Theatre Guru

Am I really THAT old???

2006-08-28T23:12:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of my new job is that I have the opportunity to entertain my customers at sporting events (Kings, Giants, A's, 49ers, Raiders, etc.) and an occasional concert. Tonight was one such occasion. I invited one of my customers to see the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS in our Suite at Arco Arena. Opening for the Peppers was a group called THE MARS VOLTA. Needless to say, I have NEVER heard of THE MARS VOLTA. The music was excruciatingly loud, the lyrics totally indiscernible and the lead singer dance moves consisted of writhing around on the stage floor. This lasted for the first hour. I was never so glad to see an hour fly by so quickly in my life.

After about a 30 minute break, while they set up for the featured group, the Peppers took to the stage. I was extremely impressed with the light show that accompanied the music. However...out of all three song that I know, they played not a single one. Of the ones they did play, I understood about 25% of the lyrics. As I sit and type, I have noticed that the sound of me striking the keys sounds muted. Alas...I have temporary hearing loss from deafening concert. And my clothes have a disticnt odor about them...marijuana...from smoke that somehow wafted its way from the 14 year old boys seated in the row directly in front of our suite.

Have I really become so curmudgeonly at the age of 38 that loud music and adolecents breaking the law drive me insane? God, I hope not!

RENT - The Movie

2006-08-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

In 1996, I had the pleasure of seeing RENT on Broadway with the original cast. The hype of the show had already hit a frenzied and fevered pitch. "Rentheads", as they called themselves, seemed to be everywhere. The show was the darling of Broadway, winning several Tony awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show's creator, Jonathan Larson, had died tragically on the eve of his show becoming a hit. Everyone was talking about the show. Everyone loved the show.

I felt like I was in the minority: I didn't like the show. And what made my dislike of the show even worse, was the "Renthead" mentality that this was the greatest show there ever was. Everywhere I turned, teenage theatre geeks were singing it, screaming it, eating it, living it, breathing it and sleeping it. I couldn't get away from it. It seemed to follow me everywhere. I began to loathe RENT. Fortunately, as time passed and I got older, my grumpy attitude towards the show softened...but only slightly. Mainly because people slowly began to talk about something OTHER than RENT.

It has now been 10 years since RENT bowed on Broadway and the movie version of the musical was in theaters last Winter. When a group of about 10 theatre friends (including my wife) announced they wanted to see the movie in the theatre, I declined the invite. Mr. Sour-Puss had resurfaced along with the Rentheads I thought had disappeared into the past.

Last night, while trying to find something on the tube to watch, we came across RENT on Starz-on-Demand. I decided since it was basically free, I'd break down and watch it, hoping I might realize that I was horribly wrong in my criticism of the show and I would find that I was truly a closet Renthead.

Well...I was only partially right. I told my wife as the movie began that I wanted the option of turning the channel if I began to lose interest. Never fear, I finished the movie. One thing I loved about watching it was getting the chance to see these same artists, now 10 years older, perform the same roles on film. I enjoyed the film. Did I love it? No. Did I hate it? No. To me, the movie simply did not have that gritty, edgy feel that the stage production has. On film, it is difficult to capture the sheer energy and passion of the performers in a show like RENT. I missed the "operetta" feel of the show, as much of the spoken dialogue on film was sung on stage. One of the most moving moments on film, for me, was during one of the later LIFE SUPPORT scenes as the camera panned around the room and slowly people began to fade from the scene, victims of AIDS.

There is no doubt the subject matter, music, emotion, imagery and passion of this show comes through loud and clear. But for me, I still don't understand what all of the hype is about. I don't believe that I am an old fuddy-duddy or cannot be moved by a piece of theatre. Trust me, I cried when I saw this in the theatre and there were moments of the movie that brought back some of those same feelings. I just don't feel that this show is the be-all, end-all of musical theatre. Does it have heart and soul? YES! Very much so. But so do so many other musicals that come and go on Broadway.

RENT is a show whose life will eventually come to an end, but not before its impact will be felt in a society that has evolved so much in the last 10 years that the subject matter will no longer be shocking to a certain segment of the population. In the meantime, we should all take advantage of the 525,600 minutes each of us are given every year and make the most of every one.

A Life in the Theatre

2006-08-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

From a survey I found:

Please answer the following questions. Do your best to avoid giving simple answers. Give as much detail as you wish.

How did you get started in theatre? I cannot remember a time that I wasn't involved onstage in one form or another. In elementary school, probably 2nd or 3rd grade, I remember very vividly being in a Christmas production. The script was similar to that of TOY STORY where some of us played toys that came to life. I remember using a round laundry basket as a thimble. Another time, in a Church Christmas program, I played the Easter Bunny lost in the Bethlehem Christmas Story. I will never forget wearing long-underwear that my mother had dyed pink as my costume with cotton ball covered rabbit ears.

Who or what influenced you to become involved in theatre? My grandmother. She was a high school drama and speech teacher back in the 1930's and 40's at the high school I would graduate from in 1987. She used to take me to our local community theatre, The Actors' Guild, while I was in Jr. High. She was a long-time season ticket patron there and I remember seeing shows like THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL, NIGHT WATCH, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and many others. She is the reason I am involved in theatre today.

What was your first high school production? I believe it was a show called GLIMPSES. It is a show for high schoolers written by high schoolers. We actually used it as a competition piece at high school theatre festivals. One of the girls that was in the show with me is now a Broadway performer.

What was your first college production? 1776. The Guild had done the show in the late Spring of 1986. I auditioned for that production, but was not cast. So when I got to college in the fall of 1987 and found out the first show was going to be 1776, I was extremely excited. I was cast as Richard Henry Lee. It was a great show and it began my lifelong love of the show.

What was your first community theatre production? It was a musical version of Shakespeare's A COMEDY OF ERRORS in November of 1985. The director of the show, Geoffrey Coward, was from England and had been involved creatively with Trevor Nunn. The Guild, as we call it, was the first theatre in the US to produce this particular production. Mr. Coward came to my high school drama class and announced he needed two young men to fill up the chorus as waiters. I volunteered. It was an amazing experience. I made friendships in that show that I still maintain to this very day.

What was your first professional theatre production? I don't know that I would categorize it as "professional"...but I was in a local theatre production called EDEN ON THE RIVER, a musical based on Aaron Burr and Margaret and Harman Blennerhassett and their alleged treason against the US. It is one of these local shows written by local people for the summer tourist season. We did the show on Blennerhassett Island in front of the historic mansion and we got paid handsomly for it. I did that show for three years.

What was the first show you ever directed? In college it was COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN JIMMY DEAN. In community theatre it was CROSSING DELANCEY.

What is the most memorable show you have ever done? I would have to say THE BOYS NEXT DOOR. We did the show in 1997. The cast was the best cast I have ever worked with on stage. The show was so well received we decided to enter in the West Virginia Theatre Conference where we won First Place. Several of us won acting awards. Since we won at WVTC, we got invited to peform at the Southeast Theatre Conference (a 10 state regional theatre competition) in Birmingham, Alabama. We got Second Place there and a few more acting awards. From there we went to the Ohio Community Theatre Association's OCTAFest and again won several acting and ensemble awards. It was the most enjoyable and memorable acting experience I have ever had.

What is the worst theatre experience you have ever had? I would probably have to say CRIMES OF THE HEART. The director was hardly ever at rehearsals and we had pretty much had to wing it for blocking and characterization. And when he was there, he didn't know what the hell he was doing. It was a MISERABLE experience.

What is the hardest role you have ever had to play? It would be a toss-up between Lt. JG Daniel Kaffee in A FEW GOOD MEN and Joe in THE SHADOW BOX. In THE SHADOW BOX I played a character who was dying of cancer. I have been lucky in the fact that no one that is really close to me has had cancer, so I had no frame of reference for the part. In A FEW GOOD MEN, I had to live up the fact that Tom Cruise had done the role in the movie and we did the show just a couple years after the movie had come out. I had to lose weight for the role. And in the play, my character was never off-stage for any length of time. It was always just for a costume change or a set change. I never had a break. The show was physically and emotionally draining.

What is the most fun role you have ever played? This is a toughie. I have been fortunate enough to play some very, VERY fun parts. Top five would be: Lloyd in NOISES OFF; Nicely-Nicely in GUYS AND DOLLS; the Duke in BIG RIVER; Paul in MOON OVER BUFFALO; and Tom/Phyllis/Leslie in SYLVIA.

What is the best show you have ever directed? For a play: LOST IN YONKERS; for a musical: THE KING AND I.

What is one role you have done that you could do forever and why? Probably Lloyd in NOISES OFF. I LOVE the show. It is one of the best written shows I have ever seen. Being in the show is a riot!

What is your dream role? I have three: Max in THE PRODUCERS; Thernardier in LES MISERABLES; Pseudolous in FORUM. I would like to do Harold Hill one day, too.

What is your favorite musical and why? JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. It is one of the first shows I remember buying the recording for. In fact, I still have the original cassette tape I bought 20+ years ago.

What is your favorite play and why? NOISES OFF. It has to be one of the best written and funniest plays ever!

The Elly Nominations

2006-08-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to congratulate everyone who was nominated for a 2005-2006 Elly Award. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see many of the shows that got nominated (or overlooked for a nomination) due to my crazy schedule during this past year.

Before I begin, I first of all want to say what an absolute honor and thrill it is to have a show that I directed (LOST IN YONKERS for Magic Circle) be nominated for Best Overall Production and that three cast members from that show were nominated for Acting. I know that it is a daunting task for the judges: (From the SacBee) All together, 73 participating theaters submitted 226 shows for consideration during the July 1-June 30 Elly season. Of these, 51 theaters (or 70 percent of the participating theaters) and 111 productions (49 percent of productions submitted) received nominations from Elly judges...a total of 404 nominations! This year for the first time, musicals and plays were judged separately in the Education and Young People's categories, resulting in 110 additional nominees. I don't know how many judges they have, but it seems to me that they have an incredible amount of work each year.

For me, I was somewhat dismayed not to receive a Best Director nod for LOST IN YONKERS. Not that I was expecting it or deserve it, but when a show like that gets 4 nods and a different show that received no other nominations in any other category gets a Best Director nomination, one has to scratch their head and wonder. I don't want this to come across as sour grapes. I just find it odd, that's all.

I was also shocked to see that RSP (one of the most Elly honored theatres in Sacramento) come away with one measly nomination for their Mainstage productions...especially in a year that produced hits for them like VICTOR/VICTORIA and SWEENEY TODD, which I heard WONDERFUL things about. They did, however, receive over 20 nods for their Storybook Children's productions. How did it happen that they got over 20 for their Storybook shows and only 1 (for Choreography) for their mainstage?

One other thing about this whole Elly process that I find befuddling: Why are college theatre groups allowed to compete in the same venue as the adult mainstage community groups? To me they should be stuck in the Education field with the high school groups and compete with other colleges. 4 of the 5 nominees in the Best Overall Musical category are from colleges (Solano College - two Overall Musical nominations), Sac City College and San Joaquin Delta College). In a metro area with no less than 50 community theatres, why are some of these categories dominated by colleges?

Here is what I would like to see happen: SARTA invite some of the larger theatre groups (RSP, WOH, DMTC, Magic Circle, etc,) to a round table discussion about the process and see if there are ways to improve upon it. Who does the judging? What is the criteria for the various categories? Can the submission process be revised? There has to be a way to improve upon the process so that theatres who do quality work, see that work honored, and don't feel slighted when nomination time rolls around and they are left out in the dark.

Just my two cents...

A Happy Place

2006-08-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

This summer has been one of intense joy and intense sorrow.

THE KING AND I was an absolutely amazing and exciting experience for me. The show has always had a special place in my heart, and now I know it will live there forever thanks to the wonderful cast and crew which made directing the show such a delight...intense joy.

A couple of people I thought were close friends turned out not to be...intense sorrow.

I started a new job in July working for one of the largest companies in the world and I LOVE IT...intense joy!

Auditions for THE ODD COUPLE did not go well for me, and I was not cast in a show that I desperately wanted to be in. I was so focused on how I was doing at the audition, I forgot to relax and have fun. I gave a poor audition and it showed...intense sorrow. (Incidentally, Sarah was cast as Cecily Pigeon and I could not be happier for her!)

Last night, the Elly nominations were announced and I was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for my role as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in GUYS AND DOLLS. And...a show I directed, LOST IN YONKERS, received a nomination for Best Overall Production of a Comedy and three acting award nominations for the cast...intense JOY!!!

I am thrilled beyond words for Lee Marie, Mary and Jordan for their nominations. They are all three well deserved. The show was a huge success (both critically and financially) and the cast was superb and I hope we win.

So...as you can see, intense sorrow and intense joy. I may go out for I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE...but then again I may not. If not, I will take a well-deserved break and wait for FIDDLER auditions in November.

Right now, I am in a good place in my life and I look forward to what the future has to bring!