Sunday, February 7, 2010

One Sentence Reviews: Noel Coward's "Fallen Angels"

Posted by Chris Davis on Sun, Feb 7, 2010 at 10:56 PM

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The cast is ideal, the direction is thoughtful and the costumes are absolutely fabulous but what in the hell kind of cleaning products were being freebased when the playfinding committee scheduled this pointless obscurity to appear on Theatre Memphis' Lohrey Stage?

Friday, February 5, 2010

Will Call: Tips & Tidbits for the Theatrically Inclined

Posted by Chris Davis on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 12:08 PM

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What do you get from a Playback: Memphis show? Audience members tell stories from their lives then the performers act them out improvisationally without the benefit of a script. Or rehearsal. If that sounds remotely interesting they've got a show coming up this weekend and you can check out the details here.

I want to recommend The Piano Lesson at the Hattiloo because it's one of my favorite pieces by August Wilson and it features one of my favorite Memphis actors TC Sharpe. That said I've heard from the source that when early runs of the show exceeded three hours deep cuts were made in the script. I appreciate the impulse to keep shows at 3-hours or less but I'm going to have to see what came out before I can wholeheartedly endorse. That said, this company does its best work when it takes on challenging material and given their track record fewer things seem more promising than The Piano Lesson The Hattiloo

Jersey Boys lives up to its hype and Pippin at the new Playhouse on the Square is a must see.

Also Noel Coward's Fallen Angels opens this weekend at Theatre Memphis. It's a play that Coward himself described as ''extremely slight" and it will be interesting to see if a comedy about the possible fallout of premarital flings holds up 80-years later.

The Meaning of Life: Playhouse mounts a zippin' PIPPIN

Posted by Chris Davis on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 11:05 AM

As proud as I am of Playhouse on the Square for defying conventional wisdom and building an extraordinary new theater in the heart of Midtown I've got to make a confession. I'm no great fan of the show that's been chosen to open the new space. I understand why Playhouse's Executive Producer Jackie Nichols has described Pippin as "the right play at the right time." Its themes mesh perfectly with the theater's mission and the anti-war sentiments expressed in the first act are consistent with a company that has roots in the 1960's and the balls to open Hair in the aftermath of 9/11. It's also technically ideal, perfect for showing off the new theaters capabilities but minimal enough to give the technical staff some breathing room as they transition into the new space. So I'm not going to complain. Well, not much.

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

God Help Us: Sister Myotis on the evil practice of backward masking

Posted by Chris Davis on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 8:26 PM

Sister Myotis has a few things to say about Satanic messages in pop music. And speaking of Sister Myotis it seems that Memphis' queen of Evangeletainment has made quite an impression on Flyer columnist John Branston.

Eating Ribs with the Jersey Boys

Posted by Chris Davis on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 3:18 PM

Yesterday I sat down for some barbecue and conversation with Joseph Leo Bwarie, Matt Bailey, Steve Gouveia, and Ryan Jesse, the actors playing Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in Jersey Boys.


Part II of Eating RIbs with the Jersey Boys is below the fold...

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Walk Like the Band:"Jersey Boys" strikes all the right poses

Posted by Chris Davis on Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 11:59 AM

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Jersey Boys is okay by me. Sure this Tony-winning revue screams out for eternal life in Vegas but its brass tacks documentary-style storytelling and concert-quality musical performances give it an edge over jukebox musicals like Mama Mia and the insufferable All Shook Up. Guys who usually have to be drug to the theater freakin' love it. And that in and of itself is some kind of miracle.

Let's speak truth here. Before Jersey Boys came along if you stumbled across a bunch of palookas shooting pool in a sports pub you could bet the Devil your head they weren't talking about their favorite Broadway musical. Then along comes this show about Franky Valli and the Four Seasons, four mooks from the tough side of town who struggle and yearn and harmonize their asses off all the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Badda-bing, badda-boom everything changes over night.

So what makes Jersey Boys such a hit with the boys who hate musicals? Maybe it's got something to do with the absence of show tunes. On the other hand, if you like Mid-Century American pop it's hard not to be taken in by spot on covers of Four Seasons hits like “Big Girls Don't Cry” and “Walk Like a Man” or by the uncanny replication of The Angels singing “My Boyfriend's Back” like it was 1963 all over again. Mix all that solid gold bubblegum with a compelling story about bad ass gangsters, fast girls, amazing cars and bowling and you've got the recipe for Jersey Boys. The cherry on top of this big banana split: Joe Pesci—yes THAT Joe Pesci— emerges as a pivotal character. What's not to love?

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Pictures of Pippin: Production shots by Chris Neely

Posted by Chris Davis on Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 4:51 PM

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Click here for a page full of great production shots from Pippin. I'll have a review and some video up tomorrow.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

No Show: Part II

Posted by Chris Davis on Sat, Jan 30, 2010 at 5:18 PM

J&K Self rising Cabaret is back on stage tonight as are Pippin, Jersey Boys and Trouble in Mind. Germantown Community Theater is closed as is Theatre Memphis. Opera Memphis' production of Orpheus at the Clark Opera Memphis Center is closed.

Friday, January 29, 2010

No Show: Jersey Boys, Forbidden Broadway, Opera Memphis cancel shows

Posted by Chris Davis on Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 2:09 PM

You know the old saying, "The show must go on?" Apparently that's not the case and considering how Memphians respond to ice and snow that's probably a good thing.

From Opera Memphis:

Due to inclement weather, Opera Memphis’ Friday January 29 performance of ORPHEUS has been rescheduled for Sunday, January 31 at 3:00 pm. More information is available at operamemphis.org.

From Theatre Memphis:


Tonight's Forbidden Broadway performance cancelled due to inclement weather.
All tickets for the January 29 performance will be valid for January 30 at 8 pm or January 31 at 2 pm.

If you purchased tickets and are not able to attend either of those performances, we will issue a voucher for any other show in our 2009 - 2010 season. Go to www.theatrememphis.org to see the great shows left to enjoy.

From The Orpheum:

The Friday, January 29th performance of Jersey Boys at the Orpheum has been cancelled due to severe weather in accordance with local government authorities.

No refunds will be given, but tickets will be exchanged for a later performance of Jersey Boys based on availability. Exchanges must be made by Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 5:00 pm. Jersey Boys is scheduled to run at the Orpheum through Sunday, Feb. 14.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Get 'Em While They're Hot: The Self Rising Cabaret is selling out

Posted by Chris Davis on Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 1:38 PM

I just got word that there are literally only a handful of tickets left for the Friday and Saturday night performances of the J&K Self-Rising Cabaret. I've not been able to see this installment but am familiar enough with the duo's other projects not to be surprised. Anyway, just a heads up If you were thinking about going you might want to accelerate the decision making process.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Up in the Air: Lindsey Roberts is flying at Playhouse on the Square

Posted by Chris Davis on Sun, Jan 24, 2010 at 8:55 PM

The cast of Pippin finally moved into Playhouse on the Square's new theater facility on Friday, only a week before opening night. Everybody is working around the clock to learn how to use all the new tools and new toys. Here's a brief clip of Lindsey Roberts—a former Peter Pan—testing out the theater's flying rig. Short but sweet.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Will Call: Tips & Tidbits for the Theatrically Inclined

Posted by Chris Davis on Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 9:33 AM

There's lots of good stuff going on this weekend. Orpheus is opening at the Clark Opera Memphis Center. Trouble in Mind is the last official show to open in Circuit Playhouse before it becomes the Evergreen Theatre, and Visiting Mr. Green is onstage at Germantown Community Theatre. OR, If you're in the mood for something completely fabulous you might want to drop by Theatre South for Jenny Odle Madden and Kim Justis Eikner's J&K Self Rising Cabaret.

Closing this weekend at TheatreWorks: Jayne Amelia Larson's one woman show Driving the Saudis, a funny and fierce look back at a time when Larson was employed as an American driver for the Saudi royal family. Here's a video to give you a taste of what it's all about.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Learn to make a toga with Opera Memphis costume designer Sona Amroyan

Posted by Chris Davis on Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 3:54 PM

Orpheus opens at Opera Memphis on Friday, January 22 and the cast and crew wants to celebrate the first full length opera ever performed at OM's East Memphis headquarters by turning the whole show into one gigantic TOGA PARTY! To help audiences get ready for this event Intermission Impossible asked Sona Amroyan, Opera Memphis' costume designer, if she'd show us the easiest way to make a toga. She agreed and also shared her secrets for making some simple but cool Greek Goddess dresses too.

Opera Memphis is hosting a second toga party on Saturday, January 30

Monday, January 18, 2010

Obama: The Musical

Posted by Chris Davis on Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 9:04 PM

LIPSTICK!
  • LIPSTICK!
Yes, it's real. And yes that's a picture of a German actress playing Sarah Palin in Hope—The Obama Musical which is currently wowing audiences in Frankfurt. Personally, I think the people who vote for the Tony Awards should follow in the footsteps of the Nobel committee and give this thoughtful and charismatic new show a golden statuette for best musical because it seems like it might possibly have the potential to do a good job on Broadway someday. Maybe.

If that's not enough to boggle the mind guess who shows up to perform a little gospel number?

Continue reading »

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