Hudson Valley Ovation

Article by Tamara Cacchione & Joe Eriole

A New Work by a Local Playwright Leaves its First Audience Moved and Intrigued

A sold-out crowd of theater-goers mingled over wine and cheese at the Clove Creek Dinner Theater on the last Sunday evening of September.  As the audience found their seats, Louisa Vilardi thanked them for attending the debut of her new and moving play, Tough Love, produced by The New Deal Creative Arts Center.

With light blocking at important moments and a cast of five skilled actors who have worked with her throughout the development of the piece, Vilardi was able to convey the vision she has for her new work. 

A simple black curtain, actors in all black, and a strong, clear voice reading important stage directions (David Perez-Ribada), allowed audience members to imagine with sufficient clarity what a fully staged performance might look like.

Vilardi has set her play at Sunday dinner in an Italian home which she acknowledges is reflective of her own family history. Indeed many of the most endearing and eclectic aspects of the Sunday dinner setting and the family dynamics themselves, are drawn from her own experience, such as the fact that they eat in the basement of their modest home on Sundays, and that the possibility that there will be no bread at dinner rises to the level of tragedy. The same mix of her own experience and original creative process colors her characters, as well. But the play is not strictly autobiographical.  “I am inspired by people I love. And I am inspired by people I can’t stand. So, I took a bunch of those people and threw them in a play,” Vilardi says.

For many families, Sunday dinner is a time to connect with loved ones, a time to rest and recuperate from a long week, and a time to share exciting and important news. For the Marino family, this particular Sunday dinner does not go as planned. The elder Marinos, Rae and Lou, have an announcement they’d like to make, which they assume will be the main event of the afternoon. But each of their two children have news of their own to report, which throws their revelation to the back of the line in a hurry. Their oldest son, Eric, announces he has made partner at his job.  After the excitement of this announcement dies down, lackadaisical son Danny, still living at home and typically sleeping until noon, announces that he is moving out and has taken a “lover” (a word to which he is gleefully and obstinately attached despite the rest of the family’s cringing each time it is uttered).  But even these momentous changes will not be center stage for long. As the evening continues, the reverberation of these announcements and the further unfolding of more personal concerns, begin to threaten the Marino family’s precarious stability.  Secrets are revealed and hidden feelings verbalized, ensuring that the Marino family will never return to quite the same Sunday dinner table again.

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Vilardi smoothly takes the audience on a journey that begins, and is laced throughout, with uproarious laughter.  The show, however, often evokes tears and delivers many poignant moments as well.  Vilardi’s dialogue is witty and natural, her characters fully fleshed out people that the audience will surely recognize.  It is a testament to the effectiveness of the dialogue that in the talk-back conducted after the show, the audience participated enthusiastically in musing about the possible futures of the family, as well as the connections they felt to their own past which were aroused by the show.

Laurel Riley-Brown (Rae) ably demonstrated the aching desire of the Marino matriarch to see all of her children at peace without shaking up the status quo of the family.  Riley-Brown’s ability to bring character and charming personality to her role, while maintaining her naturalism is no small feat. It would be quite easy to fall into a satire of an Italian mother, but Riley-Brown’s deep respect for the text created a humorous and lovable Rae. 

Joe Eriole skillfully captures the flawed but well-meaning patriarch, Lou.  We don’t know precisely  what Lou is going to announce to his family, but it is clear that there is a crisis  in the Marinos’ marriage, and Eriole deftly gives us the impression that one of them may be less convinced of the impending course than the other. Lou’s journey throughout the play may seem more slight than that of other family members, but it is no less penetrating thanks to the execution of Eriole, who nabbed the subtle moments and seized key opportunities to evoke a layered and complex character, emoting moments of pathos, humor, anger, and bumbling confusion.

Kate, Eric’s long-suffering wife, is stunningly portrayed by Teresa Gasparini.  Gasparini gracefully creates a Kate filled with compassion and a gentleness that belies a deep fire underneath. As the play turns from humor to something more sobering, Kate’s transformation entranced the audience as Gasparini subtly shifted and revealed a powerhouse of pain and strength.

As Danny, Austin Lightning Carrothers’ sleek portrayal of the youngest Marino was a delight.  Carrothers breezily rolled through the hills and valleys of showing us what happens when a laid-back young man is forced into the spotlight of a serious family drama.

Steven Bendler, as older brother Eric, gave a superb performance. There was a fire in his eyes as Eric hid his stress and anxiety behind anger, and tears in his eyes as secrets were revealed.  Eric is a man hinged on trying to make everything work out the way he thinks will be best. Bendler’s portrayal of what happens when he can’t control what other people do and the outcome was captivating.

Vilardi says the script will continue to develop, and that the comments and reactions of a live audience are vitally important to her developing a script that will move audiences to feel the wide range of familial tensions and connections which she seeks to present in Tough Love. Vilardi elaborates, “I’ve had to pick up a lot of pieces in life, not only for myself, but for others, and that’s what Tough Love is really about: giving up or giving in when things fall apart, and the strength that comes from picking up those pieces.”  

While rooted in the mind’s eye of its playwright’s personal experience, any success in its future will be due to the universality of its themes of familial love and tension. In her own words, “What’s most important to me right now is getting the words heard in front of audiences and to get feedback.”

If the feedback Ms. Vilardi received at this reading is any indicator, it is not difficult to imagine its path to a wider audience, beginning in our own backyard. Produced by New Deal Creative Art Center, a quickly expanding local arts outlet based in Hyde Park, the reading was as much event as theater; New Deal’s founder and Executive Director, Teresa Gasparini, who did double duty as the script’s Kate, says, “this public reading brought a new work to life and brought a wide range of audience members at no cost to experience this regional premiere, which sets New Deal apart from other arts organizations in the Hudson Valley.”

Vilardi has the long play in mind. She notes, “I do hope to see it on small stages, big stages and being read in people’s hands.” Tough Love is off to a rousing start. Vilardi has written a winning play with characters and storylines the audience will find both familiar and unexpected.

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Ms. Vilardi is a writer and theater director originally from Northern New Jersey where she taught high school English and Creative Writing for over a decade before moving to the Hudson Valley. Louisa was formerly a resident director and producer for New Players Company (Ridgewood, NJ). She is a proud member of The Dramatist Guild of America. Her writing has been featured by The Huffington Post, Today Parenting Team and Scary Mommy. 

The New Deal Creative Arts Center, founded in 2017, is a non-profit 501©3 arts organization located in Hyde Park, NY. New Deal is strongly following their mission that includes new opportunity for both artists and audiences alike. This is not a one off for the young organization as they are currently accepting new works now through November 15th for a chance to be fully produced by New Deal. More information can be found on their website: www.newdealarts.org

ForAll Theater gears up for a production of Macbeth opening October 11th!

See a need, fill a need. This is exactly what brought Nils Sawnson to open ForAll Theater in Peekskill earlier this year. An emigrant to the Hudson Valley from Colorado by way of New Jersey, Swanson was in search of a theater company in the area with which he could connect, and most importantly, create. He and his wife, Amy, fell in love with the Peekskill area for both its beauty and its thriving fine and visual arts culture, but his search revealed a gap when it came to the performing arts. 

Serving as ForAll Theater’s Artistic Director, Swanson’s first step in seeking  to fill that gap was to form a meet up group to gauge interest and support for a local company. After several “think tank” meetings, he and his colleagues were well on their way bringing this to fruition. Established as a 501(c)3 non-profit, ForAll Theater found their first home in an old dance studio which has been transformed into a charming, 50-seat, black box theater. 

Swanson notes the space is open to the community and is not just intended for theatrical productions. He promotes it as a mixed use space. Currently the theater is being used for a zumba class, Sunday service, a rehearsal space for a local comedy improv group, and of course, theatre performances.

ForAll Theater’s opening show earlier this summer was an original work by local high school students entitled Alone in Paris. A unique and bold choice for an opening show of a brand new theater company, Swanson made it clear that this space was for both traditional theater as well as new works.

ForAll Theater’s future look bright with an appealing upcoming season and long term  plans. This fall they will be presenting a three-weekend run of Macbeth opening October 11th. Shows will be Thursday-Sunday with tickets ranging $20-$23. Swanson has ideas for holiday offerings, as well, including Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol and Santa Land Diaries.
Swanson is already heavily invested in the community, offering local businesses “dinner and show deals,” inviting business owners to dress rehearsals, and dubbing all Thursday shows as “pay what you will” performances.

ForAll Theater is an intriguing name with a fascinating logo and meaning behind it. “This all came together about five minutes before our meeting to incorporate.” says Swanson. The the upside down “A” is the universal quantification symbol; it’s a shorthand character in symbolic logic. For Swanson, the symbol’s universality “is a sign meaning, ‘for all,’ and everything just fell into place with that name.” 

Swanson’s main goal is to bring theater to the masses. Whether it’s the first time theater attendee, someone who hasn’t been to theater is years, or the regular theater-goer. The name, and the message rings loud and clear: this theater company’s mission, vision and future is an invitation to all to come experience the unique and ever-new wonder of live theater. 

ForAll Theater
Nils Swanson, Artistic Director
706 N. Division Street
Peekskill, NY 914.817.8334
info@foralltheater.com

Magic and Mood in Rhinebeck

“Without a hurt, the heart will hollow.”

This painful truth is nearly hidden in the lilting, nostalgic melody of The Fantasticks’ iconic opening song, “Try to Remember.” It is fitting, really, that it should be so, since much of the staying power of this record-setting show is to be found in how effectively its whimsy veils the depth of its commentary on how we love and lose our way.

One of Broadway’s most beautiful songs opens the show with a melodic simplicity to which the score never returns. Indeed, Tom Jones’ and Harvey Schmidt’s score presents considerable challenges for the musicians and the vocalists. In this Rhinebeck Theater Society production, the score is ably carried by musical director and pianist Michael Berkeley and harpist Teresa Mango, to great effect. The production’s standout vocalist is Rhinebeck newcomer Katie Nicole Weiser in the role of Luisa, and Austin Lightning Carrothers sets the tone for the romantic fable with a thoroughly inviting rendition of “Try to Remember.”

As Director Tina Reilly points out in her notes, the playwrights intended to both celebrate and mock romanticism, in Jones’ words, “to touch people, and then to make them laugh at the very thing that touched them.” Like any enduring fairy tale, the lessons to be learned are obvious to us all; yet we fall for it again and again. The romantic ideal is at once our fundamental virtue and flaw.   

The story is of the young Luisa and her paramour, Matt (Chris Backofen); enamored of each other due, in equal measure, to their youthful notions of romance and their fathers’ pretended objections to their pairing. Their scheming fathers enlist the aid of the enigmatic El Gallo, who doubles as a narrator, to stage a pretended abduction of the fair Luisa, from which Matt will appear to “save” her. In Act Two, we are reminded that “what at night may seems oh so scenic, may be cynic by and by,” and the two young lovers learn that more than romance is required for true love to prevail. The show will not be spoiled by revealing here that love triumphs in the end.      

Carrothers is an elegant stage presence and is just as dastardly and dashing as the part of El Gallo requires. His partners in the staged rescue of Luisa are the Shakespearean actor Henry (Lou Trapani), whose thespian gifts are comically fading, and his trusted sidekick Mortimer (Thomas G. Byrne). Trapani’s Henry is entirely endearing and effective, and Byrne gives a slapstick performance as his aide reminiscent of Vaudeville and Hollywood’s earliest comic characterizations. Amber McCarthy, who gives the show a natural but professional energy as the show’s choreographer, also plays The Mute, who adds to the magic of the show with, well…the occasional magic trick, among other flights of fancy. Andy Crispell and Michael Britt are a delight every time they are featured in the roles of the fathers.

Weiser and Backofen are utterly charming as the protagonists. Each bring an exuberance to their portrayals which make them entirely believable as the youth who open the show, deep in puppy love. Weiser gives us a precocious Luisa who is not entirely without an instinct for self-determination. Backofen’s Matt is equal parts naïve and noble; we buy him as the varsity letterman when the show opens, while it is no stretch to think he might be a perfectly capable hero if called upon in something other than a rouse.

Reilly’s choice to present the instruments and the vocals unamplified, against the minimalist set reflective of that which exemplified the more than 17,000 performances of the show in its original off-Broadway run, are wise and creditable choices. It adds to the organic intimacy of the show, which is undoubtedly part of its enduring appeal. Likewise, the show is costumed by Donna Letteri in an easy and playful style that calls to mind playing “dress-up” out of a trunk full of vintage clothes found in the fantastical attics of idyllic youth.  The Fantasticks runs through October 6 at the Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck. Tickets are available online (centerforperformingarts.org), by phone at the box office (845.876.3080), or at the door (661 Route 308 Rhinebeck, NY)

Review by Teresa Gasparini

Hilarious. H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S. Hilarious.

Caution: Actors at play.
How many times do we say to ourselves “Oh, to be a kid again.”? The thought of it is often appealing when you think back on your carefree childhood with low stress and fun around every corner, at least as it compares to our adult stressors. Most of us are not likely to be able to be a child at play again, but for a few fortunate and talented actors that chance comes when they find themselves cast in the laugh-out-loud production, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Six pre-pubescent adolescents (all played by adults) compete in a county spelling bee, run by three idiosyncratic grown-ups. A school gym is set to host the finals and this leads to “a very nice beginning” as we meet the local winners and are introduced to the unique and exceptional qualities of the characters as brought to life by each of the players. 

One by one, each contestant (including a few unexpecting audience members) are quizzed, challenged, and tested on a litany of words given, defined and used in a sentence by the adult moderators. And, one by one, we learn the background stories of each participant, some purely comedic and others with a bit more substance, before we say goodbye as, one by one, spellers are eliminated.  

Spelling Bee is marvelously cast and is directed with great skill by Jeff Wilson. Wilson’s direction lets the actors take full charge of their characters, presenting them as uninhibited youth with thoroughly entertaining exuberance and heart. Special note should be made of musical director, Karen Sheehy, whose talent was highlighted by the cast with their flawless harmonies backed by an on-point pit. Sheehy pulled triple duty as musical director, pit conductor and keyboardist, and juggled this seamlessly. The musical numbers were pleasing to both ear and eye,  thanks to the delightful and light-hearted choreography by Denise Wornell.

We are first introduced to Rona Lisa Peretti played wonderfully by Amy Schaffer (who also doubled as Olive’s Mom), and we soon find out that she is a former spelling bee champion with passion for both the bee itself and for the participants. Schaffer did not disappoint with the skilled singing voice she is known for, as she had several ballads and gorgeous harmonies to undertake. She is joined by two other adults, one being comedic master Jeff Sculley as Vice Principal Douglas Panch. Sculley embraces this role with all the humor and fun it deserves. Listening to Sculley’s delivery of his character’s responses to “Can you use the word in a sentence?” is worth the ticket price alone (it is suspected Sculley, an improv actor, may come up with some of those sentences himself!). Rounding out the adults is the always entertaining Glen Macken as Mitch Mahoney – a reformed convict there to be a comfort counselor to those eliminated from the spelling bee. Every departure is a delight with his “good bye” song and hugs that are as burly and strong as you can expect from a tough guy handing out juice boxes. Macken also impresses with his ability to go from Mitch Mahoney to the flamboyant Dan Dad and once again flip into the distant father of Olive. Between Schaffer, Sculley, and Macken, being an adult never looked so fun! 

The Spellers are a mixed bag of adolescents that add to the “pandemonium” of this show. Irving Zuniga brings to life the boy scout with an unfortunate problem (no spoilers here!), Chip Tolentino. An early eliminated participant, Zuniga pops up in unexpected ways and at unexpected times as he too takes on more than one role. He does this with vigor and truly finds the humor in his character. Zuniga makes his debut at County Players along with Chloe Kramer playing the strong-willed Logainne Schwaztandgrubenniere (affectionately called Schwartzy). Kramer is a big personality on stage and draws the audience’s eye (in a good way!) with her comedic line delivery and facial expressions. Jontae Walters takes on the role of Marcy Park with such seriousness that you would think her character should be the adult in this spelling bee, reminiscent of the super-serious participants in these real-life competitions. It is a delightful twist when Walters is able to let loose with her song “I Speak Six Languages” as we see a playful and free side of Marcy Park. 

New to County Players is Thomas O’Leary who takes on the role of Leaf Coneybear with such conviction that he is absolutely irresistible on stage. His wide eyed and youthful expressions and mannerisms only add to this eccentric character. O’Leary will have you in full belly laughs between his characterization and simply from moments such as falling out of his chair out of nowhere. Also making her County Players debut is Lisa Delia who plays Olive Ostrovsky – a shy, timid character who absolutely steals the hearts of the audience. Her performance in “The I Love You Song” (along with Macken and Shaffer) is wonderfully moving and is a poignant moment that takes a break from the comedy, and gives the audience the aforementioned substance. Delia is a wonderful addition to the County Players’ line up. Rounding out the cast is a County Players favorite, Dylan Parkin in the role of William Morris Barfee (pronounced “Bar-fay”!). Having seen Parkin in several roles, he once again indubitably shows off his acting chops with another wildly entertaining performance in this role. 

Following The Drowsy Chaperone earlier this year, Wilson has assembled another impressive ensemble to give County Players and their audience an amusing and simply delightful night out. There are just two more weekends to catch this comedic romp, so be sure to reserve your tickets before the final performance on September 28th. Visit www.CountyPlayers.org to reserve your tickets and get ready to laugh uninhibitedly just like when you were a kid! 

Teresa Gasparini is a co-founder and contributing writer for Hudson Valley Ovation. She serves as the Artistic Director for Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, NY and a founder as well as Executive Director of The New Deal Creative Arts Center in Hyde Park, NY.

A Kennedy Myth & Mystery, Through The Eyes of The Women In The Eye Of The Storm

“Boiler Room Girls.”
The nickname was not hard to come by. The windowless work area in the basement of Senator Robert Kennedy’s Washington, DC campaign offices did, indeed, double as the building’s boiler room. And the “girls” to whom it referred? Well, in 1968, it was equally inevitable, despite the fact that every one of them was in their twenties.

During Bobby’s ill-fated run for the presidency, these women coordinated one of the most important aspects of any campaign. They monitored and coordinated all communications from the six regions of the country into which the nation had been divided for purposes of the campaign process, and it was through them that the executive team and Kennedy himself perceived the mood of the voters during this critical chapter of American political history.

In 1968, the six Boiler Room Girls ranged in age from 23 to 28. Among them, the oldest, Mary Jo Kopechne, 28, died a year later in the infamous Chappaquiddick incident. The other five, Esther Newberg, Susan Tannenbaum, Rosemary “Cricket” Keough, and sisters Nance and Mary Ellen Lyons, all testified in the highly charged hearings on Chappaquiddick in the aftermath of Kopechne’s tragic death.

Despite their integral role in one of the most high-profile presidential campaigns in history, and the opinion of those who knew them that they were “frighteningly intelligent, politically astute, capable as all get-out,” (described in a McCall’s article by Vivian Cadden), this new musical is the first treatment of their story from the perspective of the women themselves. Why? 

“Come see the play to find out,” says Cheryl B. Engelhardt, the show’s lyricist, composer and musical director. The musical, according to its authors, seeks to do more than tell the story. It looks to provide some insight into the cultural, and cultic, factors which explain why the story has become essentially a footnote. Book writer, director and choreographer Kevin Archambault observes, “as a society we are fed history through our media outlets, and that becomes ‘the truth.’” Archambault thinks the result, and perhaps even the intentional desire of both media and the public, is that we can “believe that our political heroes are above human error.”

The repression of the contributions of women and minorities in every aspect of history is a well-known phenomenon against which many, especially in the arts, have pushed back in recent years. Neat classifications of the “white hats” and the “black hats” among our leaders can be appealing. We want to boo or cheer, so to speak. The result, when we determine someone is a villain, can be a wholesale destruction of their image in life, or their legacy in death. But, Archambault notes, our desire to have unblemished cultural icons has dangerous repercussions as well. Remembering our heroes as spotless can allow us a false sense that we’ve come farther than we really have in our treatment of women and minorities. Bluntly, Engelhardt and Archambault posit, in Archambault’s words, “we haven’t come far at all.”

There are added layers to the question of the Boiler Room Girls’ relative anonymity, however, which make this show intriguing. First, it must be noted that part of that low profile is the result of the nearly total silence of the surviving women since the tragic ending of the Bobby Kennedy campaign and the Chappaquiddick affair. Second, and possibly inexorably linked to this silence, is the question of the magnetism of the Kennedys both during their lifetimes and as an American cultural phenomenon. All of these women appear to have been fiercely pro-Kennedy when John and Bobby were alive, notable given the fact that they were certainly privy to their personal character flaws to an extent the general public was not, until decades later. And, even after Teddy’s reprehensible behavior at Chappaquiddick became relatively well-known, the women have not sought to betray the Kennedy mystique during the several decades that have elapsed since. Was this because they were afraid of potentially dangerous repercussions of breaking ranks? Or did they, like so many, simply consider the more idealistic aspects of the Kennedy platform to outweigh the benefits of such disclosures?

Archambault’s first inclination to write the play was borne of this very Kennedy mystique. Growing up in a Catholic household, JFK’s magic had a central focus in his home.  He confesses a “crazy obsession with the Kennedy curse” from his earliest consciousness of their story.  When the creative team first began to explore the possibility of a musical treatment of the subject, they thought the Chappaquiddick story itself would be the focal point of the piece. The more research they did, the more they were convinced that the Boiler Room Girls had to be the vehicle.

“What happened, surrounding the assassination of Robert Kennedy and the death of one of their own, that would cause these women to form an unbreakable bond that has lasted their lifetimes?” Archambault asks. Archambault and Engelhardt set out to paint that picture.

The two met in 2013 when Engelhardt appeared in a musical Archambault was directing at the Rhinebeck Center for Performing Arts. In ensuing collaborations, Engelhardt has served as musical director in Archambault-directed pieces, and out of the friendship, they developed a mutual interest in an original project. By 2014, they had committed to the Boiler Room Girls’ story. Progress was slow at first, as both delved deep into the innumerable wormholes down which the Kennedy story can often lead. About eighteen months ago, Engelhardt encouraged accelerating the process by setting dates for its live premiere. “Yep,” she quips. “I realized that I work best under a deadline, and at some point we had to give ourselves a date to work toward.” That’s when the script and the music being presented to audiences in this month’s production really started to take shape.

Both come to endeavor with significant pedigree to recommend the quality of the work. Archambault is a director and choreographer out of NYC. He spent years on the road as an actor, dancer and singer, and now calls the Hudson Valley his permanent home. His list of directorial credits is vast, and when he appears as an actor, he is widely regarded as one of the region’s finest. He also serves as the Assistant Artistic & Managing Director at The CENTER for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck and is an adjunct professor at SUNY Dutchess. 

Engelhardt is a prolific composer and singer/songwriter with dozens of film and ad score credits, 4 piano-pop albums, 20 tours, and 40+ TV placements on her resume. She began her career in a hip-hop recording studio in NYC and went on to work at a post-production house, which led her to her stint as a jingle composer before starting to tour with her band. Also a Hudson Valley resident, Engelhardt says the music is largely pop-inspired, “…we did not want to be bound to trying to write a 60’s soundtrack,” she says. The story, Archambault and Engelhardt agree, is important in its own right, and there is no need to date its music stylistically. While the production will emulate the style of the times in its costuming and set design, the piece is not an homage to the top forty hits of the era.

The duo is very excited about the cast they’ve assembled to present the material in its debut. Cast members Chris Backofen, Joseph Bongiorno, Tom Bunker, Bryelle Burgus, Mark Colvson, Michelle George, Victoria Howland, Rachel Karashay, PJ Kraus, Natasha Lende, Kiah Saxe, Wendell Scherer, Cheyenne See, Jordan Stroly & Elaine Young, are all experienced stage performers, and all were eager to be a part of telling the story.

The hope and expectation for the piece is that this premiere will lead to insights about the strengths of the project which will allow for even more tightening of the product for presentation in other theater workshops, festivals and venues regionally and nationally. And both of its creators are clear in the ultimate hope for the project. “The goal,” they say, “is Broadway.”

Having spent time with the creative team and gained some familiarity with the script, the music, and the underlying story, there is no reason to believe the work will not have a long and fruitful future. The compelling nature of the Kennedy myth, combined with the little-told story, distinguishes it from the Kennedy “white-noise” – there should be an appetite for the story given its newness, and both Archambault and Engelhardt have the experience and the talent to stage the story with audience appeal. The opportunity to see the show in its premiere production is a unique chance, therefore, to observe the organic development of such a project and indeed, to be a part of how it evolves. If the piece gets the legs it will no doubt deserve, its Rhinebeck audience may have the chance to look back on this intimate opening after they see it again under the bright lights in its future.

The show runs one weekend only, September 20th– 22nd. Tickets are available online and at the door, but online purchase is encouraged, as the buzz for this project may make box office purchase a risky venture. The project also has its own web and social media presences, as does Engelhardt’s musical library. All links are provided below.

Tickets: http://www.centerforperformingarts.org/all-shows-sp-1131460608/item/boiler-room-girls

Boiler Room Girls Website: https://www.boilerroomgirls.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/631512180714447/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/boilerroomgirls?igshid=1wdhkxxz9qa6c

Cheryl B. Engelhardt’s Musical Library: www.CBEmusic.com

A Vision Worth Reviving

Review by Joe Eriole

Castaway Productions’ presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Sean Matthew Whiteford, accomplishes something notable in any revival of a well-known and oft-performed show: it offers the audience something more than they expected. 

Superstar began its life as  a 1970 rock opera album based on the last week of the life of Jesus, with intriguing and modestly controversial perspectives on the thoughts and motivations of history’s most famous protagonist, his loving followers, and his iconic antagonist, Judas. The musical debuted the next year. 
The compositions, while identifiable in the genre of epic rock anthems and glam rock, hold up exceptionally well. So much is asked of the vocalists, and so much musicianship is possible for the musicians, that in the hands of performers who are up to the task, the result is always an impressive aural experience. 

In Whiteford’s production, everyone on stage can really sing, and every cast member brings style and energy to their performance, such that audiences will find themselves watching more than just the leads as they survey the stage.  Likewise, all the players in the pit have real chops on their instruments, are on stage throughout the show, and now and then double as actors. 

If this production was your introduction to the show, the strength of the cast and the band would be enough to commend it. Its real triumph, however, might be among the large number of audience members who already know the show well. Because familiarity can make revivals seem tedious, and indeed, recent stagings of Superstar, even on the Great White Way have lacked the energy and power the show has the potential to deliver. This production is a terrific theater experience.

Whiteford’s director’s notes emphasize his desire to pay homage to the show’s origins as a concept album, and alerts the audience to the notion that the show will seek to capture the energy of the music in it’s raw, organic power. It is unabashedly as much a concert as a play, but that emphasis does nothing to diminish the production as a total sensory experience. The costuming is casual, gritty, and stylish, the set spare but purposeful, and the lighting reminiscent of an intimate music hall concert show; bright, alive and in motion like the cast, but never a distraction.

Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice’s concept has done much to shape modern popular culture’s view of it’s central characters, Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene. Focusing, as it does, on Jesus’ life, rather than taking a position on the theology he later inspired, allows the play to work as a very poignant human drama whatever your faith perspective may be, so long as the heavy water of the Jesus, Joseph, Magdalene triangle can be carried by the performers. Here, Whiteford, as Jesus, Henry George Staats III as Judas, and Jasha Woodall as Magdalene, give us that to be sure.

Jesus and Judas are exceptionally challenging vocal parts, and the show can frankly be unwatchable if these two key roles are not filled by actors who can own every note. Whiteford and Staats are each more than up to task. They are engrossing on stage together. Whiteford’s Jesus is equal parts empathy and passion; Staats’ Judas is full of pathos and rage, and both exude the pain that renders the human story tragic.

As Magdalene, Woodall delivers a performance best described as beautiful. She is a joy to listen to, and an emotive actress throughout, whose plaintive cries at the end the play, in a unique and agonizing take on the final tragedy, are inspired both in concept and delivery. One of the play’s signature songs, I Don’t Know How to Love Him, is strongly performed by Woodard with heartfelt sincerity.

Woodard and PJ Kraus, as Peter, deliver one of the most moving performances of the show on Could We Start Again, Please. this song, during which Kraus plays guitar and and Woodard plays piano, was not on the original studio album, but became part of the lexicon of the show early in its life as a stage and film event. The deep poignancy of the song and delicacy of their performance are a strong counterpoint to the relentless race to the tragic denouement of the play.

Other notable performances are turned in by Dean DiMarzo and Logan Callahan as Caiphas and Annas, respectively, who match the distinctive vocal notes of those characters while also accompanying with menacing guitar.
The two magistrates who passed on Jesus’ fate, Herod and Pontius Pilate, are played by Briana DeVol Cermak and AnnChris Warren respectively, who each give star-turns in their roles. Warren’s Pilate rages and pleads with riveting fervor, and Cermak’s Herod, while sharply offering lyrics no less insightful than any other character in the play, also gives us a welcomed dose of brilliant comedic relief. 

There is a wonderfully staged saxophone duel performed at the highest tier of the set scaffolding by ensemble members Dara Looney and Erin Hebert, which adds tremendous energy to one of the show’s strongest ensemble pieces. The ensemble is nearly always on stage, unfailing in their energy, sharp in their choreography, and powerful in their supporting vocals.
This is a well-wrought and finely performed production. It runs through Sunday September 15 at The Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck. Tickets are extremely limited and advanced purchase is highly recommended for the closing weekend.

Clove Creek’s Comedic Production of I Hate Hamlet is “Not to Be” Missed!

Review by Louisa Vilardi

In Clove Creek Dinner Theater’s I Hate Hamlet, director Brandon Patterson has assembled a cast full of wit and energy that will leave you with a belly full of delicious food and laughs. 

Andrew Rally’s (Steven Bendler) agent has persuaded him to play the role of Hamlet in New York City’s production of Shakespeare in the Park. Rally must battle his hate of Hamlet with his love of the craft of acting, which leaves him indecisive and unsettled. Rally moves to the City to play the role, and is met by Felicia Dantine (Amber Loija Mason), a real estate agent full of gusto, who is excited to show Rally his new place. The property is distinguished by having once belonged to the late John Barrymore (Patrick Spaulding), whose quintessential portrayal of Hamlet years ago set the bar for any actor who followed him.

Although the apartment is too grand and gothic for Rally’s taste, his agent (Laurel Riley-Brown) compels him to stay in the apartment for the selfish reason that it is the site where she once carried on an affair with Barrymore. Rally is further moved to take the place by his girlfriend, Deirdre McDavey (Tamara Cacchione). McDavey, while modestly saving herself for marriage, thinks the knowledge of the talented Barrymore’s having been resident there might inspire Rally’s performance, and with it, her libido, such that she might have the impetus to finally sleep with him.

Once in the new space, the ghost of Barrymore appears, and assists Rally in battling his demons while Barrymore himself is challenged by a ghost and Gary (Brandon Patterson), a vivacious Hollywood producer. Against these storylines, we are treated to a seance, swordplay, and Shakespearean citations in a side-splitting play.  

The ghost of legendary John Barrymore is played by standout actor and handsome charmer, Patrick Spaulding who has an impressive bravado that fills the theater. Spaulding is a natural, precise in his comedic timing while also leaving the audience welling up in tears during more emotional moments.  

Steven Bendler’s portrayal of Andrew Rally is stellar and spot-on and he plays Rally as he should, a rambler, a self-doubter, and a true TV actor whose claims to fame are his role on LA Medical and his popular but embarrassing commercial, where he kisses a chipmunk hand puppet on the head. Bendler is a gift on stage and is full of depth and presence as Rally. He succeeds in delivering a true range of emotions as what could have been a very static character. From outstanding comedic chops to emotional poignancy, Bendler shines.

Tamara Cacchione is a pure dream to watch on stage as she plays the flighty Dierdre. She is a true artist and talented actress who evokes a good mix of desperation, sincerity, passion and enchantment. She is melodic and simply flawless in this production.

Laurel Riley-Brown plays German agent Lillian Troy, and is a perfect blend of absurdity and emotion. Riley-Brown plays an older woman with an emphysemic cough who delivers some of the funniest one-liners of the play. The most moving scene of the play is when she reunites with Barrymore and they reminisce about being young lovers, which triggers the audience to remember simpler times in life when a romantic stillness was enough. It’s a credit to the chemistry and performance of Riley-Brown and Spaulding that one wishes this scene lasted much longer.

Amber Loija Mason delivers energy and zeal to the stage as Felicia Dantine. Her facial expressions and physicality, especially during the seance, evoke humor which sets the tone of the play from the start. She provides us with comic relief which balances out some of the more emotional moments between other characters on stage. 

Brandon Patterson, who also directed this production, plays Gary Lefkowitz, a slimy Hollywood producer who tries to convince Rally that his time would be better spent on screen rather than on stage. Patterson is BIG from the moment he enters to the last breath of each exit.

Patterson’s direction gives us a production which is sharp, funny, and gritty, with clever staging.

I Hate Hamlet runs through September 22, 2019 at Clove Creek Dinner Theater in Fishkill, NY. For tickets and more information, please visit www.CloveCreekDinnerTheater.com 

Louisa Vilardi is a writer and theater director who lives in the Hudson Valley.  Her writing has been featured in The Huffington Post, Today Parenting Team, and Scary Mommy.  More at www.LouisaVilardi.com