Avenue Q

some residents of Avenue Q

Mazeppa Productions, located in Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre on 20 N. American St, Philadelphia, Pa is presenting   Avenue Q through July 27. You might miss the theatre’s location, as I did, the first go round as it is located off 2^nd Street between Market and Arch, but it is well worth driving around the block to find it. I expected to be shocked by the language of the show (I was not) . I expected to be amused. (I laughed …A LOT) What I did not expect was the talent in the cast of this fledgling theater company.  Mazeppa Productions has only been in existence since 2011 and was founded with the express goal of bringing exciting works of musical theater to Philadelphia.  While all of the cast members of Avenue Q have some on-stage experience, many of them are still students or very recent graduates with degrees in musical theater.  The aggregate talent of these young performers is astounding. Kudos to Mazeppa Productions founders Rob Henry and Brian Seaman for providing a venue for such talent to be heard and to blossom. The cast not only works well with puppets. Prop Designer Annie Heath’s talking boxes were also a huge hit with the entire audience.  Erin McCourt must also be acknowledged for designing such a perfect set.  The season continues with cabaret-style performances and a two-day Rapunzel event.  I hope that as this theater company matures they will be able to add more full length productions to the schedule. This will not only provide further experience to the cast members resumes, but bring additional enjoyment to Philadelphia musical theater lovers as well. For further information or tickets, call 265-559-9602 or visit online at www.mazeppaproductions.org. 

Love, Loss and What I Wore

The Philadelphia Theatre Company, located in the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at Broad and Lombard Streets, is presenting  Nora and Delia Ephron’s  Love, Loss and What I Wore through July 7. This wildly successful off-Broadway hit not only strikes a nerve in every woman in the audience, but has the male audience members appreciating it as well.  Insightful and down-to earth, witty and genuine, each anecdote and one-liner is something  audience members can personally relate to…from “The Bra” to “The Prom Dress”, from "The Dressing Room” to “I Hate My Purse”,  from “The Closet” to “I Just Want to Say....” along with many others.  “Oh yes, that was me," audience member after audience member nudged one another during the opening night performance., laughing and poking each other gently.  The room was alive with non-stop laughter from the minute the play started until ninety minutes later when it ended.  Not enough excellent things can be said about the brilliant ensemble cast of Mary Birdsong, Aisha De Haas,  Kate Flannery, Ashley Austin Morris and Concetta Tomei.  Experienced actors all, they brought the Ephron sisters’ stories to life through various hilarious techniques. This show has a very short run.  Don't miss it. For further information or tickets call 215-985-0420 or visit online at PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. 

Uncle Tom's Cabin

cast of Uncle Tom's Cabin

EgoPo Classic Theater Company, located in Plays and Players Theater at 17^th and Delancey Streets, Philadelphia, is presenting a unique and electrifying rendition of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin through June 9.  From the opening moments of this production, the audiences is totally involved with the actors, witnessing frequent flashes of light and stop-and- go movements of the people on stage.  Although the story of slavery told in Uncle Tom’s Cabin is well known, EgoPo has made the intriguing decision to racially reverse the cast.  The result is spellbinding.  Hearing racial epitaphs spouted out of Black actors mouths may be unnerving at first as well as the subservience of the white cast members to their ”massahs”, but the show is so well performed, that the story-line becomes the important character, rather than the actors, as is the intent. That having been said, Ed Swidey makes a marvelous Tom and Langston Darby an extraordinarily credible Simon Legree. Newcomer Nia Ali is such a poised and perfect Eva, it is difficult to believe that she is only a sophomore theatre major.  I know we will be seeing her in many more theatrical productions in the future. An excellent performance is also given by Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez who portrays both a young slave boy and Topsy.  You can’t afford to dawdle to get tickets for EgoPo’s outstanding performance of the year.  For more information or tickets, call 267-273-1414 or visit online at www.egopo.org. 

A Little Night Music

The Arden Theatre Company, located at 40 N 2^nd Street in Olde City, Philadelphia, is presenting Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music on its F. Otto Haas stage through June 30. With Grace Gonglewski, as Desiree Arfmfeldt, Ben Dibble, as Count Carl-Magnus, and Christopher Patrick Mullen as Fredrik Egerman leading the cast of 15, The Arden’s 25^th Season is ending with a colossal bang!  The 5 member chorus brings not only class but clarity to the production.  Their voices ring with the quality of an operetta as they set the stage for the action throughout. Thanks to costume designer Rosemarie E. McKelvey, their formal attire sets a grand tone.  Scenic Designer James Kronzer in conjunction with lighting Designer Thom Weaver, have done a masterful work with the set. The frequent scenes changes are made seamlessly.  Actors move back and forth across the stage, belting out one Sondheim tune after another, while scene after scene is highlighted.  Aside from Sondheim’s well known, “Send in the Clowns”, the lyrics may be unfamiliar, demanding strict attention from the audience to follow the story line. Every minute of attention paid is well worth the effort, for this is a marvelous production, one of the highlights of this theatre season.  For more information or tickets, call 215-922-1122 or visit online at www.ardentheatre.org.

Heroes

The 4 friends preparing for adventure

The Lantern Theater Company, located in St. Stephen’s Church, 10^th and Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia, has done it again. It has ended another spectacular season with a sure-fire hit...the Philadelphia premiere of Tom Stoppard’s Heroes.  Set on a “private” terrace of a veterans’ retirement home, Heroes explores the psyche of 3 World War I veterans, all damaged by the war to some degree.  It is the humor in this adaptation that creeps up on you so unexpectedly.  In the first act we are introduced to Henri, played by Peter DeLaurier, Gustave, portrayed by Dan Kern, and Philippe, portrayed by Mal Whyte.  Oh yes, and the dog, played by a stone statue.  Philippe’s belief that the dog can move is not really funny in the first act, even to the other two veterans,but it can be explained away by the shrapnel which was left imbedded in his head and causes him to have periodic “spells”.   Henri also has physical damage from the war…a crippled leg, but it doesn’t stop him from taking walks to observe the young girls in a nearby girls’ school. Gustave appears very self-possessed and in command until we learn he can barely leave his room, let alone leave the grounds or relate to others.  These revelations are humorous but watch out for the second act.  What was slightly amusing in the first act becomes hysterical with just a slight twist added to the script. It is no holds barred. Nothing is sacred and I found myself laughing almost non-stop as the veterans and the dog plan an excursion. Lighting designer, Janet Embree has done fantastic work- the blackouts are quick and the actors are repositioned on the stage with no one in the audience being the wiser. This show will only run through June 9, so order your tickets immediately if you haven’t already done so. For more information or tickets, call 215- 829- 0395 or visit online at lanterntheater.org.

Inherit The Wind

Scope Monkey Trial

Bristol  Riverside Theatre, located at 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, Pa. is presenting a new twist on an old classic,  Inherit The Wind  through June 9. The large ensemble cast is a confluence of professional actors and Bucks County community members. The result is a courtroom drama that sends sparks flying and audience members longing to reach for  fans as the battle heats up.  Liz Filios, oft seen on Philadelphia area stages, does outstanding work as the conflicted Rachel Brown.  She is not only the daughter of the town’s Reverend but is also the one-time girlfriend of the schoolteacher on trial for breaking the law by teaching Darwin’s theory of  evolution. Stephen Novelli provides such a convincing performance of an ineffectual judge that the audience might forget that he is acting and mistake his performance for an unimpressive one.  Michael McCarty provides a larger-than-life performance as Matthew Harrison Brady,  prosecuting attorney with a direct pipeline to God. Not to be outdone, Keith Baker brings his wealth of talent to the production in his role of determined defense attorney, Henry Drummond. There are several children in this cast and it was my good fortune to see  Vincent Crocilla on the stage again, portraying Timmy Blair.  This show does not have a very long run; make sure you plan to get tickets quickly.  For tickets or more information, call 215-785-0100 or visit online at brtstage.org.

Grease

Ensemble cast at high school dance

The Walnut Street Theatre, located at 825 Walnut Street, is concluding its season with a new presentation of Grease, scheduled to run on its Mainstage through July 14.  This production is proof-positive that some shows can be revived again and again and still maintain a fresh appeal to audiences who clamor for more. A first-rate ensemble cast dances with the vigor of teenagers, thanks to choreographer Michelle Gaudette.  Although not a dancer, Laura Giknis, portraying Sandy, demonstrates her adept acting ability throughout the performance. Her depiction of the innocent “girl next door” is convincing as is her self-imposed make-over. Many additional cast members have an opportunity to showcase their voice with a solo but few do it with as much vitriol as Kate Fahrner when she portrays Rizzo and sings, “There are Worse Things I Could Do.”  Adolpho Blaire demonstrates a magnificent falsetto when he sings “Mooning” with Tara Tagliaferro counterbalancing him as Jan. Take yourself back to life in the late 50’s when Rock ‘N Roll was in full swing and immerse yourself in life at Rydell High.  Cheer on Patty the Cheerleader, portrayed by Tracy Dunn, Captain of the Eagles 2012 Eagles Cheerleading Squad. Re-aquaint yourself with the angst of high school romance. This production is nostalgia at its best. For more information or tickets call 215-574-350, 80-982-2787 or visit online at www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org.