Jolly Mystery at the Jubilee

Talent overflows in the Fort Worth area. You just have to poke your head around corners, put a name on the waiting list on a Saturday evening, and celebrate with jubilation when the name is called. Preview night at the Jubilee Theatre (www.jubileetheatre.org) proved to be a hoot. Sam Shade: A Detective Musical had us chasing the Maltese Chicken, and no we aren't talking Chinese food.

And "No, don't do it Sam, don't sing." Sure enough, the leading man never got a number, but he kept everyone else around him singing a fine tune. Comedy, drama, and a heartfelt love song by the lascivious secretary, Lucy Lipschlitz (amazing voice of Sheran G. Keyton) kept the audience alternately laughing and applauding. Two standouts for me were Major A. Attaway and Aaron D. Petite (they played versions of the Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre Falcon characters).

All in all, kudos to playwright/composer Joe Rogers for imagination and creativity. Bravos to the fine singers, dancers, and actors of the Jubilee organization. It was an entertaining Saturday night and thanks to the city of Fort Worth/Sundance Square for FREE parking.

Support local theater: Sam Shade runs 7/31/09 thru 8/23/09 at the Jubilee Theatre

You know, "life is a mystery".

Joanne