Can Fiorella pick'm, or can Fiorella pick'em? Three hits in a row--Anything Goes, Spamalot, and now, Chicago! And yes, your Fio chose them all!
Husband and Fio hosted Brother Bill and his lovely wife at the Georgetown Palace's production of Chicago over the weekend, and it was STRONG. The cast was small, just twenty-three actors listed on the playbill, so everyone but the leads did at least triple duty. The songs kept coming, the dances kept coming, and the play moved along like sixty.
Chicago is cynical, a noir snapshot of an era--sort of the seamy underside of Anything Goes. The corrupt characters come out on top, and the only two decent characters in the show end up, respectively, (1) hanged and (2) played for a fool. Shades of Three-penny Opera.
The plot is hitched together like train cars hurtling toward hell. Both acts are performed against a semi-dark background, with a descending staircase stationed center stage and choir stalls on either side of it housing band members. Spotlights follow the action.
Emily Niswonger (Velma) knocked Fio over with her rock-hard voice, as did Jennifer Tucker (Mary Sunshine) with her sweet voice. Kirk Kelso (Billy Flynn) owned the stage. BJ Ortwein (Matron Mama Morton) was fabulous, and Craig McKerley (Amos Hart) stole Fio's heart,
'Nuff said. Go buy your tickets. The show's been so successful that the Palace is running matinees.
Showing posts with label Georgetown Palace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Georgetown Palace. Show all posts
Monday, June 22, 2015
Sunday, August 4, 2013
The Folly of Will Rogers
It's a little late, but Fiorella wants to register her revue of the Georgetown Palace's production of The Will Rogers Follies: it was a loser. Despite the fact that the mikes were turned up so loud she spent most of the time with fingers in one or both ears, Fiorella had so much trouble staying awake during the first act that she left at intermission.
The singers were great, the actors were great, the dancers were great (thank you, Jessee Smart), the costumes and scenery were great, and the children's scene was delightful, but the play was b-o-r-i-n-g. The jokes fell flat and having Flo Ziegfield booming from the back of the theater as an invisible speaker a la A Chorus Line didn't work.
What Fiorella expected was resuscitated Vaudeville routines knit together by the character of Will Rogers, not a weak rip-off of The Buddy Holly Story.
The singers were great, the actors were great, the dancers were great (thank you, Jessee Smart), the costumes and scenery were great, and the children's scene was delightful, but the play was b-o-r-i-n-g. The jokes fell flat and having Flo Ziegfield booming from the back of the theater as an invisible speaker a la A Chorus Line didn't work.
What Fiorella expected was resuscitated Vaudeville routines knit together by the character of Will Rogers, not a weak rip-off of The Buddy Holly Story.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Economy Forecast
Judging by the Georgetown Palace playbill, the economy is improving.
Fio remembers when the playbill, that little booklet that gives the audience all sorts of info about the play, the actors, and the support staff, also advertises for all and sundry--and two years ago the ads went sparse. Fio thought she sensed a change in the weather last year, but with this years's first performance, she was overblown by the advertisements, and not just the ones for public service entities. A couple of realtors are back, the audiologists are in full bloom (this IS Georgetown), the banks, local businesses of all sorts--even Southwestern University.
Hooray! As goes the Georgetown Palace, so goes the nation!
Fio remembers when the playbill, that little booklet that gives the audience all sorts of info about the play, the actors, and the support staff, also advertises for all and sundry--and two years ago the ads went sparse. Fio thought she sensed a change in the weather last year, but with this years's first performance, she was overblown by the advertisements, and not just the ones for public service entities. A couple of realtors are back, the audiologists are in full bloom (this IS Georgetown), the banks, local businesses of all sorts--even Southwestern University.
Hooray! As goes the Georgetown Palace, so goes the nation!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Disappointing Deluge
Did you miss Fiorella today? Due to Puppy chewing on her power cord, she didn't know until late afternoon that her long, cleverly-worded review of the Georgetown Palace's production of Singin' in the Rain hadn't been published.
The review was clever but negative. The Palace has had some real winners--Grease, Technicolor Dreamcoat, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels--but Singin' in the Rain wasn't one of them. Fio's theory is that the acting got lost in the shuffle-ball-change, that so much time was spent on the song and dance numbers that the actors didn't understand their roles. The sets looked amateurish, the stagehands clogged around like Irish dancers the trombone and trumpet were having trouble with pitch, the actors missed cues, and the curtains beside the stage kept flapping open to daylight.
The audience gave the cast a standing ovation, but Fio thinks the applause was really for Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, who did a much better job of it.
And, if this, a much shortened version of the original review, doesn't publish, she'll know The Palace is gunning for her.
The review was clever but negative. The Palace has had some real winners--Grease, Technicolor Dreamcoat, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels--but Singin' in the Rain wasn't one of them. Fio's theory is that the acting got lost in the shuffle-ball-change, that so much time was spent on the song and dance numbers that the actors didn't understand their roles. The sets looked amateurish, the stagehands clogged around like Irish dancers the trombone and trumpet were having trouble with pitch, the actors missed cues, and the curtains beside the stage kept flapping open to daylight.
The audience gave the cast a standing ovation, but Fio thinks the applause was really for Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, who did a much better job of it.
And, if this, a much shortened version of the original review, doesn't publish, she'll know The Palace is gunning for her.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Two Thumbs Up and Then Some
Half-expecting a loser, Fiorella and Husband drove into Georgetown last night to see the Palace Theater's latest production, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. After all, an overly-ambitious production of Evita had not moved them so what could they expect of a musical based on a movie? Especially one that a local citizen had complained about in a letter to the editor as "lewd?"
What they got was the hit of the season. The audience was p-a-c-k-e-d and loving every hilarious minute of Scoundrels, constantly stopping the action with laughter and extended applause. In fact, Fio was so busy enjoying the fast-moving musical that she didn't have time to write down many notes.
Wonderful cast. Joe Penrod's portrayal of faux aristocrat "Lawrence Jameson" did the Michael Caine role proud, while Andrew Cannata's Freddy was totally over the top, as it should be--why else did Steve Martin originate the role? And neither Caine nor Cannata had to sing in the bargain. Patty Rowell, Rick Felkins, Michelle Cheney and Suzanne Orzech, who rounded out the major players, were perfection in their own right, not a single one of them miscast. But then look at their credits in the playbill. All are seasoned performers.
What can Fio say? Not only a great cast, but a great script--tight, and clever. Stage direction so good it was invisible. Loved the surrealistic scenery and the band being constantly in view--and acknowledged by the players. Sophisticated dance routines--and how nice to see Jessica Kelpsch hoofing it on the boards again.
So what if some of the actors, especially Freddy, were over-miked. So what if the second act dragged a little--German caricatures are not as funny as they used to be. So what if the multiple endings, as in the movie, seemed a bit confusing. Fio loved the show, and the rest of the audience did too, rising to their feet after the production and continuing to applaud even after the final curtain call.
Oh, and about that lewdness. The play is for mature audiences--no problem in Georgetown, where half of the residents live in Sun City--but it's funny rather than obscene. Not like Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which Fiorella came home from feeling like she needed to take a bath.
What they got was the hit of the season. The audience was p-a-c-k-e-d and loving every hilarious minute of Scoundrels, constantly stopping the action with laughter and extended applause. In fact, Fio was so busy enjoying the fast-moving musical that she didn't have time to write down many notes.
Wonderful cast. Joe Penrod's portrayal of faux aristocrat "Lawrence Jameson" did the Michael Caine role proud, while Andrew Cannata's Freddy was totally over the top, as it should be--why else did Steve Martin originate the role? And neither Caine nor Cannata had to sing in the bargain. Patty Rowell, Rick Felkins, Michelle Cheney and Suzanne Orzech, who rounded out the major players, were perfection in their own right, not a single one of them miscast. But then look at their credits in the playbill. All are seasoned performers.
What can Fio say? Not only a great cast, but a great script--tight, and clever. Stage direction so good it was invisible. Loved the surrealistic scenery and the band being constantly in view--and acknowledged by the players. Sophisticated dance routines--and how nice to see Jessica Kelpsch hoofing it on the boards again.
So what if some of the actors, especially Freddy, were over-miked. So what if the second act dragged a little--German caricatures are not as funny as they used to be. So what if the multiple endings, as in the movie, seemed a bit confusing. Fio loved the show, and the rest of the audience did too, rising to their feet after the production and continuing to applaud even after the final curtain call.
Oh, and about that lewdness. The play is for mature audiences--no problem in Georgetown, where half of the residents live in Sun City--but it's funny rather than obscene. Not like Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which Fiorella came home from feeling like she needed to take a bath.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Fiorella/Cinderella
Fio and Husband put on their glad rags and drove into Georgetown to justify their Palace Theater season tickets by taking in the first production of the new season, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
The theater was stuffed to the gills, mainly with roe. Yes, every child in town was either in the audience or on stage. Obviously a G-rated production, but Fio doesn't need French farce to keep her happy so she sat back to enjoy the show. After all, how can one go wrong with Rodgers and Hammerstein, Fio thought, as she and Husband hummed along to the pre-show music, selections from Oklahoma, South Pacific, and other R&H Broadway hits.
Fio knew the original Cinderella, written for TV, had been a flop, but assumed it had been reworked for the stage. Apparently not. There was some awkward updating of the dialogue, but the story was a pastiche of stereotypical characters, attitudes, and situations, and there wasn't even one memorable tune to alleviate the misery.
The director seemingly couldn't decide whether to present the story as a fairy tale or as an eighties' sitcom, resulting in fake Disney. Fio expected the teapot to start dancing and singing at any moment. Most of the actors were very young, and the impression was that one was watching a high school play with elementary school extras. Only when the adults appeared--the king and queen, the stepmother and stepsisters, the preachy fairy godmother--did the play really come to life. The one exception was young Nick Orzech as Lionel. He's an old pro with a great voice who knows how to command the stage.
There were technical problems too. The first act was so loud that Fio kept her fingers in ears the whole time. The costumes were okay, although Fio questions the decision to swathe all the main characters in white for the wedding scene. But the hair was awful. Judging by the plenitude of ill-fitting, kinky, platinum blond wigs,
Cinderella lived in California.
On the other hand, Fio was totally impressed by the use of scenery on the small Palace stage, particularly the rotating platform as Cinderella was on her way to the ball. The use of lights was nice too, especially the dawn scene and the filter that produced the effect of light dappling through trees.
But Fio wants to pick a few bones with some of the singers. The kid playing the Prince seemed to be a nice young man, and his voice shows promise, but IT NEEDS TRAINING. He must learn how to place it for resonance because otherwise he sounds flat. Also, Cinderella and the narrator had hints of a country-western twang that seemed inappropriate to the fairy tale.
Fiorella almost didn't return to her seat for the second act because of the smoke in the air, apparently from fairy dust. If she dies of mesothelioma within the year, Husband will know whom to sue.
While the show wasn't Fio's cup of tea, the children in the audience seemed to enjoy it, and that was what was important. Fio's not crazy about a two-hour long singing lecture, even for children, but it's certainly more appropriate than The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, at which Fio saw far too many children in the audience.
The theater was stuffed to the gills, mainly with roe. Yes, every child in town was either in the audience or on stage. Obviously a G-rated production, but Fio doesn't need French farce to keep her happy so she sat back to enjoy the show. After all, how can one go wrong with Rodgers and Hammerstein, Fio thought, as she and Husband hummed along to the pre-show music, selections from Oklahoma, South Pacific, and other R&H Broadway hits.
Fio knew the original Cinderella, written for TV, had been a flop, but assumed it had been reworked for the stage. Apparently not. There was some awkward updating of the dialogue, but the story was a pastiche of stereotypical characters, attitudes, and situations, and there wasn't even one memorable tune to alleviate the misery.
The director seemingly couldn't decide whether to present the story as a fairy tale or as an eighties' sitcom, resulting in fake Disney. Fio expected the teapot to start dancing and singing at any moment. Most of the actors were very young, and the impression was that one was watching a high school play with elementary school extras. Only when the adults appeared--the king and queen, the stepmother and stepsisters, the preachy fairy godmother--did the play really come to life. The one exception was young Nick Orzech as Lionel. He's an old pro with a great voice who knows how to command the stage.
There were technical problems too. The first act was so loud that Fio kept her fingers in ears the whole time. The costumes were okay, although Fio questions the decision to swathe all the main characters in white for the wedding scene. But the hair was awful. Judging by the plenitude of ill-fitting, kinky, platinum blond wigs,
Cinderella lived in California.
On the other hand, Fio was totally impressed by the use of scenery on the small Palace stage, particularly the rotating platform as Cinderella was on her way to the ball. The use of lights was nice too, especially the dawn scene and the filter that produced the effect of light dappling through trees.
But Fio wants to pick a few bones with some of the singers. The kid playing the Prince seemed to be a nice young man, and his voice shows promise, but IT NEEDS TRAINING. He must learn how to place it for resonance because otherwise he sounds flat. Also, Cinderella and the narrator had hints of a country-western twang that seemed inappropriate to the fairy tale.
Fiorella almost didn't return to her seat for the second act because of the smoke in the air, apparently from fairy dust. If she dies of mesothelioma within the year, Husband will know whom to sue.
While the show wasn't Fio's cup of tea, the children in the audience seemed to enjoy it, and that was what was important. Fio's not crazy about a two-hour long singing lecture, even for children, but it's certainly more appropriate than The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, at which Fio saw far too many children in the audience.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Big River BOFFO!
Just got back from seeing a wonderful performance of Big River, a musical I never even knew existed before. I cannot believe the way Georgetown's Palace Theater pulls off these musical extravaganzas like The Producers, Grease so well. (Little Shop of Horrors was only so-so.)
It probably has something to do with the talent--people with real backgrounds and solid credentials like Joan Baker, Stephen Jack, Robert King, Jr., Steve Menke, Curt Olson, and others, plus fantastic newcomers Adam Munoz and Nick Orzech. In fact, with few exceptions, the entire large cast was great.
The musicality of most of the cast was impressive, especially that of the lead, young Adam Munoz, who has a wonderful, consistent, finished voice (with an amazing range) just as he is about to enter high school as a freshman. High School Musical, anyone?
The audience was stuffed full and very appreciative as Roger Miller's music swept everyone along on a raft down the Mississippi with Huck's dawning social conscience aboard. But the whole thing would have been nothing without the absolutely fantabulous violin, guitar, and harmonica trio that cobbled the whole story together. Whatever the Palace is doing to attract musicians of the stature and skill of Kristen Randolph, Kevin Gates, and Jose Ruiz, keep it up!
An interesting sidebar: perhaps noticing that musicals are its most popular productions, the Palace is now offering "new lower prices for Non-Musicals."
Its musical plans for next year, however, include Man of la Mancha, Annie, Nunsense II, A Little Night Music,, and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
I don't know about you, but I'll be there with my toes a-tappin'.
It probably has something to do with the talent--people with real backgrounds and solid credentials like Joan Baker, Stephen Jack, Robert King, Jr., Steve Menke, Curt Olson, and others, plus fantastic newcomers Adam Munoz and Nick Orzech. In fact, with few exceptions, the entire large cast was great.
The musicality of most of the cast was impressive, especially that of the lead, young Adam Munoz, who has a wonderful, consistent, finished voice (with an amazing range) just as he is about to enter high school as a freshman. High School Musical, anyone?
The audience was stuffed full and very appreciative as Roger Miller's music swept everyone along on a raft down the Mississippi with Huck's dawning social conscience aboard. But the whole thing would have been nothing without the absolutely fantabulous violin, guitar, and harmonica trio that cobbled the whole story together. Whatever the Palace is doing to attract musicians of the stature and skill of Kristen Randolph, Kevin Gates, and Jose Ruiz, keep it up!
An interesting sidebar: perhaps noticing that musicals are its most popular productions, the Palace is now offering "new lower prices for Non-Musicals."
Its musical plans for next year, however, include Man of la Mancha, Annie, Nunsense II, A Little Night Music,, and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
I don't know about you, but I'll be there with my toes a-tappin'.
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