MARK KAPPEL                      

NEWSNOTES DANCE BLOG

MARK KAPPEL

EDITOR

252 WEST 76TH STREET

SUITE 6E

NEW YORK NY 10023

TELEPHONE: 212-724-3889

FAX: 212-874-5039

E-MAIL: MARKKAPL1@aol.com

WEB SITE: http://www.markkappeldance.com

MISSION STATEMENT

 FROM THE EDITOR

Recognizing the need to promote the personal accomplishments of creative artists and to inform dance audiences, dance professionals, dance supporters, and the general public about news in the dance world, I have established the NewsNotes Dance Blog. It is my goal to collaborate with the dance community in this effort. Please direct announcements and press releases for inclusion and coverage to Editor/NewsNotes Dance Blog at MARKKAPL1@aol.com

NEWS IN THE DANCE WORLD

4-17-19 - Miami City Ballet has announced that Carlos Quenedit will be rejoining the company as a principal dancer, Kathryn Morgan joins the company as a soloist, Alexander Peters has been promoted to principal dancer, and Emily Bromberg, Shimon Ito, and Chase Swatosh have been promoted to principal soloists.

2-28-19 - The New York City Ballet has announced the appointments of Jonathan Stafford as artistic director, Wendy Whelan as associate artistic director, and Justin Peck as artistic advisor.

1-15-19 - Carlos Acosta has been appointed the new artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

12-28-18 - The Houston Ballet has announced that Soo Youn  Cho has been promoted to the rank of principal dancer.

10-14-18 - The New York City Ballet has announced that Joseph Gordon has been promoted to principal dancer, and Daniel Applebaum, Harrison Coll, Claire Kretzchmar, Aaron Sanz, Sebastian Villarini-Velez, and Peter Walker have been promoted to soloist.

7-31-18 - The Boston Ballet has announced that Ji Young Chae and Derek Dunn have been promoted to the rank of principal dancer, and Viktorina Kapitonova will join the company as a principal dancer.

7-13-18 - The Royal Ballet has announced that Matthew Ball has been promoted to the rank of principal dancer.

7-10-18 - Aaron Robison will be returning to the San Francisco Ballet as a principal danccer for the 2018-19 season.

7-10-18 - Yasuo Atsuji has been promoted from First Soloist to Principal Dancer of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

6-29-18 - American Ballet Theatre has announced the promotions of Zhong-Jing Fang, Catherine Hurlin, and Katherine Williams to the rank of soloist.

6-19-18 - Jeffrey Cirio will be joining English National Ballet as a Leading Principal.

6-18-18 - The National Ballet of Canada has announced the promotions of Skylar Campbell and Francesco Gabriele Frola to principal dancer, Jack Bertinshaw to first soloist, and Christopher Gerty, Spencer Hack and Miyoko Koyasu to second soloist.

6-10-18 - Justin Peck won the Tony Award for Best Choreography for the Broadway revival of Carousel.

6-4-18  - The San Francisco Ballet has announced the promotions of Wei Wang to principal dancer, and Benjamin Freemantle, Wona Park, Elizabeth Powell, Henry Sidford, and Lonnie Weeks to soloist. Vladislav Kozlov will be joining the San Francisco Ballet as a soloist.

5-8-18 - The Pennsylvania Ballet announced the promotions of Aleksey Babayev, Albert Gordon, Zecheng Lliang, Nayara Lopez, and Jack Thomas to the rank of soloist beginning with the 2018-19 season.

5-1-18 - The following choreographers have been honored with Tony Award nominations Christopher Gatelli (My Fair Lady and SpongeBob Square Pants: the Musical), Steven Hoggett (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One & Two), Casey Nicholaw (Mean Girls), and Justin Peck (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel).

4-20-18 - Phillip Broomhead has been appointed principal teacher at the Orlando Ballet School in Orlando, Florida.

1-5-18 - James Sofranko has been appointed the new artistic director of the Grand Rapids Ballet in Grand Rapids, Michigan beginning with the 2018-19 season.

DIARY

Merce Cunningham Celebration at Joyce Theater

Joyce Theater

April 17, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

To celebrate the Merce Cunningham Centennial, the Joyce Theater is presenting a Merce Cunningham Celebration from April 17-21, 2019 making it possible for three dance companies to perform three of Cunningham’s significant works.

Cunningham, even after his passing in 2009, remains an icon in the dance world with his major contributions not only in choreography but also in the visual arts. He involved himself in collaborations with other iconic artists including Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Charles Atlas, Elliot Kaplan and John Cage, and those collaborations were noted in the dance pieces that were presented as part of this Cunningham tribute.

Although Cunningham is most famous for the works he created for his own company, several of his pieces have been acquired by major ballet companies as well. As Cunningham’s own company has been disbanded, his works are now finding homes in the repertoire of other dance companies.

The closest direct association with Cunningham on this program was represented by the participation of Compagnie CNDC-Angers/Robert Swinston, which was founded in 1978 and has contributed to the legacy of contemporary dance in France. Robert Swinston, a former member of Cunningham’s dance company, is Angers’ director and Swinston has added Cunningham’s works to this company’s repertoire.

For its participation in this Festival, Compagnie CNDC-Angers/Robert Swinston performed Cunningham’s Suite for Five, a work that Cunningham created for his own company in 1956, choreographed to music composed by John Cage.

Suite for Five had been revised by Cunningham several times during his lifetime and in its final version only two of the solos were retained. The piece, in fact, opens with one of the male solos with the choreography as a whole reflecting Cunningham’s angular and calculated movement – slow and deliberate – in conjunction with Cage’s dissonant music. 

Suite for Five was danced with great reverence by the cast of Anna Chirescu, Gianni Joseph, Catarina Pernao, Carlo Schiavo, Claire Seigle-Goujon.

Becoming a more frequent participant in the New York dance scene Ballet West, directed by Adam Sklute, and based in Salt Lake City, Utah, performed Cunningham’s Summerspace, a work that Cunningham created for his own company in 1958 and was added to Ballet West’s repertoire only in the last year.

Summerspace is choreographed to music by Morton Feldman and is danced in front of a scene scape that was created by Robert Rauschenberg -- an abstract pointillist back drop with matching costumes.

In Summerspace Cunningham included his randomness of movement and filling stage space, and one feels that the participants in the piece are meant to experience the joy of being within the scenic environment that Rauschenberg had created.

That enthusiasm was communicated by the cast of Katlyn Addison, Katie Critchlow, Kyle Davis, Jenna Rae Herrera, Chelsea Keefer, and Joshua Shutkind.

The third company to participate in this celebration was the Washington Ballet, an infrequent visitor to New York, now directed by former principal of American Ballet Theatre, Julie Kent. 

The Washington Ballet performed Cunningham’s Duets which Cunningham's company premiered in 1980, and a work only recently added to the Washington Ballet’s repertoire.

Duets is another collaboration between Cunningham and John Cage and primarily consists of a series of duets which are interrupted or interspersed by brief appearances of an additional couple on the stage appearing at the beginning, during or at the end of each duet.  Duets ultimately ends with a tableau of all of the dancers in the piece. The dancers are costumed simply but in different colors which do create significant and “colorful” images during this piece.

The cast of Ayano Kimura, Corey Landolt, Sona Kharatian & Tamas Krizsa, Victoria Arrea, Stephen Nakagawa, Sarah Steele, Daniel Roberge, Tamaka Miyazaki, Gilles Deleillio, Brittany Stone and Nicholas Cowden took up the challenges of Cunningham’s choreography in a sophisticated manner.

What was significant about this tribute was that all of these works were performed either with live music or appropriate recorded music which enhanced this performance considerably.

This was definitely a thought-provoking evening of dance. 

Dance Theatre of Harlem Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

City Center

April 13, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

From April 12-13, 2019 the Dance Theatre of Harlem celebrated its 50th Anniversary, and the life of one of its founders, Arthur Mitchell, during an engagement at City Center. Mitchell passed away only in the last year and during his tenure as artistic director he made an indelible mark on the company.

Included in this program was a film tribute to Mitchell presenting the back story of his roots in dance, and his accomplishments, but primarily focused on his founding of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and how his spirit influences the Dance Theatre of Harlem now and will do so in the future.

In particular, two works on this mixed-bill program that were danced by the Dance Theatre of Harlem, had strong associations with Mitchell.

The first of which was one of his choreographic compositions, Tones II, which he choreographed for the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1970. This was a piece that he was reconstructing and revising just before his passing and this new version received its world premiere in March of this year. Also significant that Tania Leon composed the score for this work.

With choreography that was Balanchine inspired and also inspired by Leon’s music, Tones II is structured in the neo-classic mode with ensembles dances to open and close the piece, with a pas de deux in the middle section. But in all aspects Mitchell’s choreography is inspired by the music and also the Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers that danced this piece including Crystal Serrano, Amanda Smith, Alicia Mae  Holloway, Alexandra Hutchinson, Lindsey Croop, Ingrid Silva, and Stephanie Rae Williams, Dylan Santos, Christopher Charles McDaniel, Anthony Santos, Dustin James, Derek Brockington, Kouadio Davis, and Choong Hoon Lee.

During his tenure Arthur Mitchell asked Geoffrey Holder to create one of his most enduring works, Dougla, for the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1974 which had become a signature work for the company. In Dougla Holder celebrated the rituals of a wedding in Trinidad. Holder’s choreography reflected pride and nobility in the piece, the processions and the rituals. This spectacular and extravagant piece – and the excitement it generated on the stage and among audience members -- was the appropriate closing work of this program. Particularly notable in the cast were Ingrid Silva and Da’Von Doane as the Bride and Bridegroom.

Also on the program were two recent commissions by the company. The first of which was Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Balamouk which was commissioned by the City Center Fall for Dance Festival in 2018. This ensemble work, choreographed to music by Les Yeux Noir, Rene Aubry, and Lisa Gerrado, employed both contemporary ballet and modern dance in its vocabulary. The choreography responded to the pulse of the music.

Balamouk is primarily an ensemble piece and was danced with commitment by Ingrid Silva, Alexandra Hutchinson, Yinet Fernandez, Daphne Lee, Lindsey Croop, Dustin James, Dylan Santos, Anthony Santos, Christopher Charles McDaniel, and Choong Hoon Lee.

Opening the program was the New York premiere or Robert Garland’s Nyman String Quartet #2. Performed on an exposed stage Garland’s choreography was notable for emphasizing its moments through repetition and the thoughtful movement of groups of dancers. Although dancers led  sections in this piece it was primarily an ensemble work which featured Da’Von Doane, Derek Brockington, Christopher Charles McDaniel, Anthony Santos, Dylan Santos, Lindsey Croop, Amanda Smith, Alicia Mae Holloway, Alexandra Hutchinson, and Stephanie Rae Williams.

This City Center engagement marked how the Dance Theatre of Harlem is evolving artistically and also the level of the dancers.

Classic Stage Company Presents The Cradle Will Rock

Classic Stage Company

March 30, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

The Classic Stage Company has recently garnered an excellent reputation for producing small-scale and re-thought revivals of musicals – musicals that might not have been otherwise produced – and also showcasing them in intimate surroundings. From March 21-May 12, 2019, CSC is presenting The Cradle Will Rock, an iconic musical that dates back to the time of the Great Depression.

The Cradle Will Rock is described as a “play in music in ten scenes” and is presented by the CSC in 90 minutes with no intermission. Representing a benchmark period in American history – The Cradle Will Rock is a bold expression of resistance against corruption, wealth and political power, and how those empowered threatened unionized labor and the poor.  A message that still has resonance in the 21st century. 

The Cradle Will Rock created such controversy when it was first performed for the Federal Theater Project in 1937 – with direction by Orson Welles and produced by John Houseman – that the production was temporarily shut down. An alternative venue was found, and the actors played their parts among the audience members.

This piece of political theatre with music, lyrics and book by Marc Blitzstein focuses on Larry Foreman (played by Tony Yazbeck), a labor activist who unionizes steel workers against the wishes of a greedy industrialist, Mr. Mister (played by David Garrison).

The Cradle Will Rock takes place in Steeltown USA in 1937 and opens as the citizens of Steeltown are arrested for having demonstrated against the powers that be in the town. It appears that the town is under the thumb of Mr. Mister -- even the local man of the cloth Reverend Salvation. Mr. Mister throws money at Steeltown citizens to persuade them to support Mr. Mister’s politics and the local economy.

Mr. Mister’s particular target is union organizer Larry Foreman, but one can see that Mr. Mister is trying to exert control over everyone in Steeltown – a company town – even his own disreputable children and other citizens in Steeltown. Mr. Mister and other influential citizens plot against the union organizing but Larry Foreman is undeterred.

Besides the basic plot elements The Cradle Will Rock encompasses the plight of the poor, the working class, immigrants, and the challenges to the American spirit – albeit timely because history repeats itself.

Blitzstein’s score is mostly sung through and has jazz influences, parodies of classical music and pop tunes performed with only piano accompaniment. And all encapsulating the story-telling and the Brechtian influences in The Cradle Will Rock’s fable.

Although The Cradle Will Rock focuses on the character of Larry Foreman, The Cradle Will Rock is an ensemble piece with several members of the cast playing multiple roles. Therefore it is to the credit of the cast that all are standouts. Besides the aforementioned Tony Yazbeck as Larry Foreman, notable were Rema Webb as Ella, Sally Ann Triplett as Mrs. Mister, Lara Pulver as Moll, Kara Mikula as Sister Mister, Ken Barnett as Editor Daily, Eddie Cooper as Junior Mister, Benjamin Eakeley as Reverend Salvation, David Garrison as Mr. Mister and Ian Lowe as Yasha. All of these cast members play their parts with great intensity and commitment.

Although The Cradle Will Rock premiered in 1937, it is still a timely and engrossing piece of musical theatre, and director John Doyle has faithfully presented the spirit of this fascinating and relevant theatrical masterwork.

The Royal Ballet’s Don Quixote

March 27, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

The Royal Opera House continues its cinema screenings of the Royal Ballet with Carlos Acosta’s production of Don Quixote which will be shown in the United States during the coming month.

Acosta’s production was given its Royal Ballet premiere in 2013 and although Acosta has danced in many different productions of Don Quixote he seems to have gone back to his Cuban roots in his staging and theatrical choices in his production of Don Quixote.

Unlike many other 19th century full-length classical ballets, Don Quixote is a comedy. Although the ballet is also based on Cervantes’ novel the ballet focuses only on a short adventure from that novel while providing a great deal of dancing, comedy, and more dancing of the virtuoso kind.

Marius Petipa staged Don Quixote for the Bolshoi Ballet in 1869 but the ballet has been primarily handed down through the revisions made by Alexander Gorsky who restaged Don Quixote for the Bolshoi Ballet in the early part of the 20th century. The ballet had also been in the domain of Russian ballet companies until Rudolf Nureyev began staging his production for Western European ballet companies in the 1960’s. Since that time Don Quixote has become a standard work in the repertoire of many ballet companies all over the world.

Carlos Acosta’s production is the not the first production of Don Quixote that the Royal Ballet has danced. In previous years the Royal Ballet has also danced productions by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev.

In seeing this cinema screening this was a great opportunity to see Acosta’s slant on this well-known ballet – all the more knowing that Acosta has recently been appointed the new artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet and will undoubtedly stage more productions of the classics for that company in the future.

Don Quixote is often perceived as a suite of dances with the narrative being presented in a flimsy manner. It is noteworthy in Acosta’s version of Don Quixote that he includes narrative elements which help to establish the characters in the story and puts the characters and the story all in context.

Among Acosta’s most significant contributions to this production of Don Quixote is his new choreography for the Act II Gypsy Scene – which also includes on-stage musicians enhancing the atmosphere of the scene. Also the townspeople are portrayed in a naturalistic manner and are involved in every aspect of the story being told, and Tim Hatley’s designs give the proper hint of exotic Spain.

The focus of the ballet is the relationship of Kitri, the daughter of the local tavern keeper, and Basilio, the local barber, their romance, and Kitri’s father’s plans to marry her off to a local aristocrat, Gamache. Kitri and Basilio recruit Don Quixote and his companion Sancho Panza to encourage their romance and persuade Kitri’s father to choose Basilio over Gamache to be Kitri’s husband. The antics begin, the adventures begin, and the virtuoso dancing takes the audience through the spectacular wedding divertissement in the last act of the ballet.

Any performance of Don Quixote rests on the shoulders of the principal dancers dancing the roles of Kitri and Basilio.  Akane Takada as Kitri gives an exacting performance with lots of flair and a natural comic ability – as does Alexander Campbell in the role of Basilio. They are a pair with a great deal of chemistry.

Also notable were Fumi Kaneko as the Queen of the Dryads, Valentino Zuchetti as The Toreador, Mayra Magri as Mercedes, and the wonderful character dancers, Thomas Whitehead as Gamache, Philip Mosley as Sancho Panza and Christopher Saunders as Don Quixote.

This is a production of Don Quixote that exploits the talents of the Royal Ballet’s dancers.

Awards Ceremony/Gala for the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition

Symphony Space

March 23, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

This year’s Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition held at Symphony Space showcased a new generation of soon-to-be professional dancers – classical ballet and modern dancers – and also choreographers.

The mission of this Competition is to award further studies and dance company contracts to award winners which prepares these young dancers for the dance world that is before them.

Among the members of this year’s Jury were:

Anderson Santa (Belgium)

Ricardo Scheir (Brazil)

Nina M. Buisson (France)

Charles Jude (France)

Aivars Leimanis (Latvia)

Patricia Aulestia De Alba (Mexico)

Olga Guardia De Smoak (Panama)

Nikolai Tsiskaridze (Russia)

Sergei Soloviev (Russia)

Sun Hee Kim (South Korea)

Mi Sook Jeon (South Korea)

Radenko Pavlovich (USA)Paul McRae (USA)

Michael Pink (USA)

Anthony Randazzo (USA)

Gyorgy Szakaly (Hungary)

Peter Breuer (Austria)

It was on March 23, 2019 that the Awards Ceremony for the Competition took place and the award winners included:

Classical Youth Female:

Gold – Isabela Cabral Saqueti (Brazil)

Silver – Ana Clara Barboza (Brazil) & Zaira Meza (Mexico)

Bronze – Nikita Corin (USA)

Classical Youth Male:

Silver – Seongmo Koo (South Korea)

Classical Student Female:

Gold – Chaeyeon Kang (South Korea)

Silver – Michaela Fairon (UK)

Bronze – Mariana Areas (Brazil) & Victoria Sist (Paraguay)

Classical Junior Female:

Gold – Daltrey Schmidt (USA)

Silver – Jillian Schubert (USA) & Ana Carolina Ventura (Brazil)

Bronze – Barbara Dias (Brazil) & Debanhi Garza (Mexico)

Classical Junior Male:

Gold – Gabriel Barbosa (Brazil)

Classical Senior 1 Female:

Gold – Juliette Itou (France & Park Ha Eun (South Korea)

Silver – Choi Mokrin (South Korea)

Bronze – Gwak Ji Oh (South Korea) and Ariadna Herzig (Poland)

Classical Senior 1 Male:

Gold – Ryu Seong Woo (South Korea)

Classical Senior 2 Male:

Silver – Germans Sevchenko (Latvia)Bronze – Niccolo Balossini (France)

Contemporary Solo Division 1:

Gold – Tenika Rush (UK)

Silver – Maria Carolina Gaspar (Brazil)

Bronze – Zaira Meza (Mexico)

Contemporary Solo Division 2 Female:

Gold – Sadie Weintraub (Ireland)

Silver – Jessica Magali Alfonzo Ramos (Brazil)

Bronze – Oh Yu Min (South Korea) and Adriana Gonzalez Maidana (Brazil)

Contemporary Solo Division 3 Female:

Gold – Kim Jungyoon (South Korea), Goh You Jean (South Korea) & Jose Ridgway (UK)

Silver – Cho Minkyoung (South Korea) & Magali Monserrat Parades Perez (Brazil)

Bronze – Lee Ju-Yeong (South Korea) & Lee Hyo Joung (South Korea)

Contemporary Solo Division 3 Male:

Gold – Jang Junyeong (South Korea)

Silver – Moon Daegyu (South Korea)

Contemporary Solo Division 4 Female:

Gold – Jeon Hee Won (South Korea) & Suh Yejin (South Korea)

Silver – Sohn Seung Ri (South Korea)

Bronze – Stella Carvalho (Brazil) & Helen Jihea Kim (South Korea)

Contemporary Solo Division 4 Male:

Gold – Rickirley Costa (Brazil)

Silver – Choi Hyeong Gyu (South Korea) & Kim Jigong (South Korea)

Bronze – Abel Rivarola (Paraguay)

Best Interpretation Compulsory Classical Female – Rajna Removic (Hungary)

Best Interpretation Compulsory Classical Male – Ryu Seong Woo (South Korea)

There were many notable performances in the gala that followed the awards ceremony. Among the highlights were Germans Sevchenko dancing the solo variation from The Talisman, Jillian Schubert dancing a variation from Raymonda, Gabriel Barbosa dancing a variation from Le Corsaire, Juliette Itou dancing a variation from La Bayadere, Rajna Removic dancing the Cigarette Variation from Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc, and guest artists Mari Bell and Justin Valentine dancing The Calvary Halt Pas de Deux.

Now to look forward to next year’s Competition.

City Center Encores Presents I Married An Angel

City Center

March 21, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

The City Center Encores’ second offering this season is I Married An Angel – being presented from March 20-24, 2019 – with a score and book by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

I Married An Angel was also Rodgers and Hart’s third major collaboration with choreographer, George Balanchine, and having been given its Broadway world premiere in the 1930’s combined light musical comedy with extended dance sequences.

I Married An Angel’s light comedy roots comes from its adaption from a play by Janos Vaszary and opened on Broadway in 1938 when people were looking for entertaining diversions from the problems of the time.

The core of the story is that of an angel who descends from heaven to save an unhappy and somewhat corrupt banker from his sins. Count Willie Palaffi (played by Mark Evans) has never married – and doesn’t want to take on a mistress as conventions of the age would allow and expect. He is seeking a life partner who is beautiful and virtuous.

Brigitta – referred to as Angel – flies through the Count’s window, Palaffi falls in love and wants to marry her, and then the complications begin. Palaffi finds that having an angel as a wife has its positives and negatives, and it is not until the Count’s sister,  Countess Palaffi (played by Nikki M. James) educates the angel about the real world that this marriage is saved.

In I Married An Angel’s original Broadway production, Balanchine had cast his then wife Vera Zorina as the Angel and in this Encores presentation, director/choreographer Joshua Bergasse has casted his wife, New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns.

I Married An Angel has a tuneful score which includes the title song and “Spring Is Here” which have become part of the American Songbook. “Angels Without Wings” and its patter and poetry is extremely witty even by today’s standards. But the plot is a bit thin. Even with the newly adapted book by Sandy Rustin and Sarah Saltzberg, I Married An Angel reflects a very different age, different fashions, and an attitude about life and love that is different from today.

As a director I am not certain what Joshua Bergasse was going for as to whether he was approaching I Married An Angel as a period piece or whether he was aiming to direct a light comedy with tongue-in-cheek humor.

However Bergasse did offer many interesting and entertaining dance sequences including that of a tap number, “How To Win Friends and Influence People” led by Hayley Podschun and Phillip Attmore, and his best and most imaginative choreographic work was in the fantasy pieces within “At The Roxy Music Hall”. These dance pieces added the most oxygen to this presentation of I Married An Angel.

Much credit goes to Sara Mearns in taking on the challenge of the acting requirements in this musical, and also noteworthy are the superb performances by Mark Evans as the Count, Nikki M. James as the Countess – and most notable Ann Harada as the Duchess of Holstein-Kuloff whose reading of several lines were priceless.

With certainty, the City Center Encores presentation of I Married An Angel represents Encores’ mission and the score is worth a listen with the songs in their original orchestrations.

Be More Chill Arrives on Broadway

Lyceum Theatre

March 12, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

Celebrated for its off-Broadway production, Be More Chill, a musical based on the cult novel by Ned Vizzini, and being shared on online platforms, has become a musical phenomenon of a our teenage generation that thrives on its presence on social media.

With a score by Joe Iconis and a book by Joe Tracz, Be More Chill traces the relationships of present day teenagers in New Jersey -- and the ups and down of their social lives – and simply fitting in with their high school’s peers. All of the antics and surprises in Be More Chill are cleverly controlled by director Stephen Brackett.

Be More Chill speaks to a particular generation of Americans, but the themes are universal and break age barriers. The theme of Be More Chill is the alienated teenager seeking acceptance in society – a subject matter that has been examined through the ages – but Be More Chill looks at this conundrum from our current generation’s point of view with a few science fiction elements – and a magical pill that may or may not solve this problem. This is a coming of age story in an age when a generation has been brought up on smart phones, social media, and video games, and can’t seem to disconnect from each other.

In Be More Chill we follow the character Jeremy (played by Will Roland) who is the persistent teenager trying to find himself – a nerd trying to fit in with the popular high school crowd – and getting prepared for life’s disappointments. In order to increase his popularity quotient, he signs up for the school play to impress his long-time crush Christine (played by Stephanie Hsu) – the school play turns out to be a version of  William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – complete with zombies.

Jeremy’s daily journey in high school is facing a series of disappointments and bullying, and when bullied by Rich, a tormenter who has achieved a modicum of popularity, Rich explains how he rose to his popularity – taking a pill called a “super quantum unit intel processor” a “SQUIP” containing a computer that plants itself inside each person’s brain – guiding the person about the do’s and don’ts that results in becoming cooler.

Jeremy takes the chance of purchasing a squip from a questionable sales person at the local Payless Shoe Store, and is unfortunately not informed that this experience has as many negatives as it does its positives. The Squip takes over Jeremy’s life and the lives of other students in his high school creating havoc. But as Jeremy finds and accepts himself so do the other students – and ultimately achieves hero status when he diminishes the Squip’s power over his fellow students. The moral is that popularity comes with a price – and clearly popularity doesn’t come in a pill!

This fable is told with references to current video games, science fiction movies, and animated images that enhance Be More Chill’s story, as well as a pulsing score that is of this generation. There are elements of Grease and The Rocky Horror Show as well – and then there is the Squip appearing in the image of Keanu Reeves in his role in The Matrix, and referencing roles in other science fiction movies.

There are many other musicals currently being performed on Broadway that also grapple with this same subject matter. However in Be More Chill the communication is in a tongue in cheek manner coupled with a wide-eyed innocence that seems odd and endearing in the 21st century.

The score is relevant and witty, and performed by an excellent cast including Will Roland as Jeremy, George Salazar as Michael, Stephanie Hsu as Christine, Gerard Canonico as Rich, Katlyn Carlson as Chloe, Tiffany Mann as Jenna, Lauren Marcus as Brooke, Britton Smith as Jake, Jason Sweet Tooth Williams as Mr. Heere, and Jason Tam as The Squip. This is a cast that is energized and energy driven – underscored by their sincerity.

If you want to know what the teenagers of this generation are thinking, and want to have a thought-provoking and entertaining evening in the theatre, Be More Chill is a must.

Fiddler on the Roof, In Yiddish

Stage 42

March 1, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

Last year, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene produced a unique production of Fiddler on the Roof at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Directed by Broadway luminary Joel Grey, this production was performed in Yiddish, in a translation by Shraga Friedman, a translation that had first been performed in Israel in 1965.

The success of this revival inspired a move to the larger off-Broadway theatre, Stage 42, which has made it possible for a wider audience to experience this extraordinary and imaginative production of Fiddler on the Roof.

Based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, Fiddler on the Roof tells the story of poor villagers in Russia facing pogroms and who seem to be surviving in spite of the challenges of poverty and anti-Semitism. Their greatest challenge was observing religious and social traditions during this difficult time – in a world that was changing around them – a universal theme.

With music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and a book by Joseph Stein, and original choreography and direction by Jerome Robbins, Fiddler on the Roof arrived on Broadway in 1964 and has been frequently revived on Broadway. The last two Broadway revivals attempted to re-invent this musical of Broadway’s golden age but somehow neither of them seemed to capture the essence of Fiddler’s themes.

What is curious about this particular revival is that it goes back to the text and is performed in a language that isn’t widely spoken in this part of the world. Yet the essence and traditions explored in Fiddler are framed in a unique manner.

Fiddler’s story focuses on Tevye, a dairy man, and his daughters, and the “characters” that populate the village of Anatevka including Yente the Matchmaker, the suitors for Tevye’s daughters, and the challenges of surviving in difficult times  -- coping with wit and comic elements. 

Two of Tevye’s daughters yearn for a love match rather than having their marriages arranged, -- for which Tevye reasons that a matchmaker isn’t necessary but God may be the best matchmaker -- and another seeks to marry out of the faith. These breaks with tradition during these troubled times dominate Fiddler on the Roof.

This wonderful story is told through the humorous and witty book by Joseph Stein, and the nostalgic and emotional score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Also Joel Grey’s reverential direction draws these characters well.

All of the cast members speak the words and sing their songs with confidence in a language that is not their native language and express the emotions, fears, and hopes in this musical. The audience is never left out as an English translation is projected on each side of the stage.

Steven Skybell’s Tevye is compelling as he brings tears and joy in how he copes with the changes in his world – fearing for the future of himself, his wife, and his children – and also how he expresses his fears in his personal conversations with God. God doesn’t seem to provide him with answers, but at least he asks the questions.

Jackie Hoffman is a bit of scenery chewer as Yente but expresses the underlying compassion that the character seems to have in the acceptance of what her life is and what it will be. Just as impressive is Jennifer Babiak as Golde, Tevye’s wife, who admits to loving Tevye after so many years of marriage, and supports her family as its members transition to a new life.

Every cast member of this outstanding revival of Fiddler on the Roof contributes greatly to its success and how it communicates to today’s audience. There is a universality in this revival that overcomes what language the words are spoken in.

Stas Kmiec has contributed the musical staging and choreography for this production with reverence to Jerome Robbins’ original concept and, in particular, in the Wedding Scene, the dancing is natural and realistic. There are also minimal but inspired scenery designs by Beowulf Boritt, and costumes designed by Ann Hould-Ward.

This revival brings new life to this extraordinary musical – a revival for our times and respectful of the past – making it a unique and involving theatrical experience. 

York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti Presents Lolita, My Love!

Theater at Saint Peter’s

February 24, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

For its third in its series of Musicals in Mufti, the York Theatre Company continues its tribute to Alan Jay Lerner with an unusual musical, Lolita My Love, being presented from February 23 through March 3, 2019. Lolita My Love never made it to Broadway – closing in Boston in 1971 – and this concert version is a bit of an archeological dig with editing of the score, a new script and other changes for this concert version.

For Lolita My Love, Lerner collaborated with John Barry – best known for his James Bond film themes – and was based on the 1955 novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is the story of a college professor, Humbert Humbert, who becomes enraptured by and attempts to seduce his landlady’s young daughter, Dolores “Lolita” Haze. The story of Lolita focuses on Humbert’s obsession for and chasing after Lolita.

Framing this version of Lolita, My Love is a psychiatrist who is trying to separate Humbert’s fantasies and truths after he was safely put away in a prison for murdering a man whom Humbert perceived as a rival for Lolita’s affections. However in separating the fact from fantasy, one tries to find the truth of the matter and also a third point of view, that of Lolita herself and what she experienced.

With this convention the story unravels like a criminal mystery, exhibiting dark comedy, and more than an allusion to the plays of John Osborne and Harold Pinter. Also the tale is told in a structure that might be appropriate for operatic treatment rather for a musical comedy.

Alan Jay Lerner was on top of his game in regard to providing acerbic wit in telling this story and John Barry’s score is a combination of a typical Broadway musical comedy but yet also operatic in nature.

For this concert version Erik Haagensen has created a new script editing together Lerner’s assorted drafts, with the score adroitly pieced together by music director, Deniz Cordell, and guided through the fantasy and truth by director Emily Maltby.

The York Theatre Company has put together a superlative cast for Lolita, My Love, in particular, Robert Sella in the thankless and creepy role of Humbert Humbert, Caitlin Cohen commanding the stage as Dolores “Lolita” Haze, and Jessica Tyler Wright as the sometimes comic and desperate Charlotte Haze.

One cannot equivocally state that Lolita, My Love is a neglected gem but the score and story should be heard, and also see this excellent cast exhibit their craft in making these difficult roles come alive. 

Lincoln Center Theater’s My Fair Lady

Vivian Beaumont Theater

February 23, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

In recent years the Lincoln Center Theater has been staging lavish revivals of some of the most revered and classic Broadway musicals. Running for the past year has been a revival of My Fair Lady – which is also distinguished by the direction of Bartlett Sher, who directed the company’s revivals of South Pacific, and The King and I.

My Fair Lady is a musical stage version of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion as adapted by Gabriel Pascal for a movie version of this play. Distinguished for its score with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, with Lerner also writing the book, My Fair Lady is a classic musical. For this Lincoln Center Theater revival of My Fair Lady, Sher has incorporated his own thoughts about this musical.

Shaw’s story is that of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl, who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins, a phoneticist, making a bet with Colonel Pickering that Eliza could be passed off as a duchess.

Based on the social morays of Edwardian England, Eliza’s transformation may have harmed her as well as help her in becoming upwardly mobile, and that element contributes to the contentious relationship between Eliza and Henry.

What makes My Fair Lady a classic Broadway musical is the fact that there are so many familiar songs in its score. Besides “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face”, there is also “On The Street Where You Live” and the song in which Eliza declares her independence, “Show Me”. Also this production is performed with the Robert Russell Bennett and Phil Lang orchestrations – played by a full orchestra – a luxury in these times.

Sher has worked with a particular team of production people including Michael Yeargen as scenery designer, and Catherine Zuber as costume designer with Yeargen’s designs – on a turntable – moving this revival from scene to scene with ease. There is never a stagnant moment. Christopher Gatelli has also contributed choreography that is appropriate for the tone of this revival – especially so in “Get Me To The Church On Time”.

At this time, there is a team of actors – most of them replacements for original cast members – who are performing in this timely revival of My Fair Lady.

Notable are the performances of Laura Benanti as Eliza Doolittle whose crystalline voice and comic timing makes for an endearing and special characterization – her Eliza is magnificent -- and there is the meticulous performance of Harry Hadden-Paton (one of the original cast members) as Professor Henry Higgins. He brings a great deal of self-deprecating humor to the role of Higgins as well.

Danny Burstein brings a lot of swash to his portrayal of Alfred P. Doolittle while Allan Corduner (another one of the original cast members) brings a stability and certainness to the character of Colonel Pickering. Christina Dante White brings an innocence and excellent voice to the role of Freddy Eynsford-Hill, a character that is not very complicated. Particularly notable is the aristocratic and scene-stealing performance of Rosemary Harris as Mrs. Higgins.

Much has been speculated about Sher’s decision to end My Fair Lady in a manner that would be more acceptable in the 21st century, and Sher leaves crumpet crumbs along the way as hints of what is to come. For that reason among many there is reason to see this revival and to experience Sher’s thoughts for oneself. But Shaw’s story takes place in another time and takes up the social and economic issues that contribute to the development of the relationship between Eliza and Henry. Frankly I prefer the ambiguous ending leaving the audience to speculate what will happen to these interesting and frustrating characters in the future – together or on their own.

In all the Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of My Fair Lady is reverential, entertaining, beautifully produced, and performed by an excellent cast. 

Royal Ballet – La Bayadere

Landmark 57

February 19, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

The Royal Opera House has been a pioneer in developing the technology and presenting cinema screenings of both opera and ballet on a worldwide basis. However not all cities are privileged to have venues that participate in showing these cinema screenings.

On February 19, 2019 there was a national cinema screening release of the Royal Ballet’s production of Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadere which was presented at Landmark 57 in New York City.

Created for American Ballet Theatre, Makarova’s production of La Bayadere has been restaged for many ballet companies all over the world and the Royal Ballet has been performing this production since 1989.

In her production Makarova re-created the lost final act of the ballet, John Lanchbery orchestrated the music of Ludwig Minkus, and Pier Luigi Samartani designed spectacular scenery – because La Bayadere is from the era of opera house ballets – big and grand – and an exotic story.

La Bayadere tells the tale of temple dancer, Nikiya, who falls in love with the warrior, Solor, a relationship that is interfered with by the High Brahmin, and Solor’s betrothed, Gamzatti, creating a Romantic tragedy that brings into conflict the human and spiritual worlds.

Also this ballet offers showcases for exceptional classical ballet companies because of the inclusion of the legendary Shades Act in which a corps de ballet creates a hypnotic illusion as the ghosts of Nikya’s after life world make their way down the Himalayan Mountains in India. A treat for the armchair traveler.

Makarova’s production of La Bayadere for the Royal Ballet has slight differences from the American Ballet Theatre version. Yolanda Sonnabend’s darkly hued costumes are in contrast to the pastel colors used by Theoni Aldredge for American Ballet Theatre’s version.

There are also a few mime details that are different. The most notable is rather than exiting with Gamzatti after Nikiya’s death scene, Solor remains to mourn Nikiya’s passing. This detail is much closer to a similar mime sequence in Act I of Giselle and indicative of the period during which La Bayadere was created.

The Royal Ballet is adept in making this 19th century ballet come to life with an excellent corps de ballet to make the Shades Act of La Bayadere wondrous, and in this performance, there was an excellent cast to portray and dance the leading characters.

Vadim Muntagirov has appeared as a guest artist with American Ballet Theatre dancing the role of Solor and therefore he was not a stranger to the role and the ballet. His performance was one of the highlights of this production of La Bayadere. 

Unique was the juxtaposition of the two ballerinas, Marianela Nunez as Nikiya and Natalia Osipova as Gamzatti, as rivals for Solor’s affections. Osipova danced the role of Gamzatti in the grand manner, and Nunez played up Nikiya’s virtue and being naive making Solor’s betrayal that much more of a tragedy. Both dancers offered classic classical ballet dancing and characterization in these two important principal roles.

Alexander Campbell was also notable as the Golden Idol.

In the years that the Royal Ballet has danced Makarova’s production of La Bayadere, the Royal Ballet has made it their own.

Chicago at the State Theatre

State Theatre

February 17, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

As a presentation of its Broadway series, the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey presented the national touring company of Chicago from February 15-17, 2019.

The musical, Chicago, originally premiered on Broadway in 1975 – the same season as A Chorus Line – and it has received a second look after the many celebrity trials – in the age of celebrity – and examines how the court of public opinion can be seduced to enshrine a criminal’s fame. That second look, which started its life at the City Center Encores opened on Broadway in 1996 and has been running on Broadway and on national tours in the United States and internationally, ever since.

Chicago, based on Maurine Dallas Watkins’ 1926 play, tells the story of Roxie Hart, who finds herself on trial for murder, and embraces Hart’s ability to survive as she makes her way through the maze of the legal system, gains fame, reveals herself to be a bit of a con artist, and re-invents herself to create the opportunity to pursue her dreams as a vaudeville entertainer.

Watkins was a crime reporter in Chicago and her play was based on an actual murder trial that took place in the city of Chicago during the Jazz Age.

Chicago, the musical, already had the tuneful music and biting lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb to provide a vaudeville style entertainment in presenting this story aided by the clever book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Director Walter Bobbie has honed Chicago into being a major piece of musical theatre that resonates with targeted social commentary. All of which is enhanced by the choreography by Ann Reinking, in the style of Bob Fosse.

The atmosphere for this fable is a simple design of a jury box (which is inhabited by the musicians), ladders, and platforms, with the actors costumed in simple black costumes designed by William Ivey Long – which tests the audience’s imagination and gives this revival of Chicago the Brechtian feel that is intended.

It is up to the cast to play with the biting humor, irony, and a bit of a sensuousness to make Chicago come alive and this performance of Chicago was in capable hands. Dylis Croman’s Roxie Hart was more than a floozy and channeled Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot while Terra C. MacLeod presented Velma Kelly as a straight arrow but nevertheless an opportunist. Both Croman and MacLeod are also both accomplished singers and dancers and created the alchemy that sparked both characters. Peter Lockyer was the slimy Billy Flynn whose voice and demeanor exuded Flynn’s signature razzle dazzle. Also notable were Paul Vogt’s compassionate portrayal of Amos Art and Jennifer Fouche’s knowing performance as Mama Morton. These were all powerhouse performances.

This production of Chicago is biting and sharp – and electric with its energy, and tongue and cheek humor.

My Very Own British Invasion 

Paper Mill Playhouse

February 16, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

The Paper Mill Playhouse has been the launching pad for many new musicals and during this current season, the Paper Mill Playhouse will be continuing that tradition.

One of this season’s new musicals is My Very Own British Invasion which is being presented from January 31-March 3, 2019.

Inspired by the life of Herman’s Hermits lead singer, Peter Noone, book writer Rick Elice has fashioned a jukebox musical in which the British music invasion of the 1960’s is examined as well as the back stories of the giants in the British music industry, and three aspiring artists who are making music and love during this era.

Directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, My Very Own British Invasion spins the lives of Peter (played by Jonny Amies), Pamela (played by Erika Olson), and Trip (played by Connor Ryan) as they sing their way through the catalogue of music of the era – singing songs made popular by Herman’s Hermits, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones, and vocalists of the day – including British and American recording artists. 

The leading characters of Peter, Trip and Pamela start their musical journey at a London club, The Bag O’Nails, the showcase for the best of musicians in the 1960’s. Peter is an up and coming talent and Trip is a rock star with a large ego – and both are rivals for Pamela’s affections. Their relationships develop into long distance relationships as they tour separately in the UK and the United States. It is during these long tours – together and separate -- that the rivals for Pamela’s affections are tested as they develop their careers -- and the story line underscores that the good guy doesn’t always get the bad girl.

My Very Own British Invasion includes a song list with titles of familiar and obscure but recognizable songs including, “I’m Into Something Good”, “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying”, “House of the Rising Sun”, “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am”, “Born To Be Wild”, “There’s A Kind of Hush (All Over The World)”, and “She’s Not There” which are not always skillfully woven in telling this musical’s story.

Director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell is skilled in creating exciting musical numbers and does so throughout My Very Own British Invasion. However the story being told is not always clear or compelling.

Coming over from the UK Jonny Amies makes a splash as Peter as do Erika Olson as Pamela, and Connor Ryan as the rogue, Trip. This is a talented cast that works hard to please, and perhaps with a little more focus and trimming My Very Own British Invasion will be able to find an audience that will make it possible for its Broadway ambitions to be fulfilled.

York Theatre Company's Musicals in Mufti Presents The Day Before Spring

Theater at Saint Peter’s

February 10, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

Continuing its series of concert versions of Alan Jay Lerner musicals, the York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti is presenting its concert version of the little known Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe collaboration, The Day Before Spring from February 9-17, 2019.

The Day Before Spring was an early collaboration of Lerner and Loewe which premiered on Broadway in 1945. And an interesting footnote is that Antony Tudor created choreography for two ballet sequences in this musical – not included in this Musicals in Mufti presentation.

The original book was a throwback to Alan Jay Lerner’s experiences as a student at Harvard and focuses on a group of elite Ivy Leaguers who return to their alma mater, Harvardale University, tucked away in New England.

The plot focuses on a married woman who attends a college reunion and renews a relationship with a writer with whom she almost eloped with. Their romance is rekindled upon finding out that the writer has penned a novel about her. In so doing she considers leaving her husband and beginning her new life with her old flame.

For this 90-minute concise adaptation of words and music, Marc Acito, has changed the timing of this plot from the 1940’s to 1958 which comfortably fits in with the plot of this amusing and tuneful musical – and the social morays of the time.

Throughout the score there are references to future Lerner and Loewe collaborations including My Fair Lady and Gigi, and this concert version is based on an MGM archived movie adaptation for this musical that wasn’t put into production.

There are two additions to the original score, “The Ill-Tempered Clavichord” and “You’ll Wash and I’ll Dry” from an earlier Lerner and Loewe musical, What’s Up, but also notable for the original songs for this musical including the title song and the show-stopping “My Love Is A Married Man”.

Marc Acito has directed a superlative cast who bring the characters to life and also sing this wonderful score so well. Although the entire cast was excellent one had to single out Madison Claire Parks as Katherine Talbot, Jesse Manocherian as Alex Maitland, Will Reynolds as Peter Talbot, Alyse Alan Louis as Christopher Randolph, Michelle Liu as Mary Packard and Nicolas Dromard as Bill Packard.

Also credit goes to David Hancock Turner as musical director and at the piano, George Farmer playing the double bass and Buddy Williams playing the drums that enhanced the music and brought an immediate intimacy to the performance.

The York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti series has brought us another newly discovered gem. The Day Before Spring is a wonderful entertainment – even in the winter!

York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti Presents Carmelina

Theater at Saint Peter’s

January 27, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

The York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti series will have a theme this year in that it will be presenting concert versions of musicals that all have books and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Lerner best known for his musicals in collaboration with Frederick Loewe – including My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, and Camelot – also collaborated with other composers, book writers and lyricists, and Musicals in Mufti will be focusing on those lesser known gems.

The first of the musicals is Carmelina, being presented from January 26-February 3, 2019, for which Lerner collaborated with composer Burton Lane, with additional book contributions by Joseph Stein and additional lyrics by Barry Harman. Premiering on Broadway in 1979 with Georgia Brown and Cesare Siepi in the leads of Mrs. Campbell and Vittorio, the original Broadway production only ran for 17 performances but the score received a Tony Award nomination.

During the intervening years, Carmelina has been revised for previous concert productions for Musicals in Mufti and also for a proposed London production, and the musical has now evolved into a coherent musical theatre piece that is indicative of the time when musicals were musical comedies.

Carmelina, the musical, is based on the movie, Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell in which Carmelina has raised a daughter whose father is an American soldier who was stationed in the Italian village of San Forino during World War II. To protect her reputation Mrs. Campbell invented a marriage to an American soldier and even took on an assumed name gaining respectability as a widow.

In reality Carmelina doesn’t know which one of three American soldiers is her daughter’s father and she has been collecting child support checks from all three of the American soldiers giving them the impression that they are the father of Carmelina’s daughter.

A local restaurant owner has also expressed his love for Carmelina who has refused his attentions in order to keep up the image of a mournful widow.

The plot becomes complicated when the three American soldiers arrive in San Forino for a reunion and seek out Carmelina and their daughter. Carmelina’s pretense unravels quickly. Although Carmelina’s daughter, Gia, feels betrayed – as well as the American soldiers – the revelation of what has been happening for all of those years has been liberating. Carmelina can then pursue her relationship with Vittorio, the local restaurant owner.

In its present revision, there are now framing devices that tell this tale and put all of the mishaps and mistaken identities into context. The fourth wall is broken occasionally in telling the story – and it is notable that the story is close to that of Mamma Mia! And in fact the phrase “Mamma Mia!” is inserted on several occasions as the comic aspects of this story unfold. The portrait of Carmelina is that of a confident woman who deals with life’s problems in an unabashed manner.

Carmelina is also graced by its score with touching and charming songs such as “It’s Time For a Love Song”, “Someone in April”, and “One More Walk Around The Garden.”  All presented and played by music director David Hancock Turner on the piano and Joseph Wallace on bass, and enhanced by Michael Leeds’ intelligent and caring direction.

The York Theatre Company has pulled together an excellent cast to reveal this rare musical gem with Andrea Burns in the title role, Mary Joanna Grisso as Gia Campbell, Joey Sorge as Vittorio Dela Marta (the restaurant owner), and the three American soldiers Evan Harrington as Walter Braddock, Timothy John Smith as Steve Karzinski, and Jim Stanek as Carleton Smith, and Antonio Cipriano as Roberto, Gia's young boyfriend, and Anne L. Nathan as the devoted Rosa.

One should visit Carmelina, the people who live in the village of San Forino, and the village’s surprise visitors, and enjoy this human and nostalgic story, and the wonderful score. 

National Theatre Live – Antony and Cleopatra

Skirball NYU Arts Center

January 24, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

As part of its NT Live season, the National Theatre is presenting its live cinema screening of its new revival of William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo in the title roles – a production that played at the National Theatre from September 26, 2018 through January 19, 2019.

Antony and Cleopatra is a challenging play to produce, and interpret, and in this instance this three and a half hour long version has defined its identity through the unique efforts of director Simon Godwin who has presented Antony and Cleopatra in a highly accessible modern dress production.

Antony and Cleopatra takes place during the time period when the Roman Empire was defending its outlying borders. Mark Antony has survived the political intrigues in Rome and is seeking out his own military conquests in acquiring Egypt for the Roman Empire. But having fallen in love with the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, Mark Antony now has divided loyalties. And in this play, Shakespeare creates a major dilemma for Mark Antony as his personal and political issues influence his decisions. This is where the passions of the principal characters take the story to extremes.

Seeking out his own personal adventures Mark Antony neglects his military duties to spend time with Cleopatra at her court in Alexandria. Reluctantly Mark Antony returns to Rome when the Roman rulers are threatened. While in Rome Mark Antony marries Octavia, sister of Caesar, one of the Machiavellian Roman rulers. Feeling betrayed by Mark Antony, it is Caesar who declares war on Cleopatra and Mark Antony, after Mark Antony has returned to Alexandria.

With Mark Antony blaming Cleopatra for his military defeat, Cleopatra sends out a false report that she is dead. Upon hearing of this news Mark Antony attempts suicide, and is brought to Cleopatra’s monument to die in her arms. Faced with the choice of being captured and enslaved by the Romans, Cleopatra kills herself.

In this modern dress production of Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra is depicted as a Hollywood diva costumed in haute couture, and Mark Antony looks like an affluent player in designer suits and Gucci loafers – although at times Mark Antony seems to have one foot in Rome and his other foot in Egypt and he is portrayed as a man going through a mid-life crisis and acts like a washed up Rambo. 

Both Mark Antony and Cleopatra expose themselves emotionally and with those emotions on display, each is able to manipulate the other. There is also the hint of modern day Middle Eastern conflicts brewing in the background. By placing the story in a modern day context when all is said and done Antony and Cleopatra is a political thriller.

Although Antony and Cleopatra is described as one of Shakespeare’s tragedies it is mostly a display of manipulation, and sexual and political power. In this production some of the tongue and cheek humor in the text is emphasized – yet the ending of the play with both Antony and Cleopatra committing suicide mirrors a similar ending in one of Shakespeare’s earlier plays, Romeo and Juliet.

The title roles in this stunning revival are in the capable hands of Ralph Fiennes as a vain, reckless and shallow Mark Antony, and Sophie Okonedo as an alluring, imperious and obsessed Cleopatra – with both making rash decisions. The audience can only be transfixed on Fiennes and Okonedo as they take command of the stage whenever they appear in this play.

But there is also the luxury of wonderful casting in other roles including that of Tunji Kasim as Caesar, Fisayo Akinade as Eros,  Tim McMullan as Enobarbus, and Nicholas Le Prevost as Lepidus.

Director Simon Godwin guides these fine actors through the myriad of scenes in the play and his direction is lucid which makes the plot crystal clear as well as the motivations and emotions of the title characters. The actors and the director transform a difficult play into a compelling evening in the theatre.

Also set designer Hildegard Bechtler has used the Olivier Theatre’s resources effectively with the enhancement of Evie Gurney’s costumes.

This is an Antony and Cleopatra not to be missed. 

Works & Process – Houston Ballet – Sylvia

Guggenheim Museum

January 19, 2019

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2019

The Guggenheim Museum’s Work & Process gives New Yorkers an opportunity to see up close the many aspects of the creative process of arts projects that are presented here in New York, and in other parts of the United States.

Presented on January 19, 2019, was a Works & Process program focusing on the Houston Ballet’s upcoming world premiere production of Stanton Welch’s Sylvia which will have costume and scenic designs by Jerome Kaplan and projections by Wendall K. Harrington. This new production is be given its premiere in Houston from February 21-March 5, 2019.

Moderator Marina Harss questioned Stanton Welch in regard to how his production of Sylvia will differ from others and present excerpts from sections of the ballet that were danced members of the Houston Ballet.

Sylvia was premiered by the Paris Opera Ballet in 1876, with a score by Leo Delibes, which has been purported to be the inspiration for Tchaikovsky composing his ballet scores. The original production of Sylvia, choreographed by Louis Merante , was based on characters in Greek mythology, included in a 1573 play by Tasso.

As explained by Welch, in his production, he has added extra characters and he explored each character’s back story and he has incorporated this information into his own libretto for his version of the ballet. This Works and Process program revealed Welch’s deliberations about how he came to artistic decisions and how he will be incorporating these decisions into his choreography.

Welch’s concept was also supported by the designs conceived by Jerome Kaplan and Wendall K. Harrington.

Only a handful of productions of Sylvia have been created – including the traditional version at the Paris Opera Ballet – and versions by John Neumeier, Mark Morris, Frederick Ashton – and not as familiar in this part of the world, a production by Laszlo Seregi.

The Houston Ballet dancers presented Welch’s choreography as a work in progress and included Karina Gonzalez as Sylvia, Connor Walsh as The Shepherd, Melody Mennite as Psyche, Charles-Louis Yoshiyama as Eros, Jessica Collado, and Chun Wei-Chan as Orion.

The Houston Ballet hasn’t performed all that many times in New York and hopefully there will be opportunities for New Yorkers to see the full company and more of its repertoire in the future. 

The King and I At State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey

State Theatre

December 15, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein’s collaboration, The King and I, has had renewed interest after its recent revival by the Lincoln Center Theater Company, a revival which was directed by Bartlett Sher and has his personal imprint. 

One of the many magical aspects of The King and I is seeing different actors and actresses assume the principal roles in this musical and bring their own interpretations to them. Appearing in national touring companies provides showcases for these actors and actresses, and the current national touring company of the Lincoln Center Theater Company’s revival opened for a short engagement at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey on December 14 and 15, 2018.

The King and I is based on the life of Anna Leonowens, and among the many pursuits in her  life was being the governess to the children and wives of the King of Siam in the mid-19th century. 

In real life Anna Leonowens was an Anglo-Indian born of an Indian army solder and was a travel writer, educator and social activist. She was engaged as a teacher for the children and wives of King Mongklat of Siam, and her experiences were fictionalized in Margaret Landon’s novel, Anna & The King of Siam, which became of the basis for The King and I. 

A bit romanticized, a bit of fiction and an effort to reconcile the cultural clashes that are described in this musical, there are captivating musical moments and  artful moments in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s adaptation of this story. Not to mention a rich score which includes Shall We Dance?, I Whistle A Happy Tune, Getting To Know You, Hello Young Lovers, We Kiss In A Shadow, and I Have Dreamed. In experiencing this revival of The King and I the audience is consumed with nostalgia and familiarity.

Set in 1860’s Bangkok, The King and I focuses on the unconventional relationship that Anna had with the King of Siam, and also presenting the conflicts that the King had in trying to modernize Siam as it was facing political and economic exploitation by colonial powers.

Director Bartlett Sher has leaned on textual references in Oscar Hammerstein II’s book to explore the frank, combative, and often humorous relationship between Anna and the King. There is a great deal of humanity innate in The King and I but Sher has further focused on the story that is being told.

It is unfortunate that this revival doesn’t include Jerome Robbins’ original choreography – especially for The Small House of Uncle Thomas ballet. It is a weak link in this revival. However this revival of The King and I still has much to offer.

There was an outstanding cast leading this production including understudy Annie Sherman as a touching and confident Anna, and Pedro Ka’awaloa as the King who ably conveyed the King’s grappling with the many new ideas that Anna presented to him.

Also notable were DeAnna Choi as a regal and proud Lady Thiang, Paulina Yeung as Tuptim, Dongwoo Kang as Lun Tha, Timothy Matthew Flores as Prince Chulalongkorn, and Hayden Bercy as Louis.

Also the costume designs by Catherine Zuber and the scenery designs by Michael Yeargan enhanced this revival of The King and I.

Seeing this production only reconfirms why The King and I takes its place in the cannon of great American musicals, and even if Bartlett Sher’s changes and new touches aren’t always consistent and satisfying, this is a revival that can confirms why The King and I is speaking to the audiences of today and will do so in the future. 

King Kong Arrives on Broadway

Broadway Theatre

November 6, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Making its way to Broadway via Australia the new musical King Kong has finally arrived on Broadway and has done so in an amazing production. This new musical, based on the legendary film of the same name, has been cleverly and carefully adapted to the stage. King Kong is a musical that is involving, with a score that is composed with the intention of telling the story but also providing the heartbeat within the musical, includes state of the art stage craft, and is also a valentine to New York.

The epic story of King Kong is a variation on the story of Beauty and the Beast, and rather  than relying on the nostalgia of the original 1933 film, this new musical stage version of King Kong is a musical for the 21st century.

This musical adaptation of King Kong is the result of the collaboration of Marius de Vries (music), Eddie Perfect (music and lyrics), Jack Thorne (book), with direction and choreography by Drew McOnie. And, of course, much credit goes to Sonny Tilders of Global Creatures who has designed the King Kong puppet that dominates this new musical.

The plot of King Kong has been fashioned in such way to be sympathetic to this huge and sensitive beast, and also exposing the best and the worst in the people who have been involved in the beast’s captivity and exploitation.

The story begins with a young actress,  who is attempting to take New York by storm, Ann Darrow (played by Christiani Pitts) and her chance meeting with a manipulative film director, Carl Denham (played by Eric William Morris). 

Even before encountering Denham, Darrow reflects on being in New York, in the Prologue and Darrow’s song, Queen of New York, as a struggling actress finding her way through New York’s jungle in the 1930’s, and also depicting the dynamics of a large city which even includes the construction of the Empire State Building that would later dominate New York’s skyline and have an important role to play in this musical.

Darrow’s chance meeting with Denham begins Darrow’s journey as she is swept away on a voyage to mysterious Skull Island, where Darrow is to make her mark as a film actress. By accident they come upon the beast, King Kong, who steals Darrow away from the film crew and the ship’s crew. Rather than a certain death at the hands of King Kong, Darrow befriends the beast while Denham, in a P.T. Barnum scheme, wishes to capture King Kong and put him on exhibit in New York.

Upon their return to New York Darrow has doubts about her role in the exploitation of King Kong, and then there is Lumpy (played by Erik Lochtefeld), Denham’s long-term employee, who evolves as Denham’s enterprise becomes more and more exploitative and sinister – he becomes the story’s moral compass. Both Darrow and Denham are forced to focus on what is important to them and what they are willing to give up for success.

King Kong, a giant puppet, dominates the stage as it is manipulated by a crew of 14 handlers, who move about the stage as if in a choreographed ballet, and scenic and projection designer, Peter England, creates the locales that King Kong inhabits. It is an amazing theatrical and technical achievement. It is all wondrous and compelling theatre.

Christiani Pitts as Ann Darrow gives a break-out performance as does Eric William Morris as Carl Denham – and Erik Lochtefeld gives the character of Lumpy the sensitivity that the role requires. The hard-working and talented ensemble takes on many different roles through this musical showing their versatility.

The score by Marius De Vries and Eddie Perfect provides the pulse of this musical, and Jack Thorne’s forthright – and sometimes self-deprecating book – effectively tells the story and illuminates the relationship between King Kong and Darrow. Also one must credit Drew McOnie for his direction and choreography keeping the pace of King Kong equal to that of a Hollywood adventure film.

King Kong gives us a large and welcome dose of Hollywood fantasy on the Broadway stage.

Balanchine: The City Center Years

City Center

November 3, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

As part of its 75th anniversary celebration the City Center is noting, in particular, the period of time when the New York City Ballet was in residence at the City Center, and the many premieres created by George Balanchine. 

At this performance four ballet companies performed full ballets and excerpts from ballets that Balanchine created during the 1950’s which were performed on the City Center stage. Although these ballets didn’t represent Balanchine’s range or consistent performances of these ballets, accompanied by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, and under the guidance of conductors, the combination thereof culminated in a unique performance.  

When Balanchine’s ballets are performed today there is always debate about authenticity – as in the case with past works by Marius Petipa and Auguste Bournonville – and what is most interesting about these ballets’ performances today are their interpretations.

To open the program, the Joffrey Ballet, a company that also was in residence at the City Center for many years, danced The Four Temperaments, a ballet choreographed to a commissioned score by Paul Hindemith, and was danced by the New York City Ballet on the City Center stage from 1948 and onwards.

The ballet is one of Balanchine’s classics and an example of Balanchine’s modernism dominated by angular movement. The ballet expresses the basic human temperaments, and begins with three stated musical themes and followed by Melancholic, Sanguinic, Phlegmatic and Choleric variations.

The Joffrey Ballet is not known for its performances of the Balanchine repertoire and there seemed to be a lack of speed and inconsistency of style in this performance of The Four Temperaments. However it was Rory Hohenstein’s performance in the Phlegmatic Variation that seemed most consistent with performances of The Four Temperaments in the past.

Miami City Ballet was represented on this program with a lesser known Balanchine piece, Glinka Pas de Trois, created in 1955and choreographed to ballet music from Mikhail Glinka’s Ruslan & Ludmila. This charming divertissement in Balanchine’s signature neo-classic style is technically challenging and was well danced by the cast of Nathalia Arja, Ashley Knox, and Kleber Rebello.

Sae-Eun Park and Hugo Marchand of the Paris Opera Ballet danced the Pas de Deux from one of Balanchine’s most notable works, Agon, a work choreographed to commissioned music by Igor Stravinsky and was created for the New York City Ballet in 1957. Agon’s choreography exhibits the modernism and angular movement that influenced Balanchine’s choreography during that time period.

Park and Marchand danced the Pas de Deux from Agon with sophistication and technical prowess.

This performance came to a conclusion with the San Francisco Ballet dancing Divertimento No. 15, one of the few works that Balanchine choreographed to Mozart’s music, and was premiered by the New York City Ballet in 1956. In this ballet, Balanchine literally created a tapestry of filigree variations and ensemble dances that reflected the same qualities in Mozart’s music.

In some aspects this neoclassic piece is academic ballet in nature and Balanchine captured Mozart’s music in his musical and challenging choreography.

Divertimento No. 15 was beautifully danced by Dores André, Sasha De Sola, Koto Ishihara, Wona Park, Ana Sophia Scheller, Benjamin Freemantle, Angelo Graco, and Lonnie Weeks.

Coordinating these performances at the City Center certainly was a challenge and I hope similar performances will be produced at the City Center in the future.

American Ballet Theatre Presents Two Premieres

David Koch Theater

October 27, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

During American Ballet Theatre’s fall season at the David Koch Theater, a theme had been fashioned with all of the premieres created by female choreographers. Two of these choreographers were represented on the triple bill program presented on October 27, 2018, as well as a work by a female master choreographer resulting in a program that was comprised of the work of only female choreographers. What the choreographers had in common were their explorations in many different dance forms – but with the least emphasis being on ballet.

The first of the premieres was Jessica Lang’s Garden Blue, a collaboration between Lang and American artist Sarah Crowner, who designed the costumes and scenery. The piece was an ensemble work with a modern dance/contemporary style choreographed to excerpts from Antonin Dvorak’s Piano Trio No. 4.

With the assistance of Crowner, Lang created a stage scape of a blue sky and random objects resembling propellers which are manipulated by the dancers or hung above the dancers similarly to Alexander Calder’s sculptural images. Three couples and one solo dancer are moved about this space imitating sculptural shapes – in some instances appearing as sea creatures on this beach.

The second premiere, Dream Within A Dream (deferred), was created by Michelle Dorrance, known for her work as a contemporary tapper -- both as performer and choreographer – in an attempt to make a challenging match between herself and American Ballet Theatre’s dancers. 

This piece was also an ensemble work integrating many dance styles of the 1940’s including ballroom, jazz, lindy-hop, swing, a bit of ballet, and the more interesting of the sections where Dorrance’s signature style of tap emerged. Although choreographed to music by Duke Ellington, Dorrance included another signature aspect of her work which is the dancers making percussive sounds.

Dream Within A Dream (deferred) was a learning experience for choreographer Michelle Dorrance and American Ballet Theatre’s dancers. One can decide who learned the most from this collaboration.

The evening concluded with a work created by master choreographer, Twyla Tharp, In The Upper Room, choreographed to pulsing music by Philip Glass. This non-stop dance piece combines contemporary dance, a bit of ballet, and Tharp’s own choreographic sensibility. The parade of dancers – sometimes costumed in Norma Kamali’s pajamas – as well as red shoes and sneakers – build up to cathartic moment – and one can now come to the conclusion whether this important Tharp work is a work of its time or whether it still has something to say right now.

American Ballet Theatre’s dancers were absolutely committed to the purposes and goals of these female choreographers amping up the energy level.

American Ballet Theatre Presents Triple Bill of Recently New and Vintage Revivals

David Koch Theater

October 21, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

On October 21, 2018, American Ballet Theatre presented a triple bill of ballets that included relatively new and vintage revivals at the David Koch Theater as part of the company’s fall season.

Although not a premiere but a recent new work was Alexei Ratmansky’s creation for American Ballet Theatre, Songs of Bukovina, which was given its world premiere in 2017. Reuniting Ratmansky with composer, Leonid Desyatnikov, Songs of Bukovina is a plotless work with choreography which reflected folk influences. Desyatnikov’s music was interpreted in a Jerome Robbins’ style with solos, ensembles and pas de deux – the principal pas de deux danced by Isabella Boylston and Blaine Hoven. As well as the folk dance influences there was an examination of the inner self and was well danced by the principal couple and the ensemble that was in support.

There were two vintage works on the program. The first of which was George Balanchine’s Symphonie Concertante, which Balanchine had created for the students of the School of American Ballet in 1945 and later remounted for New York City Ballet’s predecessor Ballet Society in 1947.  It was American Ballet Theatre that revived Symphonic Concerte in 1983 and revealed one of Balanchine’s intricate works choreographed to Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major for Violin and Viola.

Structurally Symphonie Concertante is striking in its similarity to the choreographic structure of and themes in one of Balanchine’s iconic works, Concerto Barocco, and also references to other neo-classic works that Balanchine choreographed during the same period of time such as Theme and Variations and Symphony in C. And as in Symphonic Concertante Balanchine’s choreography is a technical challenge for the dancers dancing the ballet and the ballet received a stellar performance by Stella Abrera, Gillian Murphy, and Alexandre Hammoudi.

The program ended with another vintage work, Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, which was created for American Ballet in 1944 with a commissioned score composed by Leonard Bernstein. This performance celebrated the 100th birthdays of both Robbins and Bernstein, and was a showcase for Robbins’ Americana-themed style of ballet. The ballet became the inspiration for the Broadway musical, On The Town.

This particular slice of American life takes place during World War II with three sailors seeking out female companionship during their short shore leave in New York. Although the ballet’s story is universal, Fancy Free is a period piece with its own social morays.

What enhances this conception by Robbins and Bernstein is the chemistry of the dancers who play the sailors.  At this performance Herman Cornejo, Cory Stearns, and James Whiteside had that chemistry – a chemistry that was infectious. Also enjoyed the diffident performances by Gillian Murphy, Luciana Paris and Lauren Post as the ladies that were being pursued by these sailors on leave.

This was an enjoyable afternoon of dance – a balanced triple bill including repertoire for every audience member’s taste. 

K-Arts Ballet of Korea Presents the New York Premiere of Song of the Mermaid

City Center

October 20, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Although New York plays host to many foreign ballet companies, New York audiences have not seen many ballet companies that are based in Asia. Therefore the performance of the K-Arts Ballet of Korea at the City Center on October 20, 2018 was a unique opportunity to become familiar with a company that has not performed in New York frequently – and also from that part of the world.

The K-Arts Ballet of Korea, established in 1997 and directed by SunHee Kim, presented the New York premiere of SunHee Kim’s Song of the Mermaid, a full-length ballet inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s story, The Little Mermaid.

Most would be familiar with the screen and stage adaptations of The Little Mermaid by Walt Disney, and John Neumeier’s ballet version of The Little Mermaid which has been danced by the San Francisco Ballet, telling what is a cautionary tale.

In Song of the Mermaid, after saving his life during a storm, the Little Mermaid falls in love with the Prince. To pursue her love, she seeks out the help from the sinister Blanket Octopus. She agrees to exchange her voice for legs, and in human form the Little Mermaid meets the Prince again. As the Prince is about to confess his love for her, the Blanket Octopus intervenes and uses his magical powers to force the Prince into a marriage with a princess from a neighboring country.

Having failed to persuade the Prince to fall in love with her, the Blanket Octopus demands the Little Mermaid’s life. In order to save her life her fellow mermaids provide The Little Mermaid with a magical knife that she can use to kill the Prince. Rather than commit that heinous act, The Little Mermaid resigns herself to her death.

Kim’s choreographic structure is that of a 19th century narrative ballet. There are many influences from those ballets that are components in the story-telling in this ballet. The original score, composed by Hana Ryou, includes many sounds, special effects, and speech that underscore the plot twists in this ballet.

Soobin Lee, dancing the role of The Little Mermaid, dominates this ballet not only in the story but also with her charm. The role of the Prince is somewhat of a cipher in this ballet by design. The role doesn’t make an impact until Act II. However guest artist, Kimin Kim, principal dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet, makes the most of his moments – with his partnering skills and as a virtuoso dancing. Lee and Kim combine their talents well in telling the story and in the clean classical lines in their dancing.

Also notable performances were given by Eunsoo Lee as the Sea Turtle, and Hoiwoong Ryu as the villainous Blanket Octopus.

There are also court scenes in both acts of The Song of the Mermaid which gives the entire company their moments to exhibit their fine dancing. Choreographer SunHee Kim has made sure that all of the company’s dancers are shown off in this ballet.

This was an opportunity to see this company of well-trained dancers presenting this universal story.

The Play That Goes Wrong – Again With A New Cast

Lyceum Theatre

October 16, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Play That Goes Wrong has a unique place in Broadway history as a comedy that has had an extended Broadway engagement – having opened in April 2017. It can now claim to be the longest running play currently on Broadway. However The Play That Goes Wrong will be closing early next year and with a new cast, one must get over to the Lyceum Theatre to experience the craziness and hilarity before The Play That Goes Wrong ends its Broadway engagement.

The concoction of three actor/writers, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, The Play That Goes Wrong follows the utterly disastrous attempt by a local drama society in England, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, to put on a 1920’s pot-boiler mystery play, The Murder at Haversham Manor.

The inept community theater actors stumble through this play until its ironic and catastrophic conclusion. And it is the journey with these actors that is the core of this extraordinarily funny play. And one feels the anticipation before this comedy of errors begins as one enters the Lyceum Theatre to see the actors already at play in their roles interacting with audience members.

Everything or anything that can go wrong – goes wrong – the imaginative and ingenious scenery (designed by Nigel Hook) becomes a character in the play – and one cannot count the laughs as it is now performed by an excellent replacement cast executing Mark Bell’s quicksilver and expert direction.

Usually an actor’s success can be defined simply as remembering his or her lines and not bumping into the furniture. However in The Play That Goes Wrong the actors bumping into the furniture – and other inanimate objects and fellow actors – misplacing props and forgetting lines are the elements that make the play a hilarious success.

In spite of the bumbling the murder mystery is solved culminating in a surprise ending.

The superb cast of Jason Bowen as Trevor, Alex Mandell as Max, Preston Truman Boyd as Robert, Mara Davi as Sandra, Harrison Unger as Dennis, Mark Evans as Chris, Jonathan Fielding as Jonathan, and Toccarra Cash as Annie are expert farceurs and stumble their way through the mine field of The Play That Goes Wrong’s manufactured disasters taking the audience on an incredibly entertaining ride. 

Balanchine and Kirstein’s American Enterprise

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

James Steichen’s book, Balanchine and Kirstein’s American Enterprise, published by Oxford University Press, has arrived at a time when the mission of the most important enterprise that they founded, the New York City Ballet, has come into question.

Steichen’s book tracks the early history of the founding of the School of American Ballet and the planting of the seeds for what became the New York City Ballet in the early years from 1933 to 1940, examining this key time period. A time period when George Balanchine arrived in America at Lincoln Kirstein’s invitation and how they planned for a ballet school in New York, and forged plans to establish an “American Ballet Company” that would perform in New York City with Balanchine at its artistic helm.

There were many predecessors to the New York City Ballet including Ballet Caravan and the American Ballet.  As described in Steichen’s book both of those organizations had their own in-fighting in regard to financial support, management, and artistic vision. These organizations were experiments to learn from and would not be long-lasting. The School of the American Ballet managed to keep its independence even though it was revealed that Balanchine was not always enthusiastically involved with the School, and Balanchine’s teaching methods and dancer training were questioned and criticized by his peers.

What was interesting reading in Steichen’s book were the descriptions of the divergent artistic missions of two of the Balanchine/Kirstein enterprises. That of the American Ballet, which had its residency at the Metropolitan Opera House performing in opera ballets and having a European vision for repertoire. While Kirstein’s more independent Ballet Caravan was closer in vision to Kirstein’s mission of establishing an American ballet company performing ballets with American themes, choreographed by American choreographers, and where possible, to have the ballets choreographed to music by American composers.

During this time period Balanchine was also distracted by his Broadway and film projects. He was criticized for the modernism in his artistic vision, and his inability to program ballets for the American Ballet. There were artistic successes but in comparison to Balanchine’s peer at the time, Leonide Massine, Balanchine’s work was not as well received. Not to mention his criticism of his own dancers and slighting comments even in regard to a dancer’s weight.

The Balanchine/Kirstein Enterprises ended their day in 1940, or shortly thereafter, several years before they had a meeting of the minds to establish the New York City Ballet which was their greatest achievement. Steichen’s book fills a gap in regard to providing information and insights into those earlier enterprises which influenced the founding and the future of the New York City Ballet. 

Midnight At The Never Get

York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s

October 9, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The York Theatre Company is opening its 2018-19 season with the presentation of a new musical, Midnight At The Never Get, which is being performed from October 2 through November 4, 2018.

This 90-minute musical is the work of Mark Sonnenblock who has contributed the music, lyrics and book with the participation of  Sam Bolen as co-conceiver.  

The story is set in 1965 and focuses on the pair of singer Trevor Copeland and songwriter Arthur Brightman, who are in a relationship at a time when such a relationship was illegal. In the back room of The Never Get, an illegal Greenwich Village gay bar, they develop a show, Midnight, in which Trevor sings Arthur’s songs with their male pronouns intact. 

Midnight At The Never Get follows the course of this bitter sweet liaison and the changing social and political landscape from the 1960’s to the present and how those changes intruded into this tale of artistic and emotional bonding.

Trevor Copeland and Arthur Brightman find common goals with one as a singer of songs and the other, the composer. And as their musical relationship flourishes so does their personal relationship as they create their successful cabaret act.

The story is told in flashbacks through the eyes of Trevor as he suffers through his relationship with Arthur, examining how their conflicting interests worked against each other as well as their ambitions, and tests their love. In the end Trevor does achieve some self-realization and acceptance even as his feelings are justified that he had been victimized by Arthur.

The journey is expressed in song which is inspired by the Great American Songbook – nostalgic and revealing -- songs which are set up in a cabaret style – serving as both entertainment and narrative.

It is Sam Bolen as Trevor Copeland, and Jeremy Cohen as Arthur Brightman who effectively tell the story with Jon. J. Peterson presenting Trevor’s final self-realization he portrays Trevor in his later years.

Midnight At The Never Get has its moments of sentimentality – and even nostalgia – but presents its story in an entertaining manner.

Paper Mill Playhouse Presents The Color Purple

Paper Mill Playhouse

October 6, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

From September 27 – October 28, 2018 the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, New Jersey is presenting John Doyle’s remarkable revival of the musical, The Color Purple, which had originated at the Meunier Chocolate Factory in London, and made a triumphant debut on Broadway in 2015. This production has been touring the United States for the last year and it is this production that is being presented at the Paper Mill Playhouse.

Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel – and being better known from the movie version of that novel by Steven Spielberg in 1986 – this stage musical version of The Color Purple is the work of Stephan Bray, Allee Willis, and Brenda Russell as collaborators on the score, and Marsha Norman as the book writer which premiered on Broadway in 2005. The score utilizes the musical styles of gospel and blues in telling this compelling story.

The Color Purple’s beating heart is the character of Celie – following her 40-year journey fighting poverty and abuse – and finding self-acceptance. She is an ugly duckling who matures into a special creature and her story is worth telling.

After seeing this production of The Color Purple, its adaptation for the musical stage is justified. The score captured the cadence of the speech patterns of the locale and time, and enhances the story-telling.  Celie’s triumph over racism, sexism, abuse, a loveless marriage,  her desperation to find her sister and her own children is what is the basis of Alice Walker’s story. It is a tapestry of life with the music as an enhancement to this tale expressing the emotions and poetry in Walker’s novel – with an ending that is encouraging and uplifting.

Doyle’s direction emphasizes each character’s direct connection with the audience in their account and participation in the narrative allowing the story and the music to take center stage.

Doyle has removed extraneous cluttering. Less is more in this stirring and uplifting revival. Doyle’s re-thinking of The Color Purple is scaled down to a minimal setting – dominated by hanging chairs -- which allows the audience to focus on Celie’s journey, the characters, and the powerful performances by this production’s cast members.

Doyle’s simple staging and designs puts the task of telling this tale in the capable hands of the actors giving moving and honest performances.

The role of Celie is a star-making role and Adrianna Hicks’ performance is a star-making performance. However Carla R. Stewart as Shug Avery, and Carrie Compere as Sofia with Gavin Gregory as Mister, N’Jamet Camara as Nettie, and Jay Donnell as Harpo all give virtuoso and compelling performances.

If you haven’t seen this production of The Color Purple this is a reason to see the Paper Mill Playhouse’s production during this limited engagement.

City Center Fall for Dance Festival –

Program 3

City Center

October5, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The City Center Fall for Dance Festival’s Third Program included a hybrid of dance styles performed by dancers from three internationally recognized dance companies, and a company that is seeking international recognition. All of them having a distinctive style and all were on display in the Third Program’s performance on October 5, 2018. 

Opening the program was Tayeh Dance’s world premiere of Reclamation Map with choreography by Sonya Tayeh, and music and vocals by Heather Christian – with musicians, Jo Lampert and Onyie Nwachukwu. In this City Center Fall for Dance commission, created was a dark and peaceful atmosphere enhanced with gospel-tinged music, establishing a mood and also reflected a journey.

Tayeh’s vocabulary reflected the basics in modern dance but nevertheless conveyed its message with the assistance of the dancers Peiju Chien-Pott, Austin Goodwin, Reed Luplau, and Ida Saki.

The Dance Theatre of Harlem then took center stage in another City Center commissioned work choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa entitled Balamouk, employing music by Les Yeux Noirs, Rene Aubry, and Lisa Gerrado.

Dancers Daphne Lee,  Crystal Serrano, Ingrid Silva, Amanda Smith, Lindsey Croop, Da’Von Doane, Christopher McDaniel, Anthony Santos, Dylan Santos and Choong Hoon Lee participated in Ochoa’s rhythmic group movements randomly stepping out on their own in a ritualistic manner.

The Nederlands Dans Theater 2 danced the United States premiere of Marco Goecke’s Midnight Raga, a duet danced by Surimi Fukushi and Adam Russell Jones, which interpreted the music of Ravi Shankar mixed with the music of Etta James, and reflected Goecke’s contemporary and modern dance style. Goecke, a Nederlands Dans Theater associate choreographer since 2013, choreographed this piece in a style that seems to be the epitome of most of the work coming out of Nederlands Dans Theater these days with mostly quick movement that is in a constant and high pitch. Fukushi and Russell-Jones gave virtuoso performances in this piece which might have too much to take in in one performance.

Also on the program was the National Ballet of China dancing the United States premiere of an excerpt from The Crane Calling, co-choreographed by Ma Cong and Zhang Zhenxin. In context the story is that of an ordinary girl who cares for a group of black-crowned cranes. She ultimately gives her up own life in protecting these unique creatures.

In this excerpt the dancers present an ensemble sequence that is similar to Act II of Swan Lake with a corps de ballet of male and female dancers representing cranes and how they interact with the human beings who come upon them. There is little narrative to speak of in this excerpt but the piece seemed to reflect the innocence of the dancers very well, and the dancers’ high standard. 

Janis Brenner Creates and Performs in a World Premiere Solo for the 2018 United Solo Theatre Festival

Theatre Row on 42nd Street

October 4, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The United Solo Theatre Festival is unique as it presents the work of solo artists, solo dance pieces, comedy, and theatre pieces, this year with performances taking place from September 13 through November 11, 2018.

As a participant in this year’s 2018 United Solo Theatre Festival, dancer/choreographer Janis Brenner has created a 40-minute piece, Inheritance: A Litany, which was given its world premiere on October 4, 2018 at the Theater Row on 42nd Street, and is to be given a repeat performances on October 11, and November 3, 2018.

With music by Jerome Begin, and imaginative lighting designs by Mitchell Bogard, Brenner reveals herself and displays her talents as a dancer, choreographer, singer – and most important story teller – all in an intimate performing space.

Brenner is sharing here her intimate thoughts about her late parents and literally unpacks her parents DNA and history while also revealing the cathartic experience of remembrance. Somehow we grow into our parents’ DNA as we mature. And as what would be appropriate in this solo piece Brenner reveals and communicates emotions, thoughts and remembrances in words, music, dance and movement – and tugs at the heartstrings. These elements combine for what is a very personal work.

Brenner gives a multi-dimensional performance in Inheritance: A Litany which has all of the essentials of a compelling piece of art.

Brenner’s reputation as a choreographer and solo performer is of the great artistic honesty that comes across and communicates with an audience. Brenner’s Inheritance: A Litany does so and more. 

City Center Fall for Dance Festival – Program 1

City Center

October 2, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Every year the City Center Fall for Dance Festival lives up to its reputation as a presenter of a variety of dance companies – with a variety of dance styles – and combining them into programs fashioned to be samplers. Added to the mix for this Festival was the commissioning of six new works as well as United States and New York premieres.

The Fall for Dance Festival’s first program included a New York premiere danced by the Boston Ballet and choreographed by the Boston Ballet’s resident choreographer, Jorma Elo,  Bach Cello Suites. This piece for 10 dancers with cellist Sergey Antonov on stage performing excerpts from Bach’s Cello Suite s Nos. 1 & 2, featured costume designs by Charles Heightchew and lighting designs by John Cuff – all important elements in this piece which the Boston Ballet premiered in 2015.

Bach Cello Suites began with the cellist on stage alone, and thereafter through this dance piece Elo assembles and moves these dancers through space reflecting simplicity and musicality while also channeling a bit of George Balanchine and William Forsythe.

Elo knows the Boston Ballet dancers well and uses them well. Bach Cello Suites is a demanding piece and was well danced by the cast of Maria Baranova, Irlan Silva, Lia Cirio, Patrick Yocum, Kathleen Breen Combes, Derek Dunn, Misa Kuranaga, John Lam, Addie Tapp and Lasha Khozashvili representing the wide range and abilities of the company’s dancers.

Sara Mearns made an appearance in this program dancing Lori Belilove’s Dances of Isadora Duncan – A Solo Tribute with Duncan’s essence recreated including Isadora’s well known works to music by Chopin, Brahms and Liszt. In dancing this homage to one of the world’s most innovative dancers – and choreographers – Mearns made an earnest stab at the Duncan style exhibiting musicality and a commitment to the music played exquisitely by Cameron Grant.

Also featured on this program was Caleb Teicher & Company dancing to a self-choreographed world premiere by Teicher, Bzzz. Teicher’s fusion of sound and tap, with the sound provided by Chris Celiz’s beat box vocals, were interpreted with humor and entering into a conversation with the tapping skills of the excellent tappers, Brittany DeStefano, Naomi Funaki, Jabu Graybeal, Luke Hickey, Demi Remick,  Byron Tittle and Teicher himself.

Keeping up with the momentum of this program the Cie Herve Koubi danced excerpts from Koubi’s The Barbarian Nights. Koubi’s ritual dance of warriors was danced to music by Maxime Dodson, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – with the choreography including tumbling and break dancing by an all-male ensemble of dancers. This was a dance of warriors which resulted in an exciting climax.

Overall this was a rewarding and well-balanced program of dance and just the beginning for this year’s City Center Fall for Dance Festival.

Sarasota Ballet Presents Ashton Celebration

Joyce Theatre

August 18, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

On August 18th, 2018, the Sarasota Ballet presented a variation on its triple bill programming which included a tribute to Frederick Ashton. Repeated from performances earlier in the engagement were Ashton’s Monotones No. 1 & 2, and Christopher Wheeldon’s There Where She Loved,  both danced here by the same casts who danced these ballets on August 14th -- also performed were excerpts from Ashton’s longer works and a solo that was less familiar.

Featured were the Pas de Trois from Les Patineurs danced stylishly by Asia Bui, Ivan Duarte, and Samantha Benoit, and the finale Pas de Deux from The Two Pigeons danced sensitively by Victoria Hulland and guest artist, Marcelo Gomes. Even in these excerpts one could see Ashton’s gift for simplicity and his musical gifts. So much is said in such subtlety and the casts for both of these excerpts were outstanding in their performances.

More exotic – and La Bayadere-inspired -- was Meditation from Thais, a romantic pas de deux, danced to Massenet’s hypnotic music and danced here by Katelyn May and Ricardo Rhodes. Here again Ashton exhibited his talents for responding to music and also theatrical effect. As the dancers did, Ashton captured the exoticism and the romanticism of the piece.

The less familiar piece was La Chatte (metamorphosee en femme), a solo from Offenbach’s opera, which was created for Merle Park for a gala performance she participated in Vienna in 1985. In this solo La Chatte is spread over a chaise lounge and responds to the music as a cat would with suibtabley self-deprecating and physical humor. The climax of the piece is the appearance of an electric mouse that La Chatte goes after with Kate Honea as La Chatte ending this humorous solo with a cat-like shriek.

During this Joyce Theater engagement the Sarasota Ballet has shown its strengths in the Frederick Ashton repertoire – a repertoire rarely danced in New York City -- but when a return engagement is planned, it would be just as enjoyable and revealing to see other examples of the Sarasota Ballet’s large repertoire of ballets and dance pieces. 

Sarasota Ballet Returns to the Joyce Theater

Joyce Theater

August 14, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Sarasota Ballet has now become a frequent New York visitor and seems to be following a snowbird existence with visits during our New York summers. 

The Sarasota Ballet has returned to the Joyce Theater from August 14 through 19, 2018 performing two varied triple-bill programs including several Ashton ballets which have now become the company’s signature. Since Iain Webb took over the Sarasota Ballet, the company has made to acquire many of Frederick Ashton’s iconic works and also lesser known or rarely performed works.

On August 14th, the program included Ashton’s well-known Monotones I & II, danced to Erik Satie’s Trois Gnossiennes and Trois Gymnopedies, played live by pianist Cameron Grant, which had been given their Sarasota Ballet’s company premieres in 2012.

Monotones I & II were created for the Royal Ballet but premiered about a year apart with Monotones II premiering in 1965 and Monotones I in 1966. But clearly they are companion pieces and also reflect the times in which they were created. There is a space other worldliness in the atmosphere of the pieces yet fluid, and remarkable how expert stillness and simplicity can be employed for utmost effect.

Monotones I was danced by Ryoko Sadoshima, Thomas Giugovaz, and Samantha Benoit, and Monotones II was danced by Ricardo Graziano, Victoria Hulland, and Ricardo Rhodes, with the Sarasota Ballet dancers creating the allusion of floating over the stage.

Also on the program was Christopher Wheeldon’s There Where She Loved, a suite of dances set to alternating songs by Frederic Chopin and Kurt Weill which was created for the Royal Ballet in 2000 -- and was danced in New York by Christopher Wheeldon’s company, Morphoses, in 2007. The Sarasota Ballet’s company premiere of this ballet was given in 2010.

In many respects Wheeldon was channeling Jerome Robbins in this piece in an effort to interpret the lyrics of these composers’ songs. Each song expressed a tale although some were clearly narrative and others were presented in an abstract form. 

The cast of Christine Windsor, Jamie Carter, Daniel Pratt, Weslley Carvalho, Ricardo Rhodes,  Kate Honea, Katelyn May, Ellen Overstreet, Samantha Benoit, Ivan Duarte, and Amy Wood gave intelligent interpretations of Wheeldon’s interpretations of the songs that were sung live by sopranos Michelle Giglio and Stella Zambalis with Cameron Grant at the piano.

The Sarasota Ballet is also commissioning new work and that aspect of the company’s artistic profile was presented in Symphony of Sorrows, choreographed by the company’s resident choreographer, Ricardo Graziano.
Premiered in 2012 and choreographed to the Third Movement of Henryk Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3, Symphony of Sorrows is dark, haunting and eerie with a tinge of William  Forsythe-style choreography – exploring relationships.

The choreography’s intentions were well-expressed by the cast of Elizabeth Sykes, Ricki Bertoni, Kate Honea, Nicolas Moreno, Amy Wood, Weslley Carvalho, Christine Windsor, Ricardo Rhodes, Victoria Hulland, and Jamie Carter.

Mark Morris Dance Group at Mostly Mozart Festival

Rose Theatre at Jazz At Lincoln Center

August 10, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Although liberated from the Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center continues to incorporate dance presentations into its Mostly Mozart Festival. A regular at the Mostly Mozart Festival has been the Mark Morris Dance Group which performed at the Rose Theatre Jazz At Lincoln Center in a program inspired by chamber music and presenting a world premiere from August 9-12, 2018.

This performance, on August 10, 2018, was truly a collaboration of the Mostly Mozart Festival and the Mark Morris Dance Group as each piece was particularly notable for its musical integrity – and all played by live musicians. Musicality has been a trademark of Morris’ style of choreography – and remarkable in its simplicity, Morris’ style was exemplified in all three pieces presented on this triple bill program.

The first of the two familiar pieces on this triple bill program was Morris’ Love Song Waltzes, choreographed to Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder-Walzer, here presented for four voices and piano for four hands. Mark Morris’ interpretation of this music is different from the music than the familiar ballet to this music choreographed by George Balanchine. 

Created in 1989, Love Song Waltzes is a work for 12 dancers. Morris’ interpretation of these waltzes is not sentimental and not particular romantic either. Morris doesn’t choreograph love duets and the dancer groupings tend to be more in trios. However not only male/female couples are waltzing but also male/male couples and female/female couples are waltzing as well yet ending the piece with a male dancer alone on stage.

The second piece on the program was I Don’t Want To Love choreographed to madrigals composed by Claudio Monteverdi, a work for 7 dancers that was created in 1996. Beginning with a joyous parade of dancers the piece changes its pace and ends on a quieter note. And as in his Love Song Waltzes, Morris includes varying couples as they dance in this piece – and also ending with a man alone on stage.

The world premiere was The Trout choreographed to Franz Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A major with Inon Barnatan at the piano, Timothy Cobb on bass, with members of the Ariel Quartet -- Gershon Gerchikov playing the violin, Jan Gruning, playing the viola, and Amit Even-Tov playing the cello.

Choreographed for 11 dancers, Morris' choreography here was more random than in Love Song Waltzes, and I Don’t Want To Love. Dancers dance on stage and quickly leave the stage for the wings – and reappear again. There is also a section depicting dancers in what looks like gestures of throwing bombs at people and the human destruction thereafter, and then the dancing blooms again.

Common in all three pieces presented on the program was spirited dancing with the choreography playing to the dancers’ strengths. It is this collaboration – and the added collaboration of live music  – that resulted in the notable moments that were part of the Mark Morris Dance Group’s evening of dance. 

Irish Repertory Theatre’s On A Clear Day You Can See Forever

Irish Repertory Theatre

August 1, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Irish Repertory Theatre, co-founded by Ciaran O’Reilly and Charlotte Moore in 1988, is the only year-round theatre company in New York City with a mission to bring the works of Irish and Irish-Americans to the stage. The Irish Repertory Theatre’s mission has included revivals of musicals and it has added to its body work, from June 15-September 6, 2018, a revival of the Burton Lane/Alan Jay Lerner musical, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.

On A Clear You Can See Forever premiered on Broadway in 1965 and was last seen on Broadway in 2012 in a somewhat misguided revised version. As directed and adapted by Charlotte Moore, the Irish Repertory Theatre’s revival takes it source from the original Alan Jay Lerner concept in which Daisy Gamble (played by Melissa Errico), a woman with extrasensory talents, seeks out the assistance of psychiatrist Dr. Mark Bruckner (played by Stephen Bogardus) to break her addiction to cigarettes.

In the course of Gamble’s therapy, Bruckner discovers one of Daisy’s former selves, a British aristocrat, Melinda Welles, who tragically died in the 1700’s. Bruckner falls in love with Melinda as she re-lives her love affair with Edward Moncrief (played by John Cudia), a poor portrait painter. Bruckner finds himself participating in a unique love triangle as he contends with the two very different personalities of Daisy and Melinda. When Bruckner decides to publish his findings -- and that is revealed to Daisy – Daisy realizes that she has been betrayed.

Moore’s adaptation has eliminated several characters and has reduced On A Clear Day You Can See Forever down to chamber-size with only a 5-player orchestra. However this adaptation does retain the 1960’s setting enhanced by James Morgan’s projections of New York locales.

On A Clear Day’s score is a significant one with individual songs such as the title song, “Come Back to Me”, and “What Did I Have That I Don’t Have?” becoming standards. But the book has been felt to be problematic which is somewhat hampered by the subject matter – a particular trend in psychology made popular in the 1960’s. Today ESP, and reincarnation seem quaint.

However On A Clear Day focuses on the combination of mystery, fantasy, and reality questioning what love is – and you can’t judge a book by its cover and opposites attract – and then there are the frailties that human beings have – sometimes in abundance at times in their lives. 

The Irish Repertory Theatre’s revival allows an audience to examine this neglected musical up close appreciating the wonderful performances of Melissa Errico, Stephen Bogardus, and John Cudia in particular – and Charlotte Moore as adapter and director does succeed in fixing some of this musical’s book problems. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever has a brilliant and memorable score and also offers an optimistic ending. For these reasons alone, it is worth a visit to see this unique and offbeat musical which has been revived with care.

Encores! Off Center – Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope

City Center

July 26, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

As the final presentation of City Center’s Encores! Off Center is the musical revue, Micki Grant’s and Vinnette Carroll’s Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope which runs from July 25-28, 2018.

Beginning its journey in 1971 and making it to Broadway for an extended engagement in 1972, this concert version has been deftly and meaningful directed and choreographed by Savion Glover. And how fortunate we are that the writers of this insightful and joyful musical are still with us to update the content and sharpen the ideas in this musical as well.

Explored in this revue are the political issues faced by the African American community with a score including gospel, jazz, soul, calypso and rock – mixing song and dance. The journey reflects pain, struggle and persistence but also in hope and joy.

Every song in this musical sends a message but also mixes the message with self-deprecating humor, breaking down stereotypes, and blistering and humorous commentary on our everyday lives – universal experiences. In spite of the fact that Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope dates back to the early 1970’s, the themes still remain with us – progress has been made, but we’re not there yet.

Both Micki Grant and Vinnette Carroll were pioneers and broke with tradition in their careers and thoughts. Grant’s score is particularly meaningful – such as Looking Over from Your Side, My Name is Man, Thank Heaven for You – and the free-wheeling stories told with humor and heart as the performers relate their frustrations and why they “Can’t Cope”.

Director/choreographer Savion Glover enhances the work of Micki Grant and Vinnette Carroll and his dance segments illuminate the words and don’t get in the way. All the more underlined by his family ties to Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope as his mother, Yvette Glover, and his “auntie” Jean Cheek toured with this show. Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope is a musical with a wide variety of musical styles and Glover provides choreography in many styles as well.

Performed by the wonderful cast of Rheaume Crenshaw, Dayna Dantzler, Aisha de Haas, James T. Lane, and Wayne Pretlow, Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope made for a thoughtful and rejuvenating evening’s entertainment.

Without question this musical’s exuberance, joy, and optimism should be experienced by a wider audience, and I hope that this concert version will have a future as a fully produced version.

Mummenschanz Premieres You & Me

Gerald W. Lynch Theatre

July 11, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Mummenschanz, also known as “The Musicians of Silence”,  premiered a new show, “You &Me” at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College as part of a return New York engagement after an absence of nearly four years. This limited New York engagement will be from July 4 – 22, 2018.

Mummenschanz was formed in 1972 by Swiss artists, Bernie Schurch and Andres Bossard with Floriana Frassetto. The company’s unique contribution to dance theatre was its presentations of short theatre/dance vignettes using geometric shapes, puppets, visual images and lighting which proved to be revolutionary, visionary, and insightful.

Mummenschanz’s new show, “You & Me” was created by the company’s co-founder, Floriana Frassetto (who also appears in this show) in collaboration with Tina Kronis and Richard Alger featuring new material as well as vignettes from past shows which are aimed at a family audience that includes some audience participation – all presented in about 80 intermissionless minutes.

“You & Me” opens with a short prologue that readies the audience for the fantasy that the audience will experience. The connected vignettes make their points quickly and move on – and revealed is humor that surfaces in every day aspects of our lives.

Dominating the piece are two over-sized hands that make contact with each other and other participants in this piece as well as a surprised audience. Geometric shapes are manipulated to create characters which interact with each other and which are particularly successful in the striking images of the creatures of the sea, and musical instruments that have their own perspective of how they fit into the musical universe.

Besides the unique concepts that crafted by the creators of “You & Me” much credit goes to the cast members who execute and fashion the miraculous images that are part of this very entertaining evening. Those tasks are vested in the expertise of cast members, Floriana Frassetto, Christa Lee-Anne Barrett, Kevin Blaser, Sara Francesca Hermann, and Oliver Pfulg.

In seeing this overview of Mummenschanz’s vignettes and presentations one realizes how much artistic influence the company has in the last few decades. I don’t think we would have had Cirque du Soleil or Philobolus without them.

Mummenschanz’s amazing and unique form of entertainment will make you smile!

Classic Stage Company’s Carmen Jones

Classic Stage Company

June 27, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Classic Stage Company has premiered its long-awaited revival of Oscar Hammerstein II’s Carmen Jones which will be performed through July 29, 2018.

For Carmen Jones, Oscar Hammerstein brilliantly adapted the familiar and iconic Georges Bizet opera, Carmen, transporting the story to America – in Chicago – at the time of the Second World War. Carmen, known as Carmen Jones (played by Anika Noni Rose) in Hammerstein’s adaptation, is a parachute maker at a factory who has initiated a rocky relationship with Joe, an airman, (played by Clifton Duncan) and is also pursued by a prizefighter, Husky Miller, (played by David Aron Damane) forming a love triangle that is similar to the love triangle that exists in Bizet’s opera.

The plot in this adaptation is crystal clear as Carmen Jones has designs on Joe but he has his eyes on another, Cindy Lou (played by Lindsay Roberts) who Joe is planning to marry.  However Carmen picks a fight with another woman resulting in Carmen’s arrest, Joe’s military pass is cancelled, and he is lumbered in having to transport Carmen to the next town’s civilian police. 

Along the way Carmen charms him and escapes with Joe being put into the stockade for allowing Carmen to do so. Although Carmen waits for Joe’s release from the stockade, it doesn’t take long before she casts her eyes on Husky Miller, a prizefighter, and she abandons Joe. 

In another reckless moment, Carmen demands that Frankie (played by Soara-Joye Ross) read Carmen’s “cards” coming up with the Nine of Spades – the card of Death revealing Carmen’s fate. Joe’s former love, Cindy Lou tries to salvage her relationship with Joe but he is hopelessly in love with Carmen, and Cindy Lou’s efforts to win back Joe are futile. Joe tries to convince Carmen to return to him, but she rejects him – and Joe kills her. Carmen’s fate comes to pass.

Carmen Jones’ passions are unleashed, and creates chaos everywhere she goes although it is a bit of a slow journey getting to this musical’s climax. Yet this interpretation of Bizet’s Carmen is timely and it is as scandalous and sensational as it would have been when the opera was originally premiered.

The story is told in the Classic Stage Company’s small theatre with scenic details consisting of  boxes of materials needed to make parachutes – and parachute fabric is also  used in one scene where it is suspended overhead. Even with this minimal décor, there is a sense of the locations that this story takes place in. With the original music by Bizet, Hammerstein adapted the book and lyrics, and in re-telling the story of Carmen Jones, it is performed by an all African-American cast – this is a revival that is long-awaited as there haven’t been all that many in New York since Carmen Jones premiered on Broadway in 1945.

The Classic Stage Company’s artistic director, John Doyle, is at the helm of this revival with choreography by Bill T.  Jones, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward and set design by Scott Pask. Minimal is the word of the day in terms of the design of this production. However the narrative and images are clear, with the music and Hammerstein’s lyrics well sung and articulated.

Anika Noni Rose gives a virtuoso performance in the title role but just as notable are Lindsay Roberts as Cindy Lou, Clifton Duncan as Joe, David Aron Damane, and Soara-Joye Ross as Frankie.  The ensemble players also provide excellent support.

The cast enhances Hammerstein’s adaptation and Doyle’s concept, and brings this updated version of Bizet’s iconic opera into perspective – and reflects its timeliness.

The Classic Stage Company’s Carmen Jones is a musical theatre event that should have a wider audience, and I hope that at least this production’s engagement will be extended, if not moved to a larger off-Broadway theatre or to Broadway – and also a must that this production be recorded for posterity. 

American Ballet Theatre – Don Quixote

Metropolitan Opera House

June 26, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

As American Ballet Theatre’s Metropolitan Opera House season is soon to come to an end, the company is performing a comic ballet that has become an audience favorite – that of Don Quixote – which for American Ballet Theatre has been co-staged by Kevin McKenzie and Susan Jones, and premiered in 1995.

The story of Don Quixote is taken from a chapter in Miguel Cervantes’ iconic novel and tells the story of Kitri, an innkeeper’s daughter, whose father wants to make the best match he can with one of the town’s noble aristocrats, Gamache. While all of this plotting is in the works it is revealed that Kitri is much more interested in Basilio, a local barber who has little substance to offer Kitri. 

Offering his help the Don steps in to encourage these two young lovers, which involves an escape to a gypsy camp, the Don getting hit on the head and imagining he has found his ideal love, Dulcinea, in a romantic dream vision, a comic tavern scene, and the third act of this ballet which celebrates the wedding of Kitri and Basilio – becoming a thrilling tribute to virtuoso dancing. 

The farce, the shenanigans, and the visionary beauty in this ballet are supported by the Spanish-flavored score composed by Ludwig Minkus. 

This is a comic ballet and not too much to take seriously here, but the structure of Don Quixote mirrors that of other late 19th century ballets that Marius Petipa choreographed including a dream or vision scene which is the heart of this Don Quixote’s second act. The choreography is a true test of the principals down to the soloists and corps de ballet.

On June 26th, 2018 the principal cast members where Christine Shevchenko as Kitri, James Whiteside as Basil, Zhong Jing Fang as Mercedes, and Blaine Hoven as Espada. 

There was great chemistry among all of these dancers who gave spirited and secure performances in their roles. Shevchenko is a super turner, and Whiteside is an excellent partner jumping the virtuoso technical hurdles in the choreography. Both Fang and Hoven displayed their flair for the Spanish-flavored choreography and also the comic humor in their parts. In addition Katherine Williams was a regal Queen of the Dryads and Rachel Richardson was suitably childish as the Cupid in this ballet’s Act II Vision Scene. All of these dancers contributed to the animated, and dazzling performance of this ballet. 

It should be known that the Don is played by a character dancer and doesn’t play a huge role in the ballet named after him, but was effectively and sympathetically portrayed by Clinton Luckett , along with his compatriot Sancho Panza portrayed by Sean Stewart. These dancers in the totality of this boisterous ballet all play important parts in the humor and vitality that this ballet radiates.

This week American Ballet Theatre will be presenting many debuts in Don Quixote yet another reason to experience the fun taking place at the Metropolitan Opera House.

American Ballet Theatre – Swan Lake

Metropolitan Opera House

June 21, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

American Ballet Theatre has been consistently dancing its production of Swan Lake during its Metropolitan Opera House seasons and this season is no exception. The current production that the company dances is credited to Kevin McKenzie and premiered in 2000. It is a production that adheres to the Marius Petipa/Lev Ivanov concept, structure, and storyline, and features opulent designs by Zack Brown. 

But there are also unique aspects of this production that make this production of Swan Lake different from others. Among the principal changes is that this production is presented in two parts with one intermission, the role of Von Rothbart is portrayed by two different dancers – one of whom steals Act III in this ballet – and there is also the Prologue in which Odette is transformed into a swan. Not all of these changes are fully integrated into this production of Swan Lake but remain the curiosities that they are.

And it is also notable how the dancers in the principal roles – and also rising stars in supporting roles – contribute to the performances of American Ballet Theatre’s production of Swan Lake.

In the performance on June 21, 2018, a relative newcomer to Swan Lake, Devon Teuscher, danced the dual role of Odette/Odile with Cory Stearns as Prince Siegfried. Although there were times that Teuscher’s Odette lacked royal dignity or softness, in contract her Odile was devilish and evil and was danced confidently – particularly the fouettes in the Black Swan Pas de Deux. Cory Stearns’ Prince Siegfried was aristocratic and dramatically involved, as well as his being an excellent partner, and danced cleanly in his solos and variations. This pairing in many aspects was ideal and true to the themes of the ballet itself.

In this production of Swan Lake, the role of Von Rothbart is danced by two different dancers. Roman Zhurbin portraying the magician/monster alter ego, and Thomas Forster representing Von Rothbart’s art as a seducer. Forster’s Von Rothbart was a bit of a scene stealer in Act III where he seduced the Queen Mother, and Siegfried’s prospective brides dancing a solo choreographed to the ballet’s Russian Dance.

This performance was also notable for the youthful enthusiasm and clean execution of the choreography by Katherine Williams, Catherine Hurlin, and Blaine Hoven in the Act I Pas de Deux, and Rachel Richardson, Betsy McBride, Nicole Graniero and Skylar Brandt as the Cygnettes, and the commanding performances of Zhong-Jing Fang and Stephanie Williams as the Two Big Swans.

Anticipating performances of Swan Lake danced by American Ballet Theatre during its annual Metropolitan Opera House is one of the highlights of the New York dance season.

Paper Mill Playhouse Presents Half Time

Paper Mill Playhouse

June 16, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Paper Mill Playhouse’s last offering of its 2017-18 season is a new musical, Half Time, which is being given its East Coast premiere from May 31 through July 1, 2018. Half Time had received its world premiere in a tryout engagement in Chicago in 2016, a project that had initially involved Marvin Hamlisch, and is inspired by a documentary, Dori Berinstein’s Gotta Dance, about the New Jersey Nets’ holding an audition for the first ever NBA senior hip-hop squad. 

Half Time’s story is about such senior dancers who have auditioned for a cheer leading squad for the New Jersey Cougars -- all are over 60 with something to prove. Besides their age one of the challenges is that they have to learn to dance in the hip-hop style. Their journey is the heart of this entertaining and heart-warming musical. Half Time has the themes of A Chorus Line and also a Cinderella story which keeps the audience involved and heightens the anticipation of what these seniors will produce and how they succeed in the end.

Each one of these veteran performers is a character whose story is expressed in meaningful musical numbers. Notable are Andre De Shields as Ron who reminiscences about the life he had with his wife and what might be in store for him in the future – and what he wanted to prove by being part of this cheering squad. Lillias White’s Bea is squaring a relationship with her granddaughter while also warning her granddaughter about her future with a married basketball player, Donna McKechnie’s Joanne is dealing with a painful divorce and wanting to dance professionally again, and Georgia Engel’s Dorothy is a dedicated kindergarten teacher who sees potential in every student and is also up to date with musical trends.

These stories of these seniors are presented in particular poignant moments as de Shields sings about his relationship with his wife in The Prince of Swing, Lori Tan Chinn as Mae who describes the changes in her husband due to the illness of old age in “The Waters Rise”, Donna McKechnie as Joanne who expresses her need to dance again in “Too Good for This” – reminiscent of The  Music and the Mirror from Chorus Line – and Nancy Ticotin as Camilla declaring that age shouldn’t matter in “Como No?”.

But what is most important is the realization that seniors have something to offer to society rather than being written off.

Half Time’s score includes music by Marvin Hamlisch and Ester Dean, but is comprised mainly of the music composed by Matthew Sklar with lyrics by Nell Benjamin, is integral in expressing the feelings and warmth of these seniors, and a book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin that includes self-deprecating humor without being preachy. Half Time is directed by Jerry Mitchell – and Mitchell shares co-choreography credit with Nick Kenkel – and deserves much credit for the coherent message in Half Time and also developing the wonderful performances that you see on stage.

In short Half Time is uplifting and inspirational – two words that might be used too often – but you have to admire the characters in this musical and what they achieve.

American Ballet Theatre – Romeo and Juliet

Metropolitan Opera House

June 14, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The ballet, Romeo and Juliet, based on William Shakespeare’s tragic play, has now become a component of the bread and butter repertoire that most ballet companies have been performing through the latter half of the 20th century -- and now in the 21st century. Shakespeare’s play has universal elements and has inspired by many choreographers.

American Ballet Theatre acquired Kenneth MacMillan’s version of Romeo and Juliet in 1984 and has performed this Romeo and Juliet on a consistent basis ever since. MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet was given its world premiere by the Royal Ballet in 1965, and Nicholas Georgiadis designed the costumes and scenery for that production and did the same for American Ballet Theatre’s production. This is a production of Romeo and Juliet created in the opulent and grand opera house manner.

In a sense American Ballet Theatre’s acquisition of MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet re-initiated a relationship between MacMillan and ABT which was further cemented during the time period when MacMillan was one of American Ballet Theatre’s associate artistic directors. His many other ballets that have been acquired by American Ballet Theatre in the past are not consistently performed by American Ballet Theatre in recent seasons, which is unfortunate, as MacMillan was a masterful and provocative choreographer – particularly when it came to story ballets. Over the years American Ballet Theatre has re-minted MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet.

During this current Metropolitan Opera House engagement, American Ballet Theatre is fielding several debuts in this ballet’s principal roles. On June 14, 2018, the roles of the star-crossed lovers were danced by Stella Abrera and James Whiteside.

Abrera’s debut in this role has been late in her dancing career but perhaps that is the reason why she brings her acting and artistic experience to this role. Her Juliet discovers that she can no longer play with dolls and must face an adult life that will be filled with constrictions. Even her moodiness is apparent in her first meeting with Paris, who proves no more than a distraction when she meets Romeo. Whiteside’s Romeo is ardent and impetuous – someone who falls in love too easily. Overall this was an excellent pairing.

American Ballet Theatre also offered outstanding performances in supporting roles including the nimble Mercutio of Arron Scott, the bullying Tybalt of Alexandre Hammoudi, Thomas Forster’s self-confident Paris, and the three comic harlots played by Stephanie Williams, Zhong-Jing Fang, and April Giangeruso – and the corps de ballet giving the crowd scenes spontaneity.

This was a performance of Romeo and Juliet that was action-packed and succeeded well in telling Shakespeare’s tragic tale. 

New York Philharmonic Presents Foreign Bodies Featuring The Music of Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Boston Ballet

David Geffen Hall

June 8, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

On June 8, 2018 at David Geffen Hall, the New York Philharmonic presented a program of music entitled Foreign Bodies which featured music composed and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, and also featured the world premiere of a video installation, a violin concerto and a collaborative performance with the Boston Ballet. This one-time concert represented an interdisciplinary format and also marked the end – and a celebration -- of Salonen’s three year relationship with the New York Philharmonic as the orchestra’s Marie-Josee Kravis Composer-in-Residence.

Salonen’s Foreign Bodies, was performed as a collaboration of the New York Philharmonic and video artist Tal Rosner. In Foreign Bodies, Rosner manipulated live-feed images of the New York Philharmonic, reflecting Salonen’s pulsating music which represented visual images including ribbons of light, and even the impressionist representation of icicles.

Also featured was Daniel Bjarnason’s Violin Concerto with Pekka Kuusisto as the violin soloist, written for Kuusisto who co-curated the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2017 Reykjavik Festival with Salonen. Bjarnason’s Violin Concerto offered a performance showcase for Kuusisto who played the music aggressively – with physical abandon and even whistling in sections – but bringing the violin concerto to a thought-providing end.

Concluding the performance was Wayne McGregor’s Obsidian Tear, danced by members of the Boston Ballet, and a co-production of the Royal Ballet (given its world premiere in 2016) and the Boston Ballet premiering the ballet in 2017. 

Obsidian Tear was choreographed to Salonen’s Lachen verlernt, a solo chaconne for violin, and the tone poem, Nyx, which references the Greek goddess of night.

As resident choreographer for the Royal Ballet and artistic director of his own company, McGregor has drawn on medical studies and legends for his pieces. In this instance, he titled the work after the Native American legend about obsidian, a volcanic rock formed when lava cools rapidly: a tribe of Indian warriors lead to their deaths over a cliff rather than be defeated by the invading U.S. cavalry and their families’ tears become obsidian. 

McGregor’s signature choreography is that of modern dance and post modern dance which is compromised of constant and random movement, and tends towards repetition for emphasis.

This work has been choreographed for an ensemble of nine male dancers beginning with a duet and then woven into movement reflecting aspects of warriors, survival, and violence. One of the dancers – the only dancer costumed in red and seems to be established outside of the community -- is ostracized by the group and pushed towards his end. Just as the piece began another pairing of male dancers are in conflict with one of those dancers coming to an abrupt end. Obsidian Tear also includes many references to The Rite of Spring, and generic references to ritual.

This all-male dancer work for nine dancers was danced by Paul Craig, Roddy Doble, Derek Dunn, Lasha Khozashvili, John Lam, Patric Palkens, Lawrence Rines, Matthew Slattery, and Junxiong Zhao, once more showing the high dancing standard of the Boston Ballet.

The New York Philharmonic presented a wonderful collaboration of music, dance, and virtuoso performances. 

American Ballet Theatre Dances La Bayadere

Metropolitan Opera House

May 30, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Ever since American Ballet Theatre premiered Natalia Makarova’s full-length production of La Bayadere in 1980, the company has grown into the ballet, and it has become one of the company’s signature ballets. Up until 1980, primarily it was Russian ballet companies that produced and performed full-length productions of La Bayadere, although Rudolf Nureyev brought the Kingdom of the Shades to the West in his production for the Royal Ballet.

The ballet, La Bayadere, has a story that is exotic and also full of passion. Taking place against the exotic atmosphere of India where both the High Brahmin and Solor are competing for the affection of an Indian temple dancer, Nikiya, although as in typical Romantic ballets, Solor also has other romantic obligations – that of Gamzatti, the Rajah’s daughter. When Gamzatti sees competition for Solor’s love in Nikiya, she tries to do whatever she can to dissuade Nikiya from returning Solor’s affections, and when Nikiya refuses to do so, revenge, death and destruction follows.

This story is performed with the support of Ludwig Minkus lilting and dramatic melodies yet there is a sense of the mystical that is India.

La Bayadere’s passion filled plot doesn’t obscure the wonderful dancing that is in the ballet. Besides the well-known Kingdom of the Shades, there is also the Wedding Divertissement of Solor and Gamzatti that is remarkable suite of virtuoso dancing.

Makarova also chose to reconstruct the last act of La Bayadere in which Nikiya’s spirit appears and disrupts the marriage of Gamzatti and Solor bringing the aforementioned death and destruction Also this production of La Bayadere is notable for the opera-like scenery designs by Pier Luigi Samaritani, and the costume designs by Theoni V. Aldredge.

On May 30th, 2018, Sarah Lane assumed the role of Nikiya, with Herman Cornejo portraying the role of Solor, and Skylar Brandt dancing the role of Gamzatti. These roles brought out the best in these dancers both as dancers and also as involved participants in the story-telling inherent in the choreography of this ballet. Lane has carefully etched her portrayal of Nikiya, and as did Cornejo as Solor, who gave a strong virtuoso performance. Lane and Cornejo were well suited to each other. As Gamzatti Brandt brought the necessary grandness.

Also spotlighting the company’s depth of talented dancers, the Shades variations were commandingly danced by Zhong Jing Fang, April Giangeruso, and Catherine Hurlin. Joseph Gorak danced smoothly and precisely as the Golden Idol.

Throughout the performance the entire company was spirited and energized which refreshed Makarova’s production of La Bayadere.

The Beast in the Jungle

Vineyard Theatre

May 23, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Vineyard Theatre has been a launching pad for new plays and new musicals, and has forged a close artistic association with the composer John Kander. For this reason the Vineyard Theatre’s presentation of John Kander’s The Beast in the Jungle, which is being performed from May 23 – June 17, 2018 is significant.

Described as an original dance play, John Kander has provided the music, David Thompson has provided the libretto, and Susan Stroman has provided the direction and choreography. For Stroman this was not the first time she has created a theatre piece dominated by dance alone – as she is particularly known for her award-winning Contact.

The Beast in the Jungle is based on the Henry James 1903 novella focusing on John Marcher, a man haunted by personal demons – and how he copes with a love affair -- an unconventional love affair with a captivating woman who probably was the love of his life. Marcher’s romance was with May Bartram who he met during his travels in Italy – meeting her and re-meeting her several years later, and they decide to live in London but not together in the same house. They do grow old together and they are companions but Marcher dwells on a secret that May keeps and the mystery is whether that secret will be resolved during their lifetimes. It is only after May passes on that Marcher realizes he might have lived a more fulfilling life if he had been able to love May.

In this version of The Beast in the Jungle, James’ story has been refitted for the 21st century with remembrances of this passionate relationship from the 20th century. Marcher recounts the details of his love affair with May to his young nephew who is going through a break-up with his girlfriend. Marcher (played by Peter Friedman) narrates his own story as the older Marcher weaveing in and out of his own narrative while his younger self (played by Tony Yazbeck – who also plays Marcher’s nephew) is depicted in the many waves of emotion that the story presents.

Marcher meets May in 1960’s Naples and shares a romantic interlude in Pompeii. Their short-lived affair ends as Marcher abandons the relationship due to his demons and he suddenly disappears. Marcher reacts much in the same manner when he re-meets May years later, when as an art dealer, Marcher comes into contact with May’s husband. Although their passion is reignited, Marcher again abandons May, and when they meet again for the last time – years later – May is dying and time has run out on their relationship.

The passionate moments between Marcher and May are expressed in dance sequences in which Marcher’s demons are represented in the visual images of the beast – choreography that moves from one dance style to another which is complimented by Ben Stanton’s lighting designs.

Emotions, and high points and low points might have been expressed in song, but in this instance they are expressed in dance.

Kander’s music is “romantic” in its nature with violin and harp dominating, and a throwback to the 19th century. Somehow moving this story to more recent memory rather than its historical context of the 19th century has lost some of its impact, and the book needs some careful coloration for that reason. As James’ novella reflects the themes of other well-known 19th century romantic tales –Anna Karenina and Eugene Onegin, and the novels of Jane Austen – come to mind, the transposition of James’ story from one century to another loses some of the story’s social sensibility.

There are no songs to be sung in The Beast in the Jungle and this well intended effort by John Kander and Susan Stroman is adventurous in breaking new theatrical ground.

The strength of this production of The Beast in the Jungle comes from the excellent cast of Peter  Friedman as John Marcher, Tony Yazbeck as Marcher’s Nephew and as the Young Marcher, former American Ballet Theatre ballerina, Irina Dvorovenko as May Bertram, and Teagle F. Bougere as May’s Husband.

The Beast in the Jungle shows great promise, and represents a unique evening in the theatre.

Paris Opera Ballet – Cinema Screening

Florence Gould Hall

May 20, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The French Institute Alliance Francaise presented a cinema screening of the Paris Opera Ballet at Florence Gould Hall on May 20, 2018 for what is a rare glimpse of this company on American shores. Now that major American presenters are not as active as they had been in the past, foreign tours by major European ballet companies are a rarity.

This particular mixed-bill program was curated by Benjamin Millepied during his first season as artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet and seemed oddly familiar to a New York audience as it mirrored what one might see the New York City Ballet dance. Since the original screening of this program, Millepied has left the post at the Paris Opera Ballet, and the company has begun a new artistic past with a different artistic director.

The program opened with a new work choreographed by Millepied, Clear, Loud, Bright, Forward with a commissioned score by Nico Muhly. This is a work for sixteen dancers – virtually an ensemble work – which was to showcase the younger dancers of the company. The choreographic vocabulary was classical, but clearly there was a contemporary veneer. The piece was distinguished more by the mobile lighting effects which defined different shapes and segments of the stage with the sections of this dance piece defined by blackouts. In some instances the moving lights were paced much faster than the dancers who were dancing this rather random choreography which was heavily influenced by Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, and William Forsythe.

Although there was certainly lots of movement – the male dancers rarely had their individual moments and were primarily used to partner the female dancers – it all seemed amorphous and random.

In contrast was Jerome Robbins’ Opus 19/The Dreamer created for the New York City Ballet in 1979 with the cast of Patricia McBride and Mikhail Baryshnikov, and choreographed to Sergei Prokofiev’s first violin concerto. Here the Paris Opera Ballet’s principal cast of Amandine Albisson and Matthias Heymann depicted a man chasing an elusive image of a woman with every dancer helping to create the subtle atmosphere on stage. Represented was Robbins’ personal response to the music and the images which suited the Paris Opera Ballet’s dancers.

The program ended with a rousing finale, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, which Balanchine created for American Ballet Theatre in 1947 and choreographed to the finale section of Tchaikovsky’s Third Orchestral Suite. The dancers in the principal roles, Laura Hecquet and Josua Hoffatt, projected the appropriate grandeur and elegance in Balanchine’s ballet with both Hecquet and Hoffatt easily dancing through the technical demands in their solo variations and the pas de deux. It was beautiful to see Theme and Variations danced in the grand manner it deserves.

As this particular cinema screening is about two years old, I hope that the French Institute Alliance will screen more of the Paris Opera Ballet’s recent performances in the future, and give us the chance to see this magnificent company more often.

American Ballet Theatre Opens Its Metropolitan Opera House Season with Giselle

Metropolitan Opera House

May 17, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

American Ballet Theatre opened its Metropolitan Opera House season with its production of Giselle, a production staged by Kevin McKenzie, which has been a signature ballet in the company’s repertoire. American Ballet Theatre first performed Giselle in 1940, in a staging by Anton Dolin, and has regularly performed Giselle to this day. American Ballet Theatre’s production of Giselle, based on the choreography by Jules Perrot, Jean Coralli, and Marius Petipa, is straightforward in its story-telling. It makes for an excellent showcase for the dancers, and an opportunity to watch the dancers tackle a work choreographed in the Romantic style.

Among the 19th century classics, Giselle holds a special place as it was created in the earlier half of the 19th century -- in 1841 -- and was premiered at the Paris Opera Ballet. Most stagings of this ballet come down to us from the staging created by Marius Petipa for the Mariinsky Ballet. Unfortunately Giselle is not a ballet that is often performed by ballet companies around the world – and especially not so in the United States. The ballet is a challenge for the dancers to master a particular style of ballet, and also to be accomplished as dance actors.

The familiar story of Giselle is that of a peasant girl who is betrayed by an aristocrat, Count Albrecht, who masquerades as a peasant and seduces her. When this ruse is revealed by Hilarion, a rival suitor, Giselle descends into madness and dies of a broken heart. The second act is filled with mystery and theatrical allusion as Giselle’s spirit is revealed to a remorseful Albrecht, and she forgives him for his betrayal. The story-telling in Giselle is detailed and succinct and offers a great deal of dancing.

What makes any performance of Giselle come alive are the interpretations of the leading characters, and the dancing of the ballet itself. On May 17, 2018, Stella Abrera and Cory Stearns took on the roles of Giselle and Albrecht, and Katherine Williams danced the role of Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis.

Abrera proved herself to be an excellent dance actress, convincingly playing the romantic heroine who is mistreated by men, and her mad scene was emotional, expressive, and detailed. Abrera was also appropriately ethereal as Giselle’s vision and spirit in Act II. Stearns was appropriately cold and arrogant which made his remorse in the second act – and Giselle’s forgiveness – more dramatically effective. Katherine Williams was a commanding Queen of the Wilis – all powerful and the ruler of her kingdom – a worthy rival, and a challenge for Giselle to mollify.

Also notable was Alexei Agoudine as Hilarion who portrayed the character as desperately in love with Giselle and equally devastated by her death. In Giselle, American Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet, playing the spirits of the jilted brides, is an important element in creating the malevolent and mysterious atmosphere in the second act which was superbly led by Kaho Ogawa as Moyna, and Stephanie Williams as Zulma.

Giselle speaks to American Ballet Theatre’s tradition, and seems to deepen with each season’s performances.

City Center Encores Presents Me and My Girl

City Center

May 11, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

City Center Encores rarely presents concert versions of musicals that had their premieres in Europe.  From May 9-13, 2018, City Center Encores is presenting such a musical, Me and My Girl, a British musical comedy that premiered in 1937 – aptly referred to as The Lambeth Walk Musical – and was successfully revived in London in 1985 and given its Broadway debut in 1986.  Robert Lindsey played the role of the rags to riches Bill Snibson, the focal character in Me and My Girl both in London and on Broadway, and this musical captured the hearts of American audiences.

Me and My Girl is the story of Bill Snibson, who rises from poverty to the position of Earl of Hereford.  Presented as a bit of a social misfit – but gifted with street smarts – he wreaks havoc on high society, and realizes what he might be giving up in order to keep his riches, his girlfriend, and self-respect -- a story told in the British music hall tradition and comic farce.

Bill Snibson (played by Christian Borle) stumbles along the way as he tries to fit into upper crust society while also trying to balance the love he has for his girlfriend, Sally Smith (played by Laura Michelle Kelly), who shows her loyalty to Snibson whether he is rich or poor.  Snibson finds allies in Lady Jacqueline Carstone (played by Lisa O’Hare) after her efforts of seduction do not succeed, as well as the family solicitor, Douglas Herbert Parchester (played by Don Stephenson), Sir John Tremayne (played by Chuck Cooper), and Maria Duchess of Dene (played by Harriet Harris). 

Snibson’s story is a bit like a male Pygmalion – and there are references made to the well known musical, My Fair Lady.  And the play on words throughout Me and My Girl is also what makes this musical hilarious as Snibson is finding his way among the stuffy aristocrats.

Me and My Girl includes a score with music by Noel Gay with book and lyrics by L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber with additional contributions by Mike Ockrent and a revised book by Stephen Fry. John Weidman has cleverly adapted Me and My Girl for the City Center Encores’ concert version.

Besides the farcical – and sometimes nostalgic and sentimental story -- there is the tuneful score from the well-known  “The Lambeth Walk”, “Once You Lose Your Heart”, “Love Makes the World Go Round”,  to the title song. There are influences from Gilbert and Sullivan, and the British Music Hall as well.

One’s loses oneself in enjoying the characters antics and seems assured that all will work out in the end.

Me and My Girl is performed by an excellent cast. Christian Borle as Snibson was clownish at times, impish at other times, but his comic timing is impeccable. Similar plaudits for his co-star Laura Michelle Kelly as Sally Smith, as both are triple threats and have combustible chemistry between them.

Harriet Harris channels Margaret Dumont as the Duchess. Her subtle humor and turn of phrase results in her stealing quite a few scenes, and also outstanding are Lisa O’Hare as Lady Carstone, Mark Evans as Bolingbroke, Don Stephenson as Parchester, and Chuck Cooper as Tremayne. But the entire company represented an embarrassment of riches and incredible talent on the stage.

This production of Me and My Girl was skillfully directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle who exploited the talents of this superlative cast – and as often is this case Rob Berman in charge of the orchestra added much to the musical elements of Me and My Girl.

And what joy this musical brings in what is a superb version of Me and My Girl and a welcome return to the New York stage. 

Unexpected Joy

York Theatre Company at St. Peter’s

April 29, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The York Theatre Company, in its ongoing mission to develop and present new musicals, is playing host to the New York premiere of  Unexpected Joy, with book and lyrics by Bill Russell, and music by Janet Hood from April 24 through May 20, 2018.

Unexpected Joy traces the story of three female singers, spanning three generations, who are coming to terms with conflicting tensions, all set in the liberated atmosphere of Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Joy (played by Luba Mason) has organized a memorial concert for the other half of a musical duo she was a part of, Jump and Joy, and it is the planning for this concert and the interactions of family members that are the focus of Unexpected Joy.

Jump and Joy represented the care free and free love generation of the 1960’s, and that relationship was not only a musical one but also a personal one – with the result being a daughter who had a unique place in the “family” as Jump and Joy decided against the convention of marriage as well as other conventions.

Family conflicts flare up when Joy’s conservative daughter, Rachel (played by Courtney Balan), who is married to a well-known televangelist, and her granddaughter, Tamara (played by Celeste Rose) arrive from Oklahoma for the memorial concert, and old wounds are opened. Needless to say Joy is reluctant to inform her family members she is planning to marry – Lou (played by Allyson Kaye Daniel), a singer who happens to be a woman.

The Bohemian grandmother quarrels with her conservative daughter while prejudices of sorts skip a generation where the grandmother has a nurturing relationship with her granddaughter. That relationship blooms in spite of the fact that her granddaughter is a typical rebellious teenager and through her own self-awareness is trying find out who she is and what she wants from life. Lou’s caustic and pointed sense of humor underscores the family conflicts. However these differences are somehow resolved through music, and doing what these women want to do the most which is to sing and make music. That journey is taken with wit, humor, common sense, and introspection by all its travelers.

It is fortunate that the creative team has made sure that all of these characters are well drawn and are enhanced by Unexpected Joy’s excellent cast.

Bill Russell has written an intelligent and witty book, and in combination with Janet Hood, has written a wonderful score that reflects the musical influences of Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell. Neither the book nor the lyrics are preachy – and are heartfelt emotionally – and this 90-minute musical gets it all in under Amy Anders Corcoran’s expansive direction.

It should be noted that Unexpected Joy will be finding its way to London’s Southwark Playhouse in September.

But while Unexpected Joy is being performed by the York Theatre Company one should experience this humanistic, insightful, and joyous musical.

Australian Comedian Brings a Bit of Australia to New York

Clurman Theatre

April 23, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Australia’s celebrated non-human comedian, Randy, the creation of Heath McIvor, is making his American debut at the Clurman Theatre in a show entitled Randy Writes A Novel, and will be appearing here in New York for a limited engagement until June 10, 2018.

McIvor is an Australian puppeteer, writer and singer, and he has created a character -- a puppet and alter ego, Randy Feltface – whose comedy persona veers between Kermit the Frog and a witty dinner partner – espousing commentary on the humor in our every day experiences.

The premise of this solo show is that Randy has written a novel and wishes to read portions of it at a book event – with a desk on the stage, old books and pages from books surrounding it – and everything goes wrong.  But the journey includes story-telling, banter with audience members, and a free-wheeling 85 minutes that covers diverse subjects – all delivered with a wink and a nod.

By not reading portions of his book Randy turns procrastination into a comedic device being irreverent, a little smutty – seasoned with a bit of profanity -- and a funny story or two, and his own thoughts about his life.

Randy’s meanderings include his description of line rage (describing the frustration of New Yorkers facing lines of people to accomplish every day tasks), his abridged biography of Ernest Hemingway, and his bizarre, comedic, and frightening story about his experience buying a book shelf he found in an advertisement on Craig’s List. 

Sometimes stream of consciousness and sometimes rambling, McIvor as Randy presents a thoughtful, satiric, funny, and entertaining performance with his own special slant on everyday life – and is a welcome and unique addition to New York’s theatrical season.

Donna Summer Arrives on Broadway

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

April 23, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Donna Summer was born in Boston, Massachusetts and at the age of 18 she followed her career to Germany where she performed in a production of Hair. And it was in Europe that Summer pursued her career in the recording studio with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte -- which led to a series of recording successes with Neil Bogard’s Casablanca Records.  The rest is history as these associations initiated an international career, and Summer was anointed the Queen of Disco. Literally Summer’s music has become the soundtrack of the lives of people who lived through the 1970’s and 1980’s. And she hasn’t been forgotten.

Summer had been developing her own bio-musical, Ordinary Girl, in which she planned to star in. Director Des McAnuff had been involved in meetings to direct Ordinary Girl, and now directs here for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which has arrived on Broadway injected with high energy and splash.

Summer’s career has been immortalized in this Broadway musical bio epic which traces her career from her beginnings and her life ending in 2012 as a victim of lung cancer. Summer had sung in church, and then escaped what was a rather ordinary life in Boston to perform in theatre productions in Germany, gaining experience, a husband, and a child. The seeds were planted for a major singing career as she was one of the pioneers in the genre of disco music and also asserted herself in her business dealings. She cleverly created the foundation for a career that would outlast musical trends.

Included in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical are the back stories of her major hit recordings, and how she protected her career in an industry dominated by men – particularly white men – retaining her individuality and identity, and along the road to success also having to evaluate the price of her fame.

Although she had a charmed career in which she wrote most of her recorded materials, in the mid-1980’s she became part of a controversy – already a born-again Christian – she made anti-gay remarks and became the target of a boycott. This particular controversy was given some illumination in this musical which included an apology for those remarks. 

To say the least Summer’s life had its peaks and valleys. All the while her recordings have become part of the American culture.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical is a throwback to the era when disco music flourished in the many discotheques that existed all over the world. We can now look back on her career with nostalgia but she took her place as one of the titans in American music.

The high energy – and inspiration – is generated on the stage by the multi-talented principal cast members. Playing Diva Donna – and also sometimes Donna’s mother – LaChanze – who showed remarkable stage presence in breaking the fourth wall to also be this musical’s narrator, and Storm Lever plays Duckling Donna (the younger version of Donna Summer) as well as Donna’s daughter, Mimi, while Ariana DeBose plays Disco Donna. These amazingly talented ladies dominate Summer: The Donna Summer Musical with the power of their voices, and their dancing and acting abilities. These are stunning performances.

Also another notable performance is that of Jared Zirilla as Summer’s second husband, Bruce Sudano. And due credit must go to the members of the supporting cast and members of the ensemble who play multiple roles in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

Director Des McAnuff has taken up the challenge here as both book writer – collaborating with Colman Domingo and Robert Cary – and director to fashion a biographical musical that depicts Summer’s life and also employs the catalogue of Summer’s recordings to punctuate important moments in her life. 

There is also the casting device of  having female actors playing male roles – a tradition being practiced by the Takarazuka theatre company in Japan  -- which is very effective in accentuating the ironies of Summer’s relationships with both men and women during her career, and the complexities that she had to face during her career – as well as the sacrifices she made for her career and also for her family.

Although Summer: The Donna Summer Musical has the components of a juke box musical, we do learn about Summer’s life through this 1 hour 45 minute musical – which is also amply energized by Sergio Trujillo’s choreography.

If your choice for an entertaining evening is to be taking flight with nostalgia and inspiration, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical fits the bill.

Paper Mill Playhouse Presents The Sting

Paper Mill Playhouse

April 14, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Paper Mill Playhouse, in Milburn, New Jersey, is presenting its second world premiere musical of the season, The Sting, from March 29 through April 29, 2018, which is reported to be Broadway-bound. This musical based on the Universal Pictures’ Academy Award-winning film, which had an original screenplay by David S. Ward, starred the legendary film actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

The Sting tells the tale of a pair of con men – a small town grifter, Johnny Hooker (played by J.  Harrison Ghee) and a major league hustler Henry Gondorff (Harry Connick, Jr.) who join forces along with other criminal elements to plot the downfall of Chicago’s corrupt racketeer, Doyle Lonnegan (Tom Hewitt).  The trail of the con artists drifts from Joliet, Illinois taking them to Chicago in 1936, where Hooker and Gondorff come up with a con where con men and con women are putting on a play for the benefit of their mark. All to wreak revenge on Lonnegan who has killed Luther, an “associate” of Hooker’s.

From the first musical moments in The Sting with onstage trombone player  (Lucien Barbarin, who makes his trombone talk), and Kevyn Morrow as the con artist Luther, the audience is transported to Chicago when gangsters dominated the scene – and the intricate con is woven like a tapestry and unravels like an Agatha Christie mystery. 

The story is told with the aid of the clever score with music composed by Mark Hollmann and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis with Harry Connick Jr. also contributing four songs. From “You Can’t Trust Nobody” to “The Thrill of the Con”, this story of two con artists getting back at a gangster who killed a fellow con artist in Joliet moves at a brisk pace. The songs are integrated well into the narrative and Bob Martin’s book adaptation provides smart dialogue with Warren Carlyle providing the crisp choreography, and John Rando the free–flowing but detailed direction. 

The Scott Joplin signature music from the film – particularly “The Entertainer” is not forgotten – and there are ten Joplin tunes integrated into the score in bits and pieces.

There is never a dull moment in this stage musical of The Sting as there are enough musical numbers and dance numbers to enhance the story-telling and showcase the talented cast members.

Also spicing up the proceedings are Beowulf Boritt’s clever scenery designs which provide a detailed atmosphere for the con.

Both Harry Connick Jr. and J. Harrison Ghee give star performances as they sing, dance and play instruments in The Sting. But The Sting’s cast is an embarrassment of riches featuring the aforementioned Tom Hewitt as Doyle Lonnegan, Peter Benson as The Erie Kid, Janet Dacal as Loretta, Christopher Gurr as J.J. Singleton, Richard Kline as Kid Twist, Kevyn Morrow as Luther, Kate Shindle as Billie, and Robert Wuhl as Snyder. They all contribute towards telling this droll, humorous, and entertaining story.

If The Sting is Broadway-bound the sooner the better as the efforts of this excellent creative team and cast will be seen by even more enthusiastic audiences. 

American Repertory Ballet – New and Old

The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College

April 7, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The American Repertory Ballet, based in Princeton and New Brunswick, New Jersey, made its second appearance in New York this season at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College on April 7, 2018. Themed as “Generations: Influences from the Modern Age”, the company presented a triple bill of works which included those of master choreographers, and a new slant on a ballet chestnut.

Two works on the program  had commonality, Jose Limon’s There is a Time, and Douglas Martins’ reinterpretation of The Rite of Spring – both ritualistic – one spiritual and the other a new vision of what had originally been conceived as a pagan ritual.

Representative of works by a master choreographer was Jose Limon’s There is a Time, based on the Bible’s Ecclesiastes 3, and choreographed to the music of Norman Dello Joio. There is a Time was given its world premiere in 1956, and was staged for the American Repertory Ballet by Sarah Stackhouse in 2015.

There is a Time, for the most part, is an ensemble work and reflects a feeling of community with a light touch through most of the work and grounded in spirituality. For ballet dancers, Limon’s choreography seems to be the most accessible and compatible which was exemplified in this performance by American Repertory Ballet.

In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Gerald Arpino’s passing and the 30th anniversary of Robert Joffrey’s passing, presented was Gerald Arpino’s Sea Shadow not seen in New York since the days when the Joffrey Ballet was resident in New York City. Created in 1962, and choreographed to music by Maurice Ravel, in this duet Arpino made references to the tale of Ondine. Exhibited was a simple, and natural melding of ballet and contemporary dance – creating an atmosphere of quiet tension.

Douglas Martin, American Repertory Ballet’s artistic director, offered a different slant in his concept of and  choreography for The Rite of Spring. Although he generally kept the original libretto, he has transferred the story to 1961 corporate America which depicted the rituals of office relations, and relationships that are relevant even today.

An ambitious female office worker becomes the Chosen One making known her ambitious as the steals a business man’s suit jacket in an attempt to crash through the glass ceiling – not succeeding and being ostracized by both the men and the women working for this mythical corporation.

There are choreographic references to Vaslav Nijinsky’s version of The Rite of Spring as well as references to every day work chores – including the women sitting at their desks typing as if their lives depended upon it. Office intrigue and office politics are also represented – and the office workers seem to be crusading against the system of pigeon-holing men and women in defined roles as men are presented as decision-makers and ripe for promotion and success.

Because we rarely see the Joffrey Ballet here in New York these days, it is assuring that Robert Joffrey’s legacy and spirit is remembered with this genre of programming by a ballet company in the New York metropolitan area.—and also that the company is finding the financial wherewithal to appear in New York City on a regular basis.

Dance Theatre of Harlem at the City Center

City Center

April 6, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Dance Theatre of Harlem’s City Center engagement from April 4-7, 2018 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The impact of that tragic event inspired Arthur Mitchell and Karl Shook to found the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969.

The program presented for this auspicious occasion referenced the past, as well as performing company premieres, and a New York premiere.

The first of the two company premieres was George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie which Balanchine choreographed to Mikhail Glinka’s music. In this instance dancing a version of Valse Fantaisie which dates back to 1953. The choreography is pristine and musical, and deceptive in its simplicity – filled with elegance and no pretense. It is a superb learning experience for the Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers as it would be for any company. This particular work is pure neo-classicism with five women and only one man in its cast which was led by Alison Stroming and Da’Von Doane successfully making their way through this challenging choreography.

The second company premiere was Christopher Wheeldon’s pas de deux, This Bitter Earth, choreographed to a music alchemy of Max Richter’s string-dominated piece, On The Nature of Daylight, and Dinah Washington’s distinguished version of Clyde Otis’ This Bitter Earth, which Wheeldon created for the New York City Ballet in 2012. Influenced by Balanchine neo-classic choreography is inherent in the style of this piece which was wonderfully danced here by Crystal Serrano and Jorge Andres Villarini.

The New York premiere was Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Harlem On My Mind, Moultrie’s third work for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, choreographed to music by Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and others. Moultrie’s choreography was a pastiche of classical ballet and jazz dance forms and Moultrie choreographed to songs from the Great American Songbook. He managed to meld the dance and music together but he was most interesting and inventive in doing so in solos danced by Anthony Santos and Ingrid Silva.

Returning to the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s repertoire is Geoffrey Holder’s iconic, Dougla, a dance piece that presented the marriage ceremony as a pageant and drawn from his own cultural experience in Trinidad. Dougla is a spectacle for the eyes and ears, colorful in its choreography, the music and costume designs – and stylized in its own individual manner. Here you have the nobility of goddesses and warriors being portrayed in what had been – and I hope will be – one of the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s signature works. Dougla’s wedding couple was Ingrid Silva and Anthony Santos. Dance Theatre of Harlem’s ranks were enlarged by additional dancers from College Dance Collective.  As one of the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s past successes, it was encouraging to see Holder’s Dougla being performed by the company once again.

After the performance the audience was treated to a talk by Carmen de Lavallade, who provided essential information in regard to this re-staging of her husband’s work, as well as Leo Holder who supervised this magnificent staging of Dougla.

This program was seeing Dance Theatre in all its glory!

Something Wonderful – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Something Wonderful – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution by Todd Purdum and published by Henry Holt and Company, examines the lives and work of the composer/lyricist team that was for the ages – and that much more intriguing because Purdum is much better known as a writer who specializes in politics.

This is a well-researched and descriptive monograph about these giants in their fields. Creators of such classic musicals as Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I,  Flower Drum  Song, The Sound of Music, and the television version of Cinderella, Rodgers and Hammerstein became a phenomenon whose musicals are still enjoyed to this day and will probably be enjoyed by audiences into the distant future. They joined forces after working with other collaborators, self-producing their musicals and took control over the film treatments of their musicals – and also produced musicals by other composers. They were truly men of the theatre – and devoting as much of their time to creation as they did to the business aspects of show business.

They began working together in 1943 with Oklahoma! and created a new show every other year for 14 years. Rodgers and Hammerstein in integrating narrative, song and dance transformed the American musical, and also grappled with controversial subject matter at the time with skill and respect. Also interesting is that they rarely worked in the same room. Rodgers was quick in composing while Hammerstein would take his time in developing suitable lyrics. Also brought up by Purdum in his book is the fact that Rodgers and Hammerstein may not have really liked each other all that much.

Other books have been written about these two amazing men not to mention interviews they gave during their lifetimes. So what is different about Something Wonderful and Purdum’s analysis of their careers that we didn’t know before?

One of the unique narrative techniques used by Purdum is having both Rodgers and Hammerstein quoted often as if this book is being presented to the reader on a first hand basis. Purdum tells the individual stories of Rodgers and Hammerstein in their early days and dramatically sets the stage for them to reach a point in their lives when they were ready to be collaborators.

Of course there are the bits of interesting background information such as the possibility of casting Mary Martin in the role of Laurey in Oklahoma!, and the fact that Larry Hart – with his translating skills – translated Ferenc Molnar’s Liliom, which was used as foundation for Carousel,  receiving no public credit for doing so. Also engrossing are the details and history of Rodgers and  Hammerstein’s successes and failures – included among the failures, Allegro, Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream, and successes including Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.

In Purdum’s description and details of the development of The King and I, mentioned are the number of people who were encouraging Rodgers and Hammerstein to do this musical and how they would exploit the talents of the musical’s star, Gertrude Lawrence. Of particular interest was Richard Rodgers’ advice to Jerome Robbins when Robbins was struggling with the concept and tone for the Uncle Tom’s Cabin Ballet in The King and I – which was to approach the piece from a comic viewpoint but still convey the serious message that was required.

Rodgers and Hammerstein were excellent businessmen getting the best advice they could find. That advice included producing their own work, and also producing the work of others. Their maiden voyage as producers was the Broadway play, I Remember Mama, and another one of their great successes as producers was Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun.

Also unique to their collaboration was their care in getting involved in the film versions of their musicals from producing, to casting, and many other details. In Purdum’s Something Wonderful there are details and facts about how Rodgers and Hammerstein were involved in the casting for the film versions of Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, and South Pacific. In such searches you wonder what might have been if other actors had been chosen to play the principal roles in the film versions of these musicals.

Todd Purdum’s Something Wonderful – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution explores and describes the careers of these musical theatre legends which provides a unique slant on these legends’ lives and work.

Melissa Gilbert – My Brilliant Divorce

New Ohio Theatre

March 31, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Child star, now adult star, Melissa Gilbert has been making a measured return to the stage in three plays in New York during the last year. Her latest theatre appearance is in the off-Broadway Fallen Angel Theatre Company’s production of Geraldine Aron’s My Brilliant Divorce being performed at the New Ohio Theatre for a limited engagement from March 20 through April 8, 2018.

Ms. Aron's Olivier Award-nominated play, which had its premiere at Ireland’s Druid Theatre 2001, is a solo piece in which the principal actor played by Melissa Gilbert, also portrays many people who make her life fun, intrude upon her life, and confuse her life.

The principal character is Rachel Lipsky Haringay, a Jewish New Yorker living in London who is abandoned by her British accountant husband – he also abandons their daughter – and relates her series of woes – and highs and lows – in a monologue often breaking the fourth wall with the audience.

 A New Yorker living in London, a fish out of water, has suffered through a divorce from her husband after that said husband has been involved in an affair with an Argentinean lover, and was told by her adult daughter that she is only person who didn’t know about her husband’s affair.

Rachel mourns her marriage, and relates her bitterness, her joys, and needed transitions through that journey. Those include the relationship with her daughter’s dog, Axel, being an Airbnb hostess, and simply coming to terms with her divorce, the divorce settlement, but most importantly learning to live with herself.  

In spite of the fact that she runs into disappointing moments from bad choices, she begins travelling on her own and even initiates a romantic relationship with a doctor. Although it seems that Rachel has had more hurdles than achievements in her life, there are many comedic moments, and the journey is one that we can all identify with. Every moment and every circumstance that Rachel finds herself in is relatable. In about 90 fast-moving minutes audience members become close friends with Rachel.

Playwright Aron often translates Rachel’s miseries for laughs. Gilbert plays many characters – close family members, friends, and ancillary characters – who are connected to Rachel’s life – all defined by voice and accents. Rachel must learn how to live life alone. It is a journey that we all have to take at some point in our lives, and Gilbert gives that journey a great deal of humanity, emotion – and also some comic moments.

Director Aedin Moloney deftly guides Gilbert through these characters and makes them resonate with the audience.

My Brilliant Divorce is a challenge for any actress and Gilbert must be credited for taking on this challenge, giving a gutsy performance, and succeeding brilliantly. She does command a stage.

Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition – Awards Ceremony & Gala

Symphony Space

March 30, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The 8th annual Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition has taken place at Symphony Space from March 26-30, 2018 including among its competitors dancers from all over the world. The particular focus of this competition is to provide participants evaluation by leading figures in the dance world, and to compete for prizes that will include further dance studies and contracts with professional dance companies.

This year’s competition was dedicated to the memory of Rudolf Nureyev on the 80th anniversary of his birth. Charles Jude, a former etoile of the Paris Opera and a protégé of Nureyev provided his personal thoughts about Nureyev as delivered by Valentina Kozlova, and a video was shown of rarely seen film of Nureyev early in his career in Ufa, Russia, the Mariinsky Ballet, and with the Muppets. The gala evening concluded with a beautifully conceived tribute to Nureyev with the dancers paying homage to this great artist with Nureyev’s photo in the rear of the stage to remind us of how much he contributed to the art of dance.

Also featured in the ballet competition were the two compulsory solos from Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc – La Cigarette variation for the women, and the Mazurka for men, which were staged by Charles Jude, former etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet. Nina Buisson choreo-graphed, Unleashed, as the compulsory contemporary solo for the female dancers in the senior division, and Ilya Zhivoi choreographed An Awesome Wave, as the compulsory solo for the male dancers in the senior division.

The members of the jury were Andris Liepa (Russia), Patricia Aulestia de Alba (Mexico), Nina Ananiashvili (Georgia), Ivan Cavallari (Italy), Mi Sook Jeon (South Korea), Charles Jude (France), Sun Hee Kim (South Korea), Caroline Llorca (Germany), Victoria Morgan (United States), Mikko Nissinen (United, Radenko Pavlovich (United States), Anderson Santana (Belgium), Olga Guardia de Smoak (Panama), Sergei Soloviev (Russia), Nikolai Tsiskaridze (Russia), and Carlos Valcarcel (United Kingdom).

The following were the medal winners in the major categories at this year’s competition:

Grand Prix for Overall Performance: Claire Teysseire, France

Classical Competition:

Youth Division (Ages 11-12)

Female

Gold Medal: Minji Son, South Korea

Gold Medal: Ella Kolpakova, USA

Silver Medal: Jaeun Goo, South Korea

Bronze Medal: Sadie Weintraub, Ireland

Bronze Medal: Seoyoung Bang, South Korea

Male

Bronze Medal for Youngest Male Participant: Sacha Vaeremans, Belgium

Student Division (Ages 13-14)

Gold Medal: Ana Bellini, Brazil

Silver Medal: Eugine Ahn, South Korea

Bronze Medal: Maria Eduarda Pinto, Brazil

Bronze Medal: Luiza Falcao, Brazil

Junior Division (Ages 15 to 17)

Gold Medal: Nikita Boris, USA

Silver Medal: Mari Bell, Canada

Silver Medal: Rheya Shano, USA

Senior 1 Division (Ages 18 to 21)

Female

Gold Medal: Eunice Suba, USA

Silver Medal: Yuyu Ichikawa, Belgium

Bronze Medal: Jioh Gwak, South Korea

Male

Gold Medal: Clement Guillaume, France

Silver Medal: Zi Wang, China

Bronze Medal: Suhwan Kim, South Korea

Bronze Medal: Seong Jun An, South Korea

Senior 2 Division (Ages 22 to 26)

Male

Bronze Medal: Davi Chagas, Brazil

Contemporary/Neoclassical Competition:

Female Solo Division 1

Gold Medal: Ella Kolpakova, USA

Bronze Medal: Zaira Yanet Quezada Meza, Mexico

Bronze Medal: Lilly Fridlyand, USA

Female Solo Division 2

Bronze Medal: Maria Eduarda Pinto, Brazil

Bronze Medal: Valentina Vucanik, Croatia

Female Solo Division 3

Silver Medal: Minji Kim, South Korea

Female Solo Division 4

Gold Medal: Yewon Choi, South Korea

Silver Medal: Sun Jae Lee, South Korea

Bronze Medal: Chaehee Kim, South Korea

Male Solo Division 4

Gold Medal: Chang Min Lee, South Korea

Gold Medal: Soo Beom Jang, South Korea

Silver Medal: Hyukjun Jeong, South Korea

Bronze Medal: Yan Lopes Rosa Elol, Brazil

There were many wonderful performances by medal winners in the competition’s gala performance including Nikita Boris dancing Esmeralda Pas de Deux; Yewan Choi of  Korea dancing Osscilation, Minji Son of South Korea in a variation from Coppelia, American Ella Kolpakova dancing a variation from Coppelia, Claire Teysseire of France dancing the Cigarette Solo from Lifar’s Suite en Blanc and the solo variation from Grand Pas Classique, American Eunice Suba dancing a variation from La Bayadere, and also outstanding Clement Guillaume of France, and Zi Wang of China in their solo presentations. There seemed to be a host of future stars who are just at their beginning of their careers.

Plaudits to Valentina Kozlova for conceiving this competition, now in its 8th edition, carrying it out with such commitment and integrity, making sure that the awards to the dancers are meaningful and will contribute to these dancers’ future careers, and her heartfelt tribute to Rudolf Nureyev.

Big Deal – Bob Fosse

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Oxford University Press has recently published Big Deal – Bob Fosse and Dance in the American Musical by Kevin Winkler which should be in the library of every musical theater lover and also for those who are considering careers as choreographers for the Broadway stage.

Bob Fosse has been recognized as an innovator both as a choreographer and a director, and lived and worked during a time period in Broadway’s history when one person guided, shaped, and brought to the stage new concepts in musical theatre. And in Winkler’s book, there is a detailed look at Fosse’s life in those roles rather than about his personal life – as well as details about the influences and antecedents that developed into Fosse’s unique choreographic and directing style.

Significant projects in Bob Fosse’s career on the stage included the choreography for Pajama Game in 1954 and then taking on the roles of choreographer and director for Redhead in 1959. And in 1973, he accomplished the Triple Crown by winning a Tony Award for Pippin, an Academy Award for the film version of Cabaret, and an Emmy Award for the television special, Liza With A Z.

Fosse’s legacy includes his work on Broadway in  The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, New Girl in Town, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Little Me, Redhead, Sweet Charity, Pippin, Chicago, and Dancin’ and also notably his work in film as a performer, choreographer and director.

In Fosse’s early days as a professional dancer and entertainer, Fosse worked late nights dancing in burlesque houses and in the period up to and during World War II becoming familiar with the seedier aspects of show business. In his dancing and choreography Fosse absorbed the influences of Paul Draper, Jack Cole, and Joe Frisco – influences that would shape his work as a Broadway and film choreographer.

He turned to theatre work after completing his military service, and then on to television and the movies and it is noted in Winkler’s book, that Fosse’s work as a choreographer during his early days in the profession re-appeared in his work for Broadway and films. This was all exemplified in Winkler’s brief history of directors/choreographers on Broadway setting the stage for Fosse’s arrival on the Broadway scene.

Also noted were the contributions of Fosse’s dancing partners in  Fosse’s creative life including his first wife, Mary Ann Niles,  his second wife, Joan McCracken, his third wife, Gwen Verdon, and Ann Reinking. Also notable that the opening sequence in the autobiographical movie, All That Jazz, was the forerunner of the MTV music video.

Fascinating anecdotes included Bob Fosse’s contribution to the Broadway musical, Funny Girl, as one of its several director/choreo-graphers, and the meticulous analysis of how Fosse conceived the musical Sweet Charity and how its narrative was propelled by dance.

Also there are in depth descriptions of Fosse’s camera and directing technique for the film version of Cabaret and the television special, Liza With A Z, and analyzing and describing Fosse’s concepts for the stage musicals he choreographed, and those he was involved in as choreographer and director. In particular was how Fosse envisioned the casting for Pippin, and how Fosse developed that musical’s opening number, Magic To Do, as well as the warring relationship between Fosse and composer Stephen Schwartz.

Also interesting to note that ballet companies pursued Fosse to create pieces for them. Fosse never accepted any such projects. But Robert Joffrey’s quest to persuade Fosse to work with the Joffrey Ballet was described in Big Deal with Joffrey being the most persistent pursuer of Fosse – even providing Fosse with a recording of Cole Porter music which did not reduce Fosse’s trepidations – a strategy that didn’t succeed. However Fosse gravitated towards a concert dance piece for Broadway, Dancin’ which exhibited influences from ballet, modern dance as well as theatrical dancing.

Kevin Winkler has written a comprehensive homage to Bob Fosse’s work on Broadway and in film, including descriptions which jump off the page, and provide the reader with thoughtful images of what Fosse’s art looked like on the stage and the environment in which he created his art.  

Andrew Lloyd Webber – Unmasked

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Harper Collins has recently published Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s memoir, Unmasked, in conjunction with the composer’s 70th birthday. Considered among the most successful composers for the musical theatre only within the last year four of his musicals were simultaneously being performed on Broadway.

In Unmasked Lloyd Webber presents an honest memoir as he himself describes his modest family background, and his aspirations. But with many family members attuned to music – particularly on his father’s side of the family – it seemed destined that his life would be in music. As a child, he was exposed to all forms of music but he was particularly attracted to the greats who wrote for the musical theatre and also revealed are his personal indulgences in learning about history and architecture.

As part of his journey toward success as s composer for the musical theatre, Lloyd Webber reveals the details of his first meeting with lyricist Tim Rice, mentioning the mutual respect for each other’s work and how their collaboration developed not only artistically but also from a business perspective. Lloyd Webber showed a keen and astute analysis -- and sense -- of the music business and the recording industry in the United Kingdom at very young age. All of which served him well with his burgeoning and successful career over many decades. Throughout this memoir Lloyd Webber describes his meetings with other lyricists he has worked with – along with those in the music business and theatre producing world – who were pivotal in his success.

Lloyd Webber also provides self-criticism of his musical works – expressed with honesty -- Lloyd Webber often references the compositions of composers he respects and those well-known classical composers who showered his music with praise.

Perhaps most interesting were the details revolving around the casting, production, musical challenges, and professional ups and down connected with his early successes and how they came to be. One of the more interesting casting exercises was auditioning Bette Midler for the role of Mary Magdalene for the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and the casting for the title role in Evita both in London and Broadway which reached the scale, anticipation and interest as did finding an actress to play Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind – and how fascinating to know the actresses being considered and who wound up playing the role. Also of interest were the travails of dealing with Actors Equity when his musicals had their Broadway transfers, and how those unexpected disappointments influenced the casting for those Broadway productions.

Then there were the clandestine meetings Lloyd Webber had with Harold Prince concerning the stage version of Evita – showing how a director’s strong hand and input can shape a musical.

The story of how Cats made it to the stage is particularly fascinating – noting that Lloyd Webber played the score of Cats for Twyla Tharp among others for their consideration – and perhaps how different Cats would have been without the guidance of Trevor Nunn and Gillian Lynne. The nuts and bolts – and inspiration – for the development of The Phantom of the Opera are journaled in Unmasked and make for excellent reading to inform one how a project of this magnitude makes its way to the stage.

And then there is the description of Lloyd Webber’s awkward audition for the film version of Amadeus – and the plan to make sure he was withdrawn from further consideration. Another might-have-been was Lloyd Webber being approached to compose the score for Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

Lloyd Webber is not only a composer of musicals but also a producer of musicals by other composers and it was also interesting to read his comparisons of the apples and oranges of how his own musicals and those of others he produced were received in London and Broadway and beyond – also regretting the opportunity to produce particular musicals including Annie.

In its entirety Unmasked is written as if Lloyd Webber was sitting opposite you at high tea or talking to you  directly in your living room – full of information and enthusiasm – and being very candid about himself and the people he worked with. One of those candid remarks was the self-recognition of his trade mark for composing “sung-through musicals”.

Unmasked covers Lloyd Webber’s beginnings and through the opening of The Phantom of the Opera, and does not cover his career thereafter – even in its 500 pages. Perhaps that means that Lloyd Webber has another memoir in him that will further unmask himself and his career – and his candid thoughts.

For musical theater lovers and for those aspiring to work in the theatre world, Unmasked is a fascinating read, and provides an insight into this important composer’s thoughts, creativity, and persistence to succeed.

Tulsa Ballet Returns To The Joyce Theater

March 6, 2018

Joyce Theater

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Tulsa Ballet, directed by Marcello Angelini, is one of America’s major ballet companies yet it does not perform in New York with any frequency.  The Tulsa Ballet’s last New York visit – at the Joyce Theater – was back in 2009. From March 6-10, 2018, the Tulsa Ballet has returned to the Joyce Theater and presented a varied program of dance which reflects the Tulsa Ballet’s artistic vision.

All of the works being presented were created on the Tulsa Ballet including two which were premiered on September 15, 2017 in a program devoted to the works of female choreographers, and the remaining work was given its world premiere at this Joyce Theater performance.

What all of the new works had in common was that, for the most part, they were all ensemble works performed to varied contemporary music, and showed off the company’s dancers with great distinction. The dancers had to make the choreographers proud.

Opening the program was Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Shibuya Blues choreographed to music by various composers including Richard Beggs, Michel Banabila, Radbound Mens, Manuel Wandji, and Rene Aubry – some music only and some with wordage overlapping the music. 

In Shibuya Blues there is The Outsider (danced by Maine Kawashima) who dances and observes the series of duets and group dances which are formal in many aspects and danced to pulsing movement. The three duets were well danced by Jaimi Cullen with Joshua Stayton, Jennifer Grace with Jonnathan Ramirez, and the third duet was danced by Maine Kawashima and Luzemberg Santana.

Second on the program was Helen Pickett’s Meoal (Among) which was a bit of a variation on the theme of The Rite of Spring with Daniel van de Laar as the Chosen One and observer. The piece was choreographed to songs composed by Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson. Meoal (Among) did not have a linear narrative but you could feel the conflict that was inherent in the choreography. 

To conclude the program was the world premiere of Glass Figures choreographed by Tulsa Ballet’s resident choreographer, Ma Cong. In creating his choreography to Philip Glass’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 Cong matched the atmospheric aspects of the music – including a starry night created by the effective lighting design by Les Dickert. Cong’s constant movement was consistent with Glass’ music and as in all of the pieces presented on Tulsa Ballet’s mixed-bill presentation, Glass Figures also was created with the dancers’ strengths in mind.

The Tulsa Ballet is a welcome addition to the New York dance season and I hope that the company will visit New York more often in the future.

York Theatre Company Presents Musicals in Mufti Concert Version of Subways Are For Sleeping

The Theatre at St. Peter’s

February 25, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

For the third and final concert in its musical tribute to Jule Styne, the York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti series presented Subways Are For Sleeping with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, which had premiered on Broadway in 1961. The musical was inspired by an article about homelessness in a 1956 issue of Harpers and a book in 1957 both written by Edmund Love. To fully immerse himself in the problems of the homeless Love slept on subways and trains through the 1950’s and he encountered a unique New York subculture.

In its original Broadway production, the cast was led by Sydney Chaplin, Orson Bean, Carol Lawrence and Phyllis Newman (Mrs. Adolph Green) who won a Tony Award for her performance, and such future stars as Valerie Harper and Michael Bennett were in the ensemble. And it was directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd.

This musical probably is best remembered for producer David Merrick’s publicity stunt in which Merrick invited people with the same names of New York theater critics to see Subways Are For Sleeping, and used their favorable reviews in this musical’s advertising campaign.

Hard to believe that we are in the year 2018 and homelessness is still a problem not only in New York but in many parts of the United States – and the world. Subways Are Sleeping presents a slant on this special world in a way that is unfortunately relevant to today even with its quirky and romantic intentions. But this is not a grim representation of homelessness but instead optimistic and even entrepreneurial as the principal characters find love and direction in their lives. All of this is emphasized in the witty lyrics and how this musical was adapted – and illuminated under Stuart Ross’ gentle and clever directorial hand.

Our heroine is Angie (played by Alyse Alan Louis), a reporter, who suggests and is assigned to write a story on a unique segment of New York City society – a group of well-dressed homeless people sleeping in the New York subway system (described in this musical as addressless), and creating a world that allows them to live by their own rules. Their group leader is Tom Bailey (played by Eric William Morris), who offers his constituents odd jobs, coffee, and places to sleep. Angie goes undercover to get her story and learns about how the other half lives while also getting a good dose of an alternative philosophy of life. Although trouble comes into the picture when Tom finds out Angie’s real identity, there is a resolution that ends well for all concerned. There is also a sub-plot in which the oddly-matched Martha Vail (played by Gina Milo) and Charlie Smith (played by David Josefsberg) meet by way one of Smith’s connections peeking into the window of a hotel next door.

There are many assorted “characters” that give Subways Are For Sleeping real spice, and the experience of travelling with these characters on board would make a subway ride magical.

Although the action takes place in New York City in 1961, Subways Are For Sleeping is very much a throwback to the Comden/Green musical, On The Town. In its own way it celebrates New York City. And then there is the wonderful score. The most familiar song would probably be “Comes Once In a Lifetime” but other highlights include the patter song, “Subway Directions/Ride Through The Night”, the romantic, “How Can You Describe a Face”, and the optimistic, “What Is This Feeling in the Air”.

Musical director David Hancock Turner on piano, and George Farmer on bass, represented a two-man orchestra that enhanced Styne’s music.

Besides the aforementioned Alyse Alan Louis, Eric William Morris, Gina Milo, and David Josefsberg who give charming and endearing performances in their roles also notable in this cast are David Engel, Kilty Reidy, Karl Josef Co, Gerry McIntyre, Beth Glover and Kathryn McCreary.

The York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti has polished another Jule Styne gem, and it is an entertaining and joyful ride.

Time and The Rose Garden By Anthony Peake

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Time and The Rose Garden by Anthony Peake, published by O Book at John Hunt Publishing, is a detailed and absorbing analysis of the work of J.B. Priestley, both as author and playwright. Born in 1894 Priestley wrote a prestigious number of novels, essays and plays reducing his output until his death in 1984.

Interest in Priestley’s writings seems to go in and out of fashion with occasional revivals of his plays – focusing on time and place, and the social and political history of Great Britain during the years between World War I and World War II – a period of time that has been re-examined by historians and social scientists in the last few decades – in how one can monitor the changes that leaped from one worldwide war to a second worldwide war.

Priestley’s interest in politics was reflected in his own efforts to run for election in the British Parliament as an Independent after World War II – an election which he lost.

Peake provides biographical information reflecting on the impact of Priestley’s experiences during World War I including his own wounding and recovery.

Also explained is Priestley’s fascination with time and moving away from the conventional views influenced by An Experiment with Time written by an Anglo-Irish aeronautical engineer, John William Dunne.  Dreamers dreaming dreams and accessing information from the future – the circular nature of time is experienced with the underpinnings of new philosophical and scientific thinking about time. In more simple terms Priestley often examined his philosophical calculation that in certain circumstances the future can be perceived in dreams and it seems to be a subject that fascinated him – and is described in detail in Time and The Rose Garden.

Also examined is Priestley’s transition from novelist to playwright. In his plays Priestley used the method of manipulating the audience’s memory -- living in the moment before – a feeling of déjà vu – or being able to look back at events and finding the seeds for whatever might come next.

Of Priestley’s work perhaps it is Time and the Conways that comes up most often in the last decade with major revivals in New York and London and within that play there is the depiction of the faltering British aristocracy and economy between the wars, and also how one imagines time as the play’s narrative does not progress in a linear manner. Similarly another one of his plays, An Inspector Calls, which has received more appreciation in recent years, was successfully revived by the National Theatre in London and produced on Broadway.

If one has the opportunity to encounter Priestley’s plays and writings in the future, Anthony Peake’s Time and The Rose Garden is an insightful guide.

Jule Styne’s Bar Mitzvah Boy is Welcomed to New York

York Theatre at St. Peter’s

February 11, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Second in the York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti Concert Series tribute to Jule Styne is Bar Mitzvah Boy which is being performed from February 10-18, 2018. With a book by Jack Rosenthal, based on his teleplay for the BBC, and music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Don Black, Bar Mitzvah Boy premiered in London in 1978 and these performances represent the New York premiere of a new version first presented in London in 2016 with a book adapted by David Thompson, and new songs with lyrics by Don Black using previously unheard Jule Styne music.

Set in London, the central core of Bar Mitzvah Boy’s story is about a young Jewish boy who runs away from his perceived excessive Bar Mitzvah celebration which his parents have arranged.

The Jewish boy is Eliot Green (played by Peyton Lusk), the 13-year-old son of a Willesden taxi driver, Victor Green (played by Ned Eisenberg), who flees from the synagogue just before his Bar Mitzvah ceremony. That after six months of preparation and a discussion with Rabbi Sherman (played by Neal Benari) it is Eliot who asks the question why its required that must be bar mitzvahed.  Victor Green and Rita Green (played by Lori Wilner), Eliot’s parents, prepare and anticipate the great event and when all is revealed the celebration is a more of “hairdressing contest, a catering competition, and a summit conference at Camp David”. And what embarrassment there is with 117 portions of chopped liver and chicken for the guests but the bar mitzvah boy is nowhere to be seen.

Eliot does recite the appropriate Hebrew prayers in a playground while standing on his head, and as the Rabbi decides that God is everywhere, Eliot was bar mitzvahed and the celebration goes on as planned.

With Eliot Green as the narrator and hero of his own story, and the actors donning British accents, the story reflects the hysteria and guilt that is often experienced by Jewish boys on their fateful Bar Mitzvah day – not to mention the family dynamic – and in this instance brings the family closer together.

Bar Mitzvah Boy has its sentimentality and nostalgia, but is also a heartfelt story that is told exceedingly well in the newly revised book by David Thompson – which includes many Neil Simon like jibes – and the score by Jule Styne and Don Black which exposes for both a different side of their Broadway songwriting.

Director Annette Jolles pulled together all of the elements of this musical with great skill, and assembled cast that did Bar Mitzvah Boy justice. Besides the standout performance by Peyton Lusk as Eliot Green, there were excellent performances from the entire cast which included Ned Eisenberg as Victor Green, Lois Wilner as Rita Green, Neal Benari as Rabbi Sherman, Julie Benko as Eliot’s sister, Lesley Green, Ben Fankhauser as Lesley Green’s earnest boyfriend Harold, Casey Watkins as Eliot’s friend, Denise, and Tim Jerome as Grandad.

Darren R. Cohen was the able musical director.

For anyone who has been a Bar Mitzvah Boy or a Bat Mitzvah Girl or has been in a family when these occasions are being planned – as well as marriages, graduations, Sweet 16 parties, church communions, and christenings will understand the universality of the themes and story told in Bar Mitzvah Boy. 

Credit goes to the York Theater Company – yet again – for making it possible for another gem to reveal itself. And I hope that Bar Mitzvah Boy will get to be seen by a wider audience – but while it is being performed by the York Theatre Company, take up the opportunity to see Bar Mitzvah Boy – you will be glad that you did.

City Center Encores Presents Hey, Look Me Over!

City Center

February 8, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

Opening its 25th season City Center Encores is presenting Hey, Look Me Over!, a showcase for possible future concert productions, which is being performed at the City Center from February 7-11, 2018.

This “revue”, conceived by City Center Encores director Jack Viertel, with direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Denis Jones, includes overtures, opening numbers, a grand finale, and other excerpts from musicals that have not yet been performed by City Center Encores.

Included were excerpts from musicals that premiered on Broadway during the years from 1957 to 1974 with the 1960’s heavily represented with All American, Milk & Honey, Greenwillow, Sail Away, and George M, and the overture from Subways Are For Sleeping. 

Hosting the audience through this revue is Bob Martin, one of the stars of and part of the creative team for The Drowsy Chaperone. In reprising the role of Man in Chair, he is re-invented as a disgruntled City Center Encores subscriber who complains to the City Center Encores director Jack Viertel about Viertel’s failure to program neglected musicals – some of which were represented in excerpts as part of this performance. Martin provided the background and history of each musical – sometimes injecting himself into the proceedings – sometimes elbowing himself in and at other times doing so with a wink and a nod. In so doing Martin provided the connective tissue and commentary between excerpts and also setting the tone for the evening noting that the musicals represented were not all major hits but have scores worth hearing. Also music director Rob Berman and his full orchestra provided the usual high standard of musical support and underscoring to enhance this concert-style presentation.

Even in these excerpts dramatic context was emphasized with book dialogue, costumes, props and scenery, and also noting that in the olden days, Broadway was the source of American popular music – and also has its messages that are particularly universal and timely such as “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor” from Irving Berlin’s Miss Liberty which was the surprise “encore” of this entertaining and glorious evening of music from less known Broadway musicals.

Hey, Look Me Over! is the song title from one of the excerpts musicals which was Wildcat, a vehicle for Lucille Ball, which was represented here with its overture, “Oil” and the aforementioned mentioned “Hey, Look Me Over!” which provided a boisterous and energetic opening to the evening as performed by Carolee Carmello and Britney Coleman.

The musical All American’s excerpts were particularly notable for the performance of “Once Upon A Time” by Reed Birney and Judy Kuhn, and Vanessa Williams channeled Lena Horne in “Ain’t It The Truth” and “Push De Button” from Jamaica. Marc Kudisch and Judy Kuhn offered a poignant rendition of “Shalom” from Milk and Honey, with Tam Mutu, Clyde Alves and the Ensemble in an energized performance of “Milk and Honey” the title tune of this musical.

To end the first half of this concert were Douglas Sills and Alexandra Socha performing “Movies Were Movies” and “Look What Happened To Mabel” from Mack and Mabel, and if any of these musicals are being concerned for a full concert version, Mack and Mabel should be one of them based on the performances of Sills and Socha in these excerpts.

The second half of the concert opened with the Overture from Subways Are For Sleeping followed by three songs from Greenwillow – highlighted by Clifton Duncan’s rendition of “Never Will I Marry”. On the lighter side came three songs from Sail Away with Bebe Neuwirth offering her own unique reading of “Why Do The Wrong People Travel” and Tam Mutu offering the title song.

The evening ended with an appropriate and rousing performance of “Give My Regards To Broadway” from George M led by Clyde Alves – and the arrival of a surprise guest.

The City Center Encores’ Hey, Look Me Over! was an exciting evening’s entertainment of show stoppers given show stopping performances from the performers and Rob Berman’s orchestra. This was City Center Encores living up to its well-earned reputation – and this is only the first presentation of the 2018 season with more to come. 

Classic Stage Company’s Fire and Air

Classic Stage Company

January 31, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The Classic Stage Company is currently presenting a world premiere play, Terrance McNally’s Fire and Air, from January 17-February 25, 2018. In the past McNally has written plays with themes from opera and his personal interest in opera, but this play is about the intimate world of Sergei Diaghilev and his creation, the Ballets Russes, representing a different foray into the classical arts.

In the last decade or so Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes have been celebrated with performances by ballet companies and museum exhibitions. These events have ignited debate about Diaghilev’s contributions to the art of dance which are clearly influencing the aesthetic of dance in the present tense.

These contributions are debated in Fire and Air but the play’s focus is on Diaghilev’s personal relationships with two of the Ballets Russes’ male dancers, his cousin, a trusted servant, and Misia Sert, a benefactress of the Ballet Russes.

Diaghilev established the Ballets Russes in 1909 and the company disbanded in 1929. Diaghilev spent a great deal of his time raising money for that company’s artistic endeavors, selecting choreographers, commissioning composers to write music for ballets, and recruiting the great painters of the day to design costumes and scenery for these ballets. Diaghilev initiated an artistic revolution that divided audiences and excited audiences at the same time – and also gave greater visibility to dance, music, and the visual arts.

Although the Ballets Russes’ performances were primarily in Western Europe, Diaghilev recruited dancers from Russia and other Eastern European countries. But when the Bolshevik Revolution took place in Russia and dancers were not able to leave the country, Diaghilev recruited dancers based in Western Europe. Diaghilev’s far-reaching artistic contributions to dance continue to influence dance today even though the existence of the Ballet Russes lasted only about 20 years.

In Fire and Air, McNally traces Diaghilev’s personal, artistic, and financial struggles as flashbacks while Diaghilev is on his death bed in Venice surrounded by his most intimate friends, family, a devoted servant, and the ghosts of Vaslav Nijinsky and Leonide Massine, Diaghilev’s superstars who were also his love interests during his life.

Diaghilev’s passion, tempestuous and reckless relations with his male principal dancers, Nijinsky and Massine loom large in Fire and Air – and although Diaghilev inspired them, they were also each other’s tormentors incorporating love and revenge into their relationships. All of them self-involved and ambitious with unresolved problems of their own.  Exhibited is Diaghilev’s rage nad betrayal when Nijinsky marries one of the female dancers of the company, and his discomfort being a fish out of water in Western Europe – yet ultimately he was vindicated as an artist in his own right for his achievements.

McNally tells the story with finely drawn – yet minimalist – portraits of each character with a bit of tongue and check humor and musings on what an artist must struggle with and the goals they feel they must achieve.

Fire and Air’s director, John Doyle, is particularly effective in telling McNally’s story in a minimalist setting that only includes a handful of chairs, and a mirror with a ballet barre attached to it. Although locations move from one to another with few details, the story unfolds brilliantly while letting the actors in the play shine.

There is an embarrassment of riches in the cast with Douglas Hodge giving a virtuoso performance as Diaghilev, Marin Mazzie displaying a quiet dignity as Misia Sert, John Glover’s understated performance as Diaghilev’s cousin, Dmitry Filosofov, Marsha Mason’s fully realized and compassionate performance as Diaghilev’s long-suffering servant Dunya, and the distant and self-involving performances appropriately given by James Cusati-Mayer as Vaslav Nijinsky, and Jay Armstrong Johnson as Leonide Massine. 

Presented were characters with a dedication to dance and the human side of those complicated personalities. Fire and Ice represents an intense and fulfilling evening in the theatre. 

York Theatre Company – Musicals in Mufti – Hallelujah, Baby!

York Theatre Company at The Theatre At Saint Peter’s

January 28, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

The York Theatre Company is devoting its Winter 2018 Musicals in Mufti series to celebrating Broadway musicals composed by Jule Styne. The choice of musicals represents Styne’s not as well known efforts which have not been given Broadway revivals – all the more to celebrate Styne’s music and to give credit to the York Theatre Company for making it possible for audiences to see and hear these musicals which might otherwise be forgotten.

The first in the series is, Hallelujah, Baby! with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and book by Arthur Laurents which is being presented from January 27-February 4, 2018.

Hallelujah, Baby! opened on Broadway in 1967 and looked back on the struggle for racial equality during the first half of the 20th century. The story focused on Georgina who overcame many obstacles, made her way through the Great Depression, World War II and the beginnings of the civil rights movement, and achieved stardom Adding to the mix were the two men who vie for Georgina’s attention. Harvey, who is white, who offers her a stable life and professional opportunities, and her fiancée Clem, who is black, who also rises to success from being a train porter to Army captain and civil rights activist.

In spite of its modest Broadway engagement, Hallelujah, Baby! won the Best Musical Tony during its season as did the musical’s star, Leslie Uggams.

This concert version includes additional lyrics by Amanda Green, and a revised book by Arthur Laurents for productions that were staged in 2004 and 2005. The highlights of the score, “Hallelujah, Baby!”, “My Own Morning” and “Being Good” are included in this revised version. The major component of Laurents’ revision is that Hallelujah, Baby! has extended its historic reach tracing the struggle for racial equality in the United States throughout the 20th century. And the ending is now a bit bittersweet and uncertain. But that uncertainty is also a reflection of today’s world.

Throughout this revised version of Hallelujah, Baby! there are moments when the fourth wall is broken as Georgina tells her story and her thoughts about her relationship with her cynical Momma, and the competing romantic interests in her life. In spite of the many hurdles that must be jumped, Georgina is determined and there is progress in terms of how human beings connect and how race relations can be improved.

In that sense director Gerry McIntyre has tied all of the sensitivities and facts together, and also nurtured excellent performances from the cast members during what is the usual short rehearsal period that York Theatre Company’s Musicals in Mufti have. David Hancock Turner also brings the musical elements together in what is a newly chamber-sized version of Hallelujah, Baby!

The York Theatre Company put together a superlative cast with Stephanie Umoh as Georgina, Vivian Reed as Momma, Jarran Muse as Clem, and Tally Sessions as Harvey – and Randy Donaldson, Bernard Dotson, Jennifer Cody, Michael Thomas Holmes, and Latoya Edwards in supporting roles and in multiple roles.

Hallelujah, Baby! is much more than a history lesson. It has a wonderful score and a story to tell – and in this concert version a wonderful cast to bring this musical to life.

Hayley Mills Returns to the New York Stage in Party Face

City Center Stage II

January 26, 2018

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2018

British actress Hayley Mills has returned to the New York stage in a satirical light comedy that is being performed at the City Center Stage II for what is a limited engagement from January 11-April 8, 2018. As part of a wonderful ensemble cast Mills is starring in Irish playwright Isobel Mahon’s Party Face, a play enhanced by its fast-paced direction by Amanda Bearse, known for her work on the television series, “Married With Children”.

This import from Ireland is set in a modern day suburb of Dublin in which a group of neighbors and family members gather together to celebrate the completion of a kitchen renovation and also a homecoming of sorts. It asks the question as to what is going on in this affluent suburb which has the universal curse of jealousies and snobbery – with more than a few surprises.

Mollie Mae (played by Gina Costigan) has suffered a nervous breakdown after her husband left her. Upon returning home she celebrates with a party – celebrating her return home and to celebrate her new kitchen extension.

The party guests form a coterie of the closest to Mollie Mae including her controlling mother, Carmel (played by Hayley Mills) who is obsessed with the outward appearances of status, wealth, and success; Chloe (played by Allison Jean White) a neighbor from down the road who has the solutions to every problem and also seems to have succumbed to the same bad habits and snobbery as Mollie Mae’s mother; Mollie Mae’s cynical sister Maeve (played by Brenda Meaney) and then you have Bernie (played by understudy Alison Cimmet in place of Klea Blackhurst), a compulsive neurotic who met Mollie Mae at the hospital. Bernie’s compulsions for cleaning, wrapping everything in cellophane, and coming from a different social class than the other guests at this party provides a needed counter balance to the mostly affluent party guests.

Carmel brings her own food to the party as she feels her daughter’s offerings are not to up to standard and also brings along a friend, Chloe, who is just as opinionated as Carmel -- and is also the “’right” person for her daughter to be associated with.

However connections between these women are revealed, their lives unravel, mysteries are also revealed – and in the end people have changed and so have their attitudes towards each other. You feel that all of these women have their coping devices – and they will all be okay in the future. There is some cynicism in what goes on, the examination of their own lives, the petty snobinesss but somehow the daggers and arrows don’t sting as they may have. This is all satire.

Also what a luxury to have a wonderful ensemble cast like this to tell Mahon’s story.

Bearse keeps up the pace with a ton of one-liners flying at a fast and furious pace exposing the worst and the best in these characters – infusing physical humor and even a bit of melancholy -- combining for a funny and entertaining theatre evening.

Ensemble for the Romantic Century Presents Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Pershing Square Signature Center

December 24, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Ensemble for the Romantic Century is presenting its own stage adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at the Pershing Square Signature Center from December 21, 2017 through January 7, 2018.

The Ensemble for the Romantic Century’s mission is to produce multi-media presentations which include video, projections, and music, and also take the audience to another time period. This theatrical experience’s goal is also to inform the audience about the historical and social context of each of the stories being told.

Shelley’s Gothic 19th century tale has been adapted for the stage and film, and continues to haunt and entertain audiences to this day. Here adapted by Ensemble for the Romantic Century’s artistic director, Eve Wolf, and featuring music by Bach, Liszt, and Schubert, this version of Frankenstein is culled from excerpts contained in the 1818 edition of Mary Shelley’s novel, and is enhanced by quotes from Shelley’s letters and diary entries. 

Wolf’s perspective on Shelley’s Gothic tale explores the connections between Shelley and her Monster from a woman’s point of view, and also from the unique background that Shelley had as part of a family of accomplished writers and political thinkers. Therefore this reworking does not re-tell the story of Frankenstein but explores how Shelley’s life experiences influenced her writing – particularly her most famous novel -- and what character flaws Shelley’s Monster was given.

The genesis of Shelley’s novel was a writing exercise that was initiated while Shelley and her husband were in the doldrums coping with incessant rain storms while living in Italy. To amuse themselves the writers present were asked to write their own ghost stories and Mary Shelley’s contribution evolved into her novel. A novel that was published in 1818 anonymously and for years its authorship had been speculated upon.

Wolf explores Shelley’s depression as a result of her frequent miscarriages, losing children during her lifetime, as well as unresolved issues with her parents, coping with her widowhood, her political leanings, and in creating her Monster, explains how The Creature that Dr. Frankenstein experiments with and produces sets off on the dangerous path of committing heinous crimes through no fault of his own, while at the same time has a human soul and a sympathetic heart. 

During the latter half of the 19th century science was moving forward with ferocity. E.T.A. Hoffmann’s two stories The Sandman, and The Doll, the source material for the ballet, Coppelia, tells the story of Dr. Coppelius who tries bring one of his dolls to life, and then there were the many travelling shows during the 18th and 19th century featuring mechanical automatons, and later prototypes for robots which were presented at the world expositions held in Europe. Bringing people back to life and creating life was certainly on the minds of scientists and writers during those times.

Unfortunately, in this adaptation, there isn’t much time to dwell upon Victor Frankenstein’s moral conflict as a scientist creating life and its consequences – creating a creature that is mocked and taunted by both children and adults, and commits horrendous crimes because it is reacting to how society reacts to him.

The directing chores are left to Donald T. Sanders who has marshaled a singer, musicians, child actors, and adult actors who play multiple parts. A notable contribution comes from Robert Fairchild, former principal dancer of the New York City Ballet, who has now embarked on a career in theater. He plays the Monster in this adaptation and has also contributed the choreography he has created for his character which exhibits the torture that the Monster is experiencing as he interacts with people as he journeys through his limited experience with humanity.

Also noteworthy in the cast are Rocco Sisto in the double role of De Lacey/William Godwin, Mia Vallet as Mary Shelley and Agatha, and Paul Wesley in the triples roles of Percy Shelley (Mary Shelley’s Husband)/Victor Frankenstein/Felix.

Although this version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is not always clear and defined, it does represent a different slant on how Shelley created her Monster, the moral conflicts in Shelley’s story, and how incidents in Shelley’s life influenced the creation of her novel. 

The Ensemble for the Romantic Century’s multi-media approach to this material provides a cogent method of integrating the many facets that are revealed in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Farinelli and the King – Mark Rylance Returns to Broadway

Belasco Theatre

December 19, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Mark Rylance has made a triumphant return to the New York stage in the Broadway transfer of the Shakespeare’s Globe production of Claire van Kampen’s Farinelli and the King which will be seen through its limited engagement ending on March 25, 2018 at the Belasco Theatre.

This play was originally produced in London in 2015 and we are now able to see this elegant and absorbing theatrical experience here on Broadway. As this play has been extensively revised since its London premiere, Farinelli and the King has arrived on Broadway in a unique and distinctive production.

van Kampen’s play is set during the early part of the 18th century and focuses on King Philippe V of Spain and his idiosyncratic relationship with Farinelli, one of the great singers of the early 18th century. A relationship that was sometimes volatile, precarious, and frustrating.

Philippe V of Spain was the grandson of Louis XIV of France, and his father had the strongest claim to the throne of Spain. King Charles II of Spain named Philippe as his successor which provoked the 14-year War of the Spanish Succession resulting in Philippe having to relinquish his claims to the French throne. In spite of Philippe V’s political problems, his health issues, and coping with mental illness, he ruled Spain for the sum total of more than 45 years.

As King Philippe V suffered from bouts of depression and insomnia, Philippe’s second wife, Isabella Farnese, traveled to London in 1737 to engage the celebrity castrato Farinelli to sing at the Spanish royal court in the hope that Farinelli’s magnificent singing voice would moderate Philippe’s apparent madness and uncontrollable behavior. Farinelli and Philippe developed a unique bond – which also confirmed the curative effects of music. 

Hovering in the background were indications of King Philippe V’s “madness”, and the political problems created for Spain as the King was sometimes able to function as the country’s ruler and other times could not at all. Then there were also the tenuous ties King Philippe V and his wife had with Spain as both were natives of other countries. They were fish out of water, a metaphor used in the opening minutes of the play as King Philippe V attempts to fish out his gold fish, Alfonso, out of a fish bowl.

Farinelli was the stage name of Carlo Broschi, who was born in the early part of the 18th century in Italy. Broschi sang as a boy and at ten years of age his family agreed to have him castrated to preserve his youthful voice and also to build the foundation for the fame that resulted from his successful concerts throughout Europe. Upon being engaged to sing at the Spanish court Farinelli ended his stage career and never sang in public again – spending 22 years in Spain before retiring to his native Italy. 

The first act of the play is primarily that of exposition and how the relationship between King Philippe V and Farinelli grew – and the second act presents Farinelli, King Philippe V and his wife, Isabella in their country retreat where Farinelli’s efforts prove to be curative while Farinelli evaluates the conflicts in his own life – the celebrity Farinelli, and Carlo Broschi, the human being.

It is Don Sebastian De La Cuadra, the King’s Minister (played by Edward Peel,) who represents the reactionary political views while Dr. Jose Cervi, the King’s doctor (played by Huss Garbiya) is willing to seek out all possibilities in order cure the King’s madness. They are both observers and combatants in their constant struggle with King Philippe V’s confounding behavior.

van Kampen’s play sets forth a story of madness, court intrigue, and the unconventional link to music providing a dazzling showcase for this outstanding cast of actors, singers, and musicians. This is a play rich in history and rich in music.

Mark Rylance plays the maddening and capricious King Philippe V of Spain in a masterful and virtuoso acting performance. Farinelli’s role is divided – two people in Farinelli’s body – the performer and the man. Sam Crane in the speaking part, and Iestyn Davies, as the singing Farinelli, who sings arias from operas composed by Handel. These two performers moved onstage in a choreographed and ghost-like manner as they interchanged their roles. Melody Grove effectively plays Isabella Farnese, the long-suffering second wife of Philippe V.

The production, directed expertly by John Dove, in and of itself is elegant with beautiful historical details including period costumes, a gallery for the musicians playing baroque period instruments, the atmosphere illuminated with candle light, and then there is Rylance’s overwhelmingly moving performance as King Philippe V – and the performances of Sam Crane and Iestyn Davies in their combined efforts to paint the portrait of Farinelli.

The producers of Farinelli and the King have scaled ticket prices to make it possible for a wider audience to see this play. As this play is significant, and the performances are towering, take advantage of this opportunity to see this sublime play which focuses on the positive effects of music in our lives, and being informative and entertaining at the same time. This is theatre at its best.

Once On This Island Returns to Broadway

Circle in the Square

December 4, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Once On This Island, which premiered on Broadway in 1990, has returned to Broadway in an imaginative and endearing revival which received its premiere on December 3, 2017 at the Circle in the Square Theatre.

The team of composer Stephen Flaherty, and lyricist/book writer, Lynn Ahrens, had their first Broadway success with Once On This Island and since have had major successes with Ragtime, the current Anastasia, and also My Favorite Year. This team, collaborating with director Michael Arden and choreographer Camille A. Brown, has succeeded in creating an entirely different vision for Once On This Island. 

Once on This Island is based on Rosa Guy’s novel, My Love, My Love telling a tale set in the French Antilles with elements of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. However the romantic triangle in Once On This Island is also similar to that of the love triangle in the ballet, Giselle. As program notes indicate, Once On This Island was inspired by the experiences of the Haitian people after several natural disasters, and the natural disasters that have been experienced by people living on other islands in the Caribbean and around the world.

The story is told in flashbacks as the villagers are coping with the destruction from a major storm that has hit this island. The stage is strewn with garbage and debris to depict conditions after such a major storm as well as the everyday life of these villagers which even includes a live chicken and a live goat. 

But as the story goes Ti Moune (played by Hailey Kilgore) falls in love with one of the “grandhommes” of the island, Daniel (played by Isaac Powell) within a class system in which the peasants live on one side of the island, and the grandhommes, descendents of the French planters and their slaves, live on the other side of the island. Ti Moune sets off on a quest to reveal her love to Daniel and her journey is assisted by the gods of the island. Ti Moune has her own personal journey and although her goals are not fulfilled, her life inspires others and her life is memorialized by a tree – a tree of life that represents love after life.

Director Michael Arden has created a fantasy vision for Once On This Island in telling this story, and creating an intimate theatrical experience in the Circle in the Square with the audience encountering the immediacy of the story as it is being told. Even some of the instruments being played in this revival of Once on This Island are improvised using materials that would be left after a natural disaster – added to by the new vocal arrangements that drift in and out as would water to the shore. With the score reflecting Caribbean rhythms Arden’s concept is further enhanced by Camille A. Brown’s choreographic images. 

Also there are the marvelous contributions by scenery designer Dane Laffrey, costume designer Clint Ramos, and co-lighting designers Peggy Eisenhauer and Jules Fisher, who collaborate in creating the fresh concept in this revival of Once On This Island.

Also more important this 90-minute intermission less musical tells its story simply with grace and charm.

All is enhanced by a wonderful cast led by Hailey Kilgore as Ti Moune and Isaac Powell as Daniel, as well as Merle Dandrige as Papa Ge, Quentin Earl Darrington as Agwe, Alex Newell as Asaka, Lea Salonga as Erzulie, Philip Boykin as Tonton Julian and Kenita R. Miller as Mama Euralie. This is truly a cast of stars who give star performances.

There is a great deal of joy on the stage in Once On This Island coming from this cast which communicates well with the audience – and this is a story that is universal and for our time. We need inspiration in our lives and this revival of Once On This Island not only entertains, it is also thoughtful and reassuring – Once On This Island gives us a little hope that all will change for the better.

Dance Conservatory of New York’s The Nutcracker Winter Suite

Symphony Space

December 2, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Valentina Kozlova’s Dance Conservatory of New York annually presents The Nutcracker Winter Suite to showcase the school’s students and also entertain a holiday audience with an abridged version of The Nutcracker which includes many of this ballet’s highlights. This year the performance took place at Symphony Space on December 2, 2017.

The Nutcracker Winter Suite is a collaboration of Valentina Kozlova, Margo Sappington, and Olga and Vitaly Verterich that includes the familiar Act I Snow Scene, and the best known divertissements included in Act II of The Nutcracker. The narrative element is connected by the new character that of the Christmas Star (danced by Katya Saburova) that brings together the characters in The Nutcracker and finishes with the traditional and rousing finale.

For this year’s performance Nikita Boris and Justin Valentine led the way in a polished and poised performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier. Justin Valentine also appeared as the Snow King partnering Mari Bell as the Snow Queen – also in an accomplished performance – and along with Saburova as the Christmas Star, it was clear how much these student dancers had learned, experienced, and gained through the year to give the excellent performances that they did. These are future professional ballet dancers and they must be supported.

Most important were the children in the audience delighted and giggling about what they saw on stage – and perhaps they will also be dancers in the future – but at least members of future dance audiences. 

A wonderful way to celebrate the hard work of the student dancers, and the dedicated teachers, coaches, and choreographers who contributed to make this performance the enjoyable experience it was and a highlight of this holiday season.

All That Jazz – The Life and Times of the Musical Chicago

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

When the musical, Chicago, opened on Broadway in 1975 the recognition of its quality and wit was somehow dissipated as it was in the unfortunate position to open during the same season as A Chorus Line. A Chorus Line dominated the attention of the Broadway theatre community walking away with many important theatre awards and by having one of the longest engagements in Broadway history. But it’s time came along when a concert version of Chicago was presented by City Center Encores and was transferred to Broadway in 1996. Chicago has become a world-wide phenomenon. It is now the longest-running American musical on Broadway and it is still going strong.

The story of Chicago as an iconic American musical is presented in Ethan Mordden’s detailed and absorbing book, All That Jazz – The Life and Times of the Musical Chicago, published by Oxford University Press. Mordden tells the story of Chicago’s antecedents, its history, and an evaluation as to why Chicago has captured the hearts of theater audiences all over the world.

Chicago has re-invented itself into many different forms – a play to a silent film, a talkie, then the musical, the current Broadway revival, and then to a movie musical.

Mordden begins his narrative with the American Indians who inhabited the lands that would be become the unique city that Chicago has become – and that uniqueness is also what makes the stage musical so appealing. Setting the stage for the first incarnation of Chicago, Maurine Watkins’ play, which premiered in 1926, portrayed all aspects of the city of Chicago’s underworld.

Watkins was a reporter. Although she was a member of the press, she was uncomfortable with the tabloid press that encouraged the public to believe that the guilt or innocence in murder cases could be influenced by the press or even create a murder case when it didn’t exist. Watkins’ play was based on two murder trials she had covered in 1924 – and the connection between them is that the murderesses killed a man each was having an adulterous affair with. 

Chicago, the play, was guided by George Abbott when it was produced on Broadway, and none other than Cecil B. DeMille guided the first – silent – film version of Watkins’ play – focusing on the character of Amos Hart and seeing the story as a domestic arrangement gone wrong with a bit of comedy. Frank Urson gets the credit for the direction of the film and there is debate in regard to DeMille’s contribution to the film version. Watkins’ Chicago focused on how the town’s personality drives the action but DeMille focused on a bad marriage and murder.

The slant on Chicago in its second film version with Ginger Rogers starring as Roxie Hart in 1942 is closer in plot to Watkins’ play but in the film Roxie Hart is actually innocent of the murder rather than a murderess.

When Chicago was adapted as a stage musical its pulse was that of a satire, and Mordden skillfully describes the many satirical musicals that opened on Broadway before Chicago and how Chicago’s satire was eventually accepted.

Bob Fosse, who directed and choreographed Chicago as a musical, conceived Chicago as a vehicle for his wife, Gwen Verdon, and in an interview, Verdon stated that Fosse was inspired by the Watergate scandal, which emphasized scandal and notoriety in regard to the American system of justice.

The collaborators, who worked on the musical stage version, composer John Kander, lyricist Fred Ebb, and book writers Ebb, and Bob Fosse, saw their inspiration in Watkins’ play including Watkins’ contempt for transforming murder cases into entertainments. Perhaps that is the reason why Chicago was advertised as a musical vaudeville. Fosse was familiar with Chicago’s own tradition of vaudeville and Fosse envisioned Chicago as a series of vaudeville numbers and turns which reveal the characters and move the narrative forward. Fosse’s interpretation also focused on the crude and carnal nature of the story – as well as celebrity worship that comes with it.

The pastiche score imitates numbers by the greats of American vaudeville and follies shows, and represented a unique collaboration by the creative team.
Negotiations with Watkins to obtain the musical rights for her play began in 1962 without any success. But upon Watkins death in 1969, it was revealed that Watkins’ will included the proviso that Gwen Verdon would be given first refusal.

In 1996 City Center Encores produced a concert version of Chicago which was directed by Walter Bobbie, and choreographed by Ann Reinking – Reinking also appeared in the role of Roxie Hart – and timing is everything as it premiered around the time of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Clearly Chicago was way ahead of its time as the world was able to observe notorious celebrity trials on television, and the scandals they generated. And by 1996 the public’s attitudes towards such trials and this revival aligned.

Also described was Rob Marshall’s approach to Chicago’s story when he directed this musical’s movie version. Marshall eliminated many of the songs from the stage musical and focused on Chicago’s cinematic elements. As Chicago was a box office success, movie producers were, again, interested in making movie musicals.

Chicago has received its due and has been recognized as an important musical in the Broadway canon – and it is still running on Broadway, toured through the United States, and performed internationally, as it continues to touch the hearts and minds of audiences – and hasn’t lost any of its punch over the years. Therefore Mordden’s book, All That Jazz – The Life and Times of the Musical Chicago, is a must read for those who wish to learn about the history of this important musical, how Maurine Watkins’ play became a stage musical, and why its themes still ring true decades later.

Laura Young, An American Ballerina

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Published by University Press of New England, Laura Young’s autobiography, Boston Ballerina, written with Janine Parker, is an intriguing read about a distinguished American dancer’s career.

Laura Young was a charter member of the Boston Ballet and its predecessor, the New England Civic Ballet, and is an American born and trained ballerina, who in following her dream to be a ballet dancer, made the commitment to pursue her career with a major regional ballet company -- achieving acknowledgment and success – taking the same journey that the Boston Ballet itself has had in achieving national and international recognition. And for the most part Young realized her goal of being appreciated as an artist on her own terms.

Young’s career was blossoming at the time of the dance boom in the United States in the 1960’s and 1970’s and in her autobiography she describes what it was like to work with the Boston Ballet at the time when dance was being publicized and being exposed to a wider audience. Her autobiography brings with it humility as she notes her mentors who supported her in her career as a dancer, her many partners, and the artistic directors who helped her achieve her artistic and professional goals.

Ms. Young describes her family connections to the dance world and her early training, and her joining the Boston Ballet. She also describes how E. Virginia Williams, the Boston Ballet’s artistic director, solidified the foundations of the company, and learning the craft of teaching and establishing relationships with important people in the dance field including George Balanchine.

Young describes how she learned from the guest artists and guest choreographers who worked with the Boston Ballet, the history of the Boston Ballet dancing the Ballets Russes’ repertoire and the Balanchine repertoire. Also how the Boston Ballet acquired diverse repertoire by major international choreographers over the years while also adding productions of the classics to its repertoire.

In particular Ms. Young mentioned the challenges she had in dancing Balanchine ballets – and also her special experience working with Agnes de Mille in creating her own approach to the role of the Cowgirl in de Mille’s Rodeo. Also noteworthy were Young’s experiences working with Rudolf Nureyev when he joined the Boston Ballet as a guest artist during extensive tours of Nureyev’s Don Quixote. Although at the time Nureyev’s dancing powers were dimming in dancing Nureyev’s Don Quixote all over the world, the Boston Ballet achieved further informational recognition.

Also Young takes head on the dilemma every dancer faces – transitioning from dancer to balleltmistress and teacher when one’s dancing career has ended. Even through that process Young had great respect for the Boston Ballet’s founding director, E. Virginia Williams, and Williams’ successors, and gives credit to the Boston Ballet for its achievements since her departure from the company.

Boston Ballerina tells the story of Laura Young’s career in dance, the history of the Boston Ballet, and drawing back the curtain in describing the challenges in her professional and personal life. There is a compelling story here to tell, an informative story here to tell, and an astute and practical take on a dancer’s life that is a must read for those involved in the dance world.

National Theatre Live – Follies

Skirball NYU Arts Center

November 20, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Skirball NYU Arts Center continues to maintain its commitment to be a venue for the National Theatre Live cinema screening series which provides New Yorkers with an opportunity to see the best that London theatre has to offer.

The 2017-18 season had an auspicious beginning with the cinema screening of the National Theatre’s revival of Stephen Sondheim’s cult musical, Follies.

Follies premiered on Broadway in 1971 with Sondheim as composer and lyricist, James Goldman as the book writer, and Harold Prince and Michael Bennett as co-directors with the sterling cast of Dorothy Collins as Sally, Gene Nelson as Buddy, John McMartin as Ben, and Alexis Smith as Phyllis– and Yvonne De Carlo as Carlotta.

Although it was considered an esteemed artistic success it was not a financial success. But Follies still remains in the hearts of those who appreciate musical theatre as a metaphorical success that never received its due, and to some fans has never received a revival that lived up to the original Broadway production.

Sondheim’s score for Follies is one of his best. Overwhelmingly beautiful music and poignant lyrics, and the success or failure of past revivals has been in interpretation.

Broadway has been blessed with two revivals, the Paper Mill Playhouse also produced a full-scale revival, and the New York Philharmonic and the City Center Encores have also produced concert versions of Follies – all with excellent casts. But here one had the opportunity to see the National Theatre’s revival backed up with the financial and human resources that only the National Theatre can provide. 

An element of the National Theatre’s mission has been to produce revivals of musicals. Its first was Guys and Dolls, a favorite of the National Theatre’s founding artistic director, Laurence Olivier, and the National Theatre has revived several of Sondheim’s musicals over the years. The current National Theatre revival, which was screened at Skirball NYU Arts Center on November 20, 2017, has been much anticipated since this production was announced months ago.

London had its first view of Follies in a production that premiered in 1987 which was revised by Sondheim – including new music and what has been described as more sardonic yet having a happier conclusion than the Broadway original. There have been concert versions of Follies also presented in London but the National Theatre’s revival was the first London revival of Follies.

Follies was inspired by a photograph of Gloria Swanson standing amidst the rubble of the Roxy Theatre when it became a victim of demolition symbolizing the end of an era. It was a time when buildings, that were deemed useless, were bull-dozed to make room for cookie-cutter glass and steel office buildings which now dominate the American urban scape.

In Sondheim’s Follies, cast members of the Weismann Follies gather together for a reunion 30 years after their final performance -- before the Weismann Theatre is demolished. These lovely and formidable ladies make their entrance to the tune of “Beautiful Girls”. They look back on their past lives, with the ghosts of their younger selves hovering within the theatre walls, and confront their regrets, relationships, and hopes from those younger days that were not realized.

Sondheim’s score is a rich pastiche of follies-style numbers which cleverly provide character descriptions and move the story forward – some of these numbers are real and some harken back to the past – or are imaginary. 

The focus of the musical is two couples whose marriages are currently in trouble and they look back on their younger selves and the relationships of the past with regret. The ladies were members of the Follies and their future husbands were Stage Door Johnnies with great possibilities ahead of them. Sally (played by Imelda Staunton) and her husband Buddy (played by Peter Forbes) move outside the environs of New York to pursue their lives after the Follies has ended its performances.  Sally’s best friend Phyllis (played by Janie Dee) has reinvented herself as a socialite.

However Sally has some unresolved issues with her best friend’s husband, Ben (played by Philip Quast), who is questioning his own life and his marriage with Phyllis.  These conflicts represent the crumbling of the American dream.  

In spite of what seems like an introspective look at marriage, the fact of the matter is that Follies doesn’t have a plot. The past is revealed about the principal characters but their futures remain unresolved in the end. These revelations are enhanced when all of the principal characters’ regrets and issues are played out in a series of fantasy follies-type numbers. 

Imelda Staunton’s Sally portrays the character as a neurotic personage and one sees that interpretation carried out through this revival without much development from the starting point. Peter Forbes’ Buddy is a balancing weight to Sally’s instability. Janie Dee as Phyllis is edgy and Phillip Quast’s Ben is ultimately self-accepting of his past sins in his life and marriage, and is somewhat sympathetic to Sally’s pleas to recognize a “romance” which seem to be more in Sally’s imagination than in reality.

This revival of Follies closely follows the original Broadway script and it is performed without any intermission. And through this time frame, all of these glamorous Follies performers have some moments to themselves to re live the past and also re-evaluate what their lives are now. These members of the Weismann’s Follies look back on their salad days and what might have been the happiest moments of their lives.

The National Theatre has produced Follies in the lavish manner it deserves, and director Dominic Cooke   has put his own stamp on the interwoven stories that are played out – and the National Theatre has put together an outstanding cast that not only includes the actresses and actors in the principal roles but also Tracie Bennett as Carlotta (effectively singing the anthem-like “I’m Still Here”), Josephine Barstow as Heidi (in one of the many highlights of this revival of Follies singing the melancholy, “One Last Kiss”), Geraldine Fitzgerald as  Solange LaFitte, Gary Raymond as the inimitable Dmitri Weismann, Di Botcher as Hattie Walker (singing “Broadway Baby” with irony and humor), Adam Rhys-Charles as Young Ben, Zizi Strallen as Young Phyllis, Alex Young as Young Sally, and Fred Haig as Young Buddy.

All of the cast members are effective singing actors – and director Dominic Cooke guided his cast bearing in mind the text in Sondheim’s lyrics and the dialogue in Goldman’s book.

All of these actors and actresses from the principals to the ensembles give superlative performances, and if only for that reason the National Theatre’s revival of Follies is a must see.

 Being produced in London, this production has the objectivity of peering into American society in the years after World War II, and providing insights that might not have been seen in American revivals of this musical. Beautifully designed by Vicki Mortimer with nostalgia in mind – and imaginative use of turntables and bringing an air of mystery to this revival of Follies, and Bill Deamer creating the musical numbers which hail back to the glamour days of the Follies, Sondheim’s Follies is presented here by the National Theatre in a memorable and reverential revival bringing out all of the sentiment and regret that Goldman’s story reflects.

Having seen the original Broadway production of Follies in 1971 and subsequent revivals, Follies brings out the nostalgia inside of all of us but having seen Follies at a young age, I also realize the deeper emotional and personal issues in Follies are more understandable as one matures and has more life experience.  Therefore for me this revival of Follies is penultimate in many aspects, and meaningful for our times. 

Sarasota Ballet – Guggenheim Works & Process

Guggenheim Museum

November 19, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Guggenheim Museum has annually presented its series Works and Process to inform audiences about how a composed piece of music, choreography or a play finally gets to the stage. On November 19th, 2017, Works and Process presented an informative program about two dance works -- one that the Sarasota Ballet has performed and one that the Sarasota Ballet will perform.

The Sarasota Ballet, under the direction of Iain Webb, has been increasing its visibility outside of Sarasota, Florida particularly with its recent appearances in New York. Among ballet companies in the United States, it is one of youngest, and the company has assumed an identity of its own with its productions of the 19th century classics, the works of American and European choreographers, and in particular for its productions of ballets by Frederick Ashton.

The Sarasota Ballet program was narrated by the company’s artistic director, Iain Webb, and guest artist and guest choreographer, Marcelo Gomes, principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, with Wendy Perron as the astute moderator.

Webb provided details about The Two Pigeons, and presented Gomes with Sarasota Ballet principal dancer, Victoria Hulland, in the final pas de deux from Ashton’s The Two Pigeons. The Two Pigeons was created for the Royal Ballet’s touring company in 1961 and was restaged for the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden that same year. The Two Pigeons was Ashton’s follow-up to his very successful La Fille Mal Gardee, and worked with John Lanchbery to reconstruct and revise Andre Messager’s music from 1886 (for a production of The Two Pigeons choreographed by Louis Merante at the Paris Opera Ballet).

Ashton created a romantic piece with simplicity, clarity, musicality and clear theatrical intent. Both Hulland and Gomes were called upon not only to dance these principal roles but also to bring their dramatic talents to the roles as well. Unfortunately rarely performed in this part of the world, The Two Pigeons, has been presented in the Sarasota Ballet’s repertoire and one can see how charming the ballet is and Ashton’s clever choreography even in this excerpt from the ballet that was danced at this performance.

Gomes described his new work, Dear Life, which has been choreographed to Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and will be given its world premiere by the Sarasota Ballet in Sarasota in December. Gomes had been drawn to this music before having choreographed a movement from this symphony several years ago. And as described Gomes approach to Beethoven’s music is in the narrative form in which a man looks back on his life when he is on the brink of death. 

Two excerpts from Dear Life were danced on this program. A pas de deux danced by Victoria Hulland and Ricardo Rhodes, and a separate pas de trois danced by Samantha Benoit, Ivan Duarte, and Logan Learned. Gomes had these dancers dance these excerpts from beginning to end and then added his comments and coached the dancers – revealing what his choreographic and narrative intent will be when Dear Life is presented with full production values.

In spite of the brevity of this program and dancing excerpts from The Two Pigeons and Dear Life, the Sarasota Ballet revealed itself as a company to watch and to be seen more often in New York. 

Play Going in Early Modern England – the Experience

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Allison Hobgood’s book, Passionate Playgoing in Early Modern England, published by Cambridge University Press, deftly explores and describes what it might have been like to attend theater performances in Renaissance England. This was the time when the works of William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Thomas Kyd, and Thomas Heywood were being performed on the stages in London and toured through the British Isles.

During my undergraduate years while studying Shakespeare’s Tragedies I was informed by my English professor that Shakespeare’s plays were written primarily to be read and not to be performed. Shakespeare’s plays like the plays of every playwright tend to have an added dimension when the words are spoken and acted – the plays are telling stories that an audience is waiting to hear. 

In Passionate Playing in Early Modern England, Hobgood examines the impact of the stage performances of these plays by virtue of this age’s typical audience’s involvement. Theatre provokes passions, arouses passions, and the most adept of the playwrights of the time included moments and words in their plays that were meant to trigger those passions and the curiosity of audience members.

Ms. Hobgood quotes from the plays of that era that are meant to be triggers for an audience member’s emotions. Playwrights inserted phrases, and plot twists which were meant to manipulate the emotions of the audience members, and entertain them as well. Also revealed is how the audience of this time identified with characters in the plays, and how characters broke the fourth wall with asides and directly speaking to the audiences.

Ms. Hobgood analyzes several of the major plays of the day in defining how the playwrights were up to this task and knowledgeable about producing an audience reaction,  She is most adept in the references made in her analysis of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in how the playwright was able to manipulate audience members’ reactions to the words and how the story was being told on stage.

Also examined are the expectations of the playgoers, and the genre of plays that audience members would be aware of. Playgoers would know these genres and would know what to expect when paying for a ticket for these plays.

And, of course, there are the practicalities of the day in that one could risk physical harm and even disease in being an audience member of a theater performance, as audience members argued with other audience members in regard to favorite actors, playwrights, and how the plays effected them personally, and also how contagious diseases could be passed on from one audience member to another in a gathering of people who are watching these plays for hours at a time.

If you wish to experience the feeling of being in the audience during Shakespeare’s day, Passionate Playgoing in Early Modern England will give you excellent insight.

Dresden Semperoper Ballett Makes Joyce Theater Debut

Joyce Theater

October 31, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Making its Joyce Theater debut the Dresden Semperoper Ballett is performing at the Joyce Theater from October 31-November 4, 2017 in a mixed-bill program that displays a company style and the dancers’ abilities to adapt to the work of several different choreographers.

Germany is the home of many ballet companies as each major city in this country has an opera house of its own – and as a result a ballet company of its own. The German ballet companies that have danced in New York most often have been the Stuttgart Ballet, the Hamburg Ballet, what is now the State Ballet Berlin, the Leipzig Ballet, and the Bavarian State Opera Ballet. This company’s few appearances in New York have been as a participant in the City Center Fall for Dance Festival.

Directed by Canadian Aaron Watkin since 2006, the Dresden Semperoper Ballett is based in Dresden, Germany, and comprises more than 60 dancers and performs a varied repertoire. However as Watkin danced with Ballet Frankfurt when this company was directed by William Forsythe, a portion of the company’s repertoire is a reflection of Forsythe’s aesthetic and the many choreographers who have choreographed dance pieces in the same vein. The repertoire presented during this New York engagement reflects this artistic philosophy.

In all three choreographers were represented by four works. Choreographer David Dawson was represented by two of his works. The first of which was the American premiere of 5, first seen as the Wedding Pas de Cinq in his full-length production of Giselle which he staged for the Dresden Semperoper Ballett in 2013. Dancing to music composed by Adolphe Adam the principal dancers in this divertissement are costumed simply – the male dancers with black tops and white tights, and the ladies in white tutus-- and the choreography represents a random neo-classical and classical style. If Dawson’s purpose was to show off the dancers he succeeded because as danced by the cast of Alice Mariani, Gina Scott, Zarina Stahnke, Julian Amir Lacey, and Michael Tucker, these dancers were definitely shown off.

Dawson was also represented by the New York premiere of On The Nature Of Daylight, choreographed to music by Max Richter, and in contrast this was Dawson creating a piece in a contemporary ballet vein. According to this piece’s program notes, the intention was “to explore the idea of love as both the ordinary and the extraordinary.” This piece for two dancers had the goal of revealing how the dancers, Alice Mariani and Julian Amir Lacey, searched for love with the uncertainty of human emotion. Mariana and Lacey expressed much emotion as they danced Dawson’s choreography.

Also an American premiere, Vertigo Maze, was created by Belgian choreographer Stijn Celis, and was choreographed to silent moments and Johann Sebastian Bach’s Chaconne For Solo Violin and Four Voices. Celis’ style is contemporary and modern dance, and his response to Bach’s music was represented in constant movement. Vertigo Maze begins in silence and as the piece unfolds the dancers are captured in off-kilter positions, curled up bodies, and ever changing patterns using the eight dancers in the cast led by Ayaha Tsunaki and Jon Vallejo.

Rounding out the program was the world premiere of The Night Falls Quietly choreographed by company dancer Joseph Hernandez who also designed the costumes and the lighting. Choreographed to music by Bohren & De Club of Gore, Piano Nights as arranged by Johannes Till, the atmosphere that Hernandez created seemed similar to Tudor’s Lilac Garden as four dancers – change partners and explore relationships – and in this instance the music is used as a soundtrack rather than inspiring the movement.. There is a sense that these relationships represent regrets from the past, and one doesn’t expect that these relationships will continue in the future. The piece is basically a moment in time.

The intent of Hernandez’s choreography was revealed by the cast of Aiden Gibson, Ayaha Tsunaki, Francesco Pio Ricci, and Jon Vallejo.

In this relatively short but fully packed program, the Dresden Semperoper Ballett presented itself as a well-trained and versatile group of dancers who are adept in interpreting different choreographic styles – all danced with clarity and clean lines. The performance represented a noteworthy artistic statement by the company.

Matthew  Bourne’s The Red Shoes

City Center

October 26, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Michael Powell’s film, The Red Shoes, has been an inspiration for those working in the dance world – both the positives and negatives. The heroine of The Red Shoes is Victoria Page and her story is known universally. Matthew Bourne has taken up the challenge of creating a dance theatre version of this iconic film which is being performed by Matthew Bourne/New Adventures at the City Center from October 26-November 5, 2017.

In spite of the inherent dance themes in the film The Red Shoes, there have been few dance or theatre versions among them except for a full-length ballet choreographed by Simon Dow for the West Australian Ballet, and the Broadway musical version – from which the stand alone Red Shoes Ballet, choreographed by Lar Lubovitch, was danced by American Ballet Theatre.

Matthew Bourne’s source material is the film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger -- and the incorporation of Hans Christian Andersen fairytale – employing music by Bernard Herrmann, the legendary composer of many Hollywood film scores – orchestrated by Terry Davies. The score is an amalgam of music from such famous film scores as Citizen Kane, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and Fahrenheit 451. 

Similar in structure to the film version Bourne presents The Red Shoes as a ballet within a ballet. Setting the scene in the late 1940’s, austere times in post World War II Britain, and focusing on a touring dance company and its backstage dramas. Victoria Page is a new dancer on the scene whose career rises to the top upon taking on the leading role in the ballet, The Ballet of the Red Shoes, due to a senior dancer’s injury. She takes on the leading role in The Ballet of Red Shoes, with a score by composer Julian Craster, who becomes Page’s love interest. Page and Craster try to keep their fragile personal relationship together while working under the company’s controlling and peripatetic general director, Boris Lermontov, inspired by Serge Diaghilev, director of the Ballets Russes. 

It is Hans Christian Andersen’s The Red Shoes that is in the inspiration for this ballet within a ballet in which a pair of red shoes takes over its wearer’s life – a young girl literally dances herself to dance.

The Craster/Page relationship is focused on when the couple leave the ballet company and their professional and personal lives deteriorate as they perform in a British music hall. They return to the ballet company with Page enticed by a dangling pair of red shoes. This detail is among many in Bourne’s The Red Shoes that make it possible for this story to be told in pure dance terms.

Page is also struggling against social norms and also the norms in the ballet world whether she can pursue a personal relationship with her composer boyfriend or she must put blinkers on and only pursue her dance career.  A dancer’s blind ambition requires that the dancer must live to dance – a life that is not compatible with romance much less a marriage, and Page must make the decision as to which is most important to her. In our time dancers wouldn’t be confronted by such a choice or have to make such a sacrifice. As in the film, this version of The Red Shoes ends in tragedy. But Bourne plants the seeds for Page’s dilemma along the way which supports the arc of the story.

Throughout The Red Shoes Bourne’s clever parodies and send-ups of classical ballet – most often the ballets of the Ballet Russes era  -- are used to develop the characters and their roles in this story. In The Ballet of the Red Shoes, Bourne captures the tragedy and terror which builds to the climax of The Red Shoes dance theatre piece with its cinematic elements.

Bourne presents a cinematic montage of the many scenes in The Red Shoes as the story swiftly moves forward – during a running time of two hours -- from location to location. Bourne is aided by his frequent collaborator, designer Lez Brotherston, and Bourne’s choreography is a mix of contemporary and modern dance, and vernacular dance of the time period – and ballet. Bourne is an expert story teller and he has created a concept for The Red Shoes that is intriguing and absorbing. Performed by a troupe of only 17 members Bourne has more than just re-created the essence of the original film but has also made the story more vital – and communicated that story entirely in dance.

Bourne’s dance theatre pieces are enhanced by the committed performances by his company’s dancers. At this performance Ashley Shaw gave a heartfelt and well-danced performance as Victoria Page with Dominic North, sympathetic and cruel, as Julian Craster, and Sam Archer, cunning and manipulating as the impresario Boris Lermontov.

Also notable were the performances by Michela Meazza as Irina Boronskaja, Liam Mower as Ivan Boleslawsky, and Glenn Graham as Grischa Liubov.

This committed cast of dancers makes Bourne’s The Red Shoes involving and emotionally tinged. 

The Paris Opera – A Documentary

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

In the last few decades it has become common place that documentary filmmakers have been allowed behind the scenes access to observe the inner workings of European opera houses, and North American ballet companies. These glimpses have sometimes proved to be illuminating and perplexing at the same time.

The same could be said for a new absorbing documentary, The Paris Opera, distributed by Film Movement, which doesn’t always capture its constituents at their best – but presents the reality of how a typical European opera house operates, and it is also pleasing to the eye.

It was in the autumn of 2015 that Swiss-born documentary film maker, Jean-Stephane Bron was given access to the Paris Opera, and the people who perform and manage this legendary arts institution. This was a critical moment as the Paris Opera’s general director, Stephane Lissner, was to reveal his artistic plans in his first press conference as director, new productions were in preparation, there was a national labor strike, a tragic terrorist attack in Paris, and the Paris Opera Ballet’s artistic director, Benjamin Millepied, decided to leave his post for reasons that seemed sudden and unclear.

The documentary begins with the raising of the French flag – cutting into an animated meeting involving the Paris Opera’s hierarchy focusing on future artistic plans, preparing for a press conference and an opening night. The Paris Opera management must deal with labor cuts and strikes, complaints about ticket prices, and how the upward ticket prices were hurting the Paris Opera’s image.

Of course one can see all of the gears and cogs that must be oiled in order to keep such an organization moving forward to produce operas and ballets in spite of the day-to-day problems that also include a singer who must withdraw from a major production due to illness – and finding a substitute -- production concerns with a new staging of an opera, and a continuing outreach music program for children who will be the audience for the future.

Of interest to those of us involved in the ballet world were the brief mentions concerning Benjamin Millepied’s decision to leave his post as artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet, his responsibilities as both choreographer and artistic director, his method of communicating and working with the company’s dancers, his doubts and hesitations, and ultimately his departure from the Paris Opera Ballet. And in Millepied’s defense only heard from Lissner’s side of the conversation.

In this documentary the Paris Opera’s day-to-day operations are revealed to the world, displaying the sudden changes created by human beings as creative artists and as artistic administrators coming into conflict. And ultimately the problems must be solved.

For anyone interested in such behind the scenes views of a major European opera house Bron has succeeded in revealing what many audience members should know about the advance preparation necessary before the curtain goes up.

Paper Mill Playhouse Presents First of Three New Musicals – The Honeymooners

Paper Mill Playhouse

October 14, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

During the 2017-18 season the Paper Mill Playhouse will be presenting three new musicals – two of which are world premieres and a third that is an East Coast premiere. The first of these new musicals is the world premiere of The Honeymooners, inspired by the well-known CBS television series, which is being presented by the Paper Mill Playhouse from September 28 through October 29, 2017.

The Honeymooners television series starred Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden, Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden, Art Carney as Ed Norton, and Joyce Randolph as Trixie Norton – an iconic cast because of their portrayals of these characters. The Honeymooners is a love story between Ralph and Alice Kramden, and Ed and Trixie Norton, but there is also the equally important bromance between Ralph and Ed. In fact there is never a point in this new musical adaptation in which love and affection is not expressed by these characters, and emphasizing that these characters have their human weaknesses. 

Rather than drawing upon plot lines from The Honeymooner’s television series, this musical stage adaptation borrows the characters, their ambitions, and the gist of the times to create a new story for these familiar characters to encounter.

In this musical stage adaptation of The Honeymooners Ralph Kramden, the irreverent bus driver, and his pal Ed Norton, who is a sewer repairman, are waiting for the next great opportunity to better themselves and their lives. Set in Brooklyn and Manhattan just before Christmas 1950, they surprise themselves and their wives when they win a high-profile jingle contest celebrating Faciamatti Mazzeroni cheese, and Kramden and Norton win the first prize of $500. We find that Norton can compose a musical jingle and play piano, Alice can play the piano, and Trixie, the retired burlesque performer has now landed the job of lead singer at the renowned and notorious El Morocco Night Club.

As a result of winning the jingle contest, these two regular Joes find themselves in the jungle that is the world of Madison Avenue advertising as they are employed by Upshaw and Young as jingle writers. In the course of encountering the moguls, the corporate office politics, and the efforts to tear apart their friendship, Kramden and Norton find themselves very much out of place. They are shooting for the moon yet the American dream may be too high a cost to pay -- their quest for fame and fortune could cost them their friendship.

The Honeymooners television series depicts members of the working class hoping for their ship to come in while working at very dull and uninteresting jobs. These are the working class heroes who brought back America’s economy after World War II. They wanted to climb up the economic ladder but they didn’t find too many people to help them and often ran into schemers who gave them false hope. The thought that once you were able to get over the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan you would have success. The Honeymooners television series premiered in the 1950’s and although it had only 39 episodes, it is still seen regularly in syndication up until today – and its themes are even more relevant in the here and now, as in the 1950’s. We’re all searching for the American Dream and achieving that goal, and somehow it is just out of reach. Everybody can identify with those dreams and the frustration in somehow not being able to grab the brass ring! And all of these aspirations are emphasized in this stage musical adaptation of The Honeymooners.

In musicalizing The Honeymooners, this musical’s tuneful and memorable score was written by Stephen Weiner with lyrics by Peter Mills – very much in the style of the Broadway music of the 1950’s, with the adapted story written by Dusty Kay and Bill Nuss – including some of the best classic Honeymooners zingers, with choreography by Joshua Bergasse – incorporating June Taylor Dance numbers that were part and parcel of The Honeymooners and Jackie Gleason brand of entertainment, and all directed with reverence and skill by John Rando  who captured the period, and the characters – and the aspirations of the characters – all expressed with humor and depth of emotion. This is a musical that has heart.

Scenery designer Beowulf Boritt recreates those familiar locales from the television series including the scenic element that duplicates The Honeymooner’s opening credits – New York City is illuminated by a full moon, and then there is the apartment that the Kramdens live in – the place that they wish to move from but are not sure where they will wind up. 

Inspiration is drawn from classic Broadway musicals such as Guys and Dolls and even a bit of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, and there is the whiff of nostalgia in the story that these empathetic characters are dropped into.  And you couldn’t have a more capable cast than Michael McGrath playing the crabby but honest New York bus driver Ralph Kramden, Michael Maestro as Ed Norton, Leslie Kritzer as Alice Kramden, and Laura Bell Bundy as Trixie Norton – all of these actors have mastered the mannerisms of the creators of these characters without being an imitation. These actors have included something of themselves in these iconic characters, and they gave superlative performances. What a versatile bunch these actors are.

Also excellent in supporting roles were Lewis Cleale as Upshaw & Young’s obsequious creative director, Bryce Bennett, and Lewis J. Stadlen as Old Man Faciamatta in a formidable and outstanding cameo part.

One must see The Honeymooners for one to remember simpler times when there were no cell phones, no DVRs, or drive thrus to purchase fast foods. Yes, The Honeymooners offers more than a whiff of nostalgia. We know the Kramdens and the Nortons as they are our families, and we want them to succeed and fulfill their dreams.

City Center Fall for Dance Festival – Program Five

City Center

October 13, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The City Center Fall for Dance Festival’s final program on October 13, 2017 included a New York premiere and a world premiere, and ended with an audience rousing finale danced by a Cuban contemporary dance company making its United States debut. This was a celebration of yet another successful and diverse Festival.

Opening this program of varied dance performances was the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago which presented the New York premiere of Crystal Pite’s Solo Echo. In Solo Echo, Pite depicts a dying man who is left alone to contemplate his life – surrounded by ghosts from his past. Choreographed to music by Johannes Brahms, Pite created a desolate landscape with snow falling, with dancers costumed in black on a dimly lit stage. Pite utilized sharp and angular choreography creating tableaus including diverse numbers of dancers. Pite created this piece for the Nederlands Dans Theater in 2012 and Pite’s concept was interpreted well by the cast of Jacqueline Burnett, Kellie Epperheimer, Michael Gross, Elliot Hammans, Alice Klock, Florian Lochner, and Kevin J. Shannon. 

The San Francisco Ballet was represented by five of its male dancers dancing Helgi Tomasson’s virtuoso piece, Concerto Grosso, which the San Francisco Ballet premiered in 2003. Set to the music of Francesco Geminiani after Arcangelo Corelli, Tomasson does not reveal any choreographic surprises as the choreography is academic, refined, propulsive and presented with a courtly etiquette. The cast included Max Cauthorn, Esteban Hernandez, Wei Wang, Diego Cruz and Lonnie Weeks putting the spotlight on the San Francisco Ballet’s up and coming male dancers.

Mark Morris created a world premiere solo for David Hallberg, entitled Twelve of ‘em choreographed to Benjamin Britten’s Twelve Variations for Piano one of Britten’s early musical pieces. The combination of Morris, Hallberg and Britten was a potent one as Morris responds well to the music he chooses for his pieces, and in Twelve of ‘em, Morris’ choreography toys with a parody of classical ballet from a modern dance point of view. Morris inspired a great deal of self-deprecating humor from Hallberg, especially in Hallberg’s interactions with the onstage pianist. The collaboration of Hallberg and Morris resulted in an artistically challenging solo dance that should reveal more details upon further viewings.

Closing this performance was the Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, making its United States debut in a work entitled Matria Etnocentra, choreographed by George Cespedes. Founded in 1959 by Ramiro Guerra, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba represents the prominent contemporary dance company in Cuba. 

Cespedes employs a wide range of dance styles in his piece which begins with a lone male dancer on the stage with the dancers appearing and disappearing in multiples of twos and threes. There are also large ensemble dances which included repetition of choreography in a post-modern vernacular. The momentum builds in this piece which made for an appropriate conclusion for the Fall for Dance Festival’s final program. 

Ballet West Returns To The Joyce Theater

Joyce Theater

October 11, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Ballet West may be on its way to becoming a regular New York visitor and this was reinforced with Ballet West’s return engagement at the Joyce Theater from October 11-14, 2017. The last time Ballet West performed at the Joyce Theater was in 2015.

For this visit Ballet West presented a mixed-bill program which included the works of five different choreographers. Two of these works had been given their world premieres at the National Choreographic Festival earlier this year – and one, a work in progress, will be premiered at the National Choreographic Festival next year.

The program opened with Val Caniparoli’s Dances for Lou which was inspired by the music of Lou Harrison and was premiered by Ballet West in 2017. As a former resident choreographer of Ballet West Caniparoli has created a special connection with the company’s dancers and that was evident in Dances for Lou. It seemed as if old friends were coming together to create something new.

In Dances for Lou, Caniparoli’s choreographic vocabulary is contemporary ballet, and in it he responded to the exoticism of the music in a series of 8 dances – some short and others extended. Although the ballet begins and ends with ensembles it is the in between series of pas de deux, beautifully danced by Allison DeBona, Adrian Fry, Lucas Horns, Jordan Veit, Jenna Rae Herrera and Oliver Oguma, that are the most expressive and direct responses to Harrison’s percussive and rhythmic music.

Giving a nod to Ballet West’s historical relationship with the work of George Balanchine, and Ballet West’s artistic director’s relationship with Gerald Arpino as a dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, two of the short pieces presented in the middle section of the program included works by both major 20th century choreographers.

Gerald Arpino was represented by Ruth: Ricordi per Due, a New York premiere created by Arpino shortly before his passing. Ruth: Ricordi per Due is an elegy, depicting a man who finds himself confronting his dead lover who returns as a ghostly vision. The Joffrey Ballet premiered this 9-minute piece in 2004 and its haunting atmosphere has been enhanced by the music composed by Tomasso Albinnoni. Here Ruth: Ricordi per Due was sensitively danced by Christopher Ruud and Arolyn Williams.

Balanchine was represented by the Pas de Deux and Variations from Chaconne, choreographed to music by Christoph Willibald Gluck and added to Ballet West’s repertoire in 2011. During his lifetime Balanchine choreographed the ballet divertissement in several different opera productions of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and in 1976, he adapted a version he created for a Hamburg State Opera production of Orfeo ed Euridice for the New York City Ballet. Balanchine’s fluid classicism was on display with its quick shifts of direction and being attentive to the patterns in Gluck’s music. These excerpts were danced with clarity by Emily Adams and Adrian Fry.

The middle section of the program closed with a preview performance of an excerpt of a work in progress, Sweet and Bitter, choreographed by Spanish contemporary dance choreographer Africa Guzman which will have its world premiere at the National Choreographic Festival in May 2018.

Choreographed to music by Enzo Bosso, Guzman deftly moved Ballet West’s dancers through space with flair and in interesting patterns on the stage – doing so with the eight-member cast of Allison DeBona, Chase O’Connell, Katlyn Addison, Katherine Lawrence, Chelsea Keefer, Hadriel Diniz, Alexander MacFarlan and Jordan Veit.

Closing Ballet West’s performance was a work choreographed by Ballet West’s resident choreographer Nicolo Fonte, Fox on the Doorstep, a work choreographed to the music of Olafur Arnalds, Harry Escott, and Johan Johannsson, which had its premiere in 2017. Fox on the Doorstep is the seventh work Fonte has created for Ballet West since 2012, and was inspired by an emotional incident in which a white fox appeared which proved to be the omen of a death.

Fox on the Doorstep is colored in a grim atmosphere, alienation, and militaristic modern dance vocabulary – ending with a lone man on stage with flakes from debris falling on him. It is a statement for any time when catastrophes surface spontaneously and how we react to them.

Adam Sklute successfully curated an eclectic evening of dance – familiar and not so familiar – but repertoire that spoke to the strengths of Ballet West’s dancers. I hope that Ballet West will continue to perform in New York as often as possible. 

American Repertory Ballet at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater

Gerald L. Lynch Theater at John Jay College

October 5, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

American Repertory Ballet, which is based in New Jersey, and is under the direction of Douglas Martin, rarely dances in New York. This company has had a long and continuing history that most companies would revere, but New York audiences are not as familiar with the company as they should be – especially as commuting to New Jersey to see the company dance would be wrongly thought of as an arduous task. During the 2017-18 season American Repertory Ballet will have New York engagements in both the fall and spring.

For its fall performance at the Gerald L. Lynch Theater at John Jay College on October 5th, 2017, American Repertory Ballet presented a mixed-bill program which included two works choreographed by Kirk Peterson, and a work choreographed by Mary Barton, both of whom are American Repertory Ballet’s Resident Choreographers. These works were created in styles accessible to the most informed of dance audiences and also revealed American Repertory Ballet’s artistic aesthetic.

The program opened with the first of two ballets choreographed by Kirk Peterson, The Eyes That Gently Touch, which had been seen danced in New York previously by the Washington Ballet in 2000. 

Choreographed to music by Philip Glass, Peterson’s choreography reflected the impulses coursing through Glass’ music. The piece opens with a pas a deux – Kylian-like in terms of partnering and movement – at times tentative. The Eyes That Gently Touch made an artistic statement as to what the American Repertory Ballet’s performance would be like and was well danced by the cast of Shaye Firer, Austap Klymko, Ryoko Tanaka, Jacopo Jannelli, Lily Saito, and Mattia Pallozzi.

In contrast was Mary Barton’s Straight Up With A Twist, an ensemble work choreographed to music composed by Kaila Flexer and Third Ear which also made a statement in revealing American Repertory Ballet’s artistic portrait.

Barton’s choreography was exotic and musical, with shifting groups in unexpected patterns. The duets were playful and reflected real personal relationships – expressing moods and captured the audience’s attention. 

Kirk Peterson’s second contribution to this mixed-bill program was his own version of Carmen based on Prosper Merimee’s novella. This version included the kernel of the story that exists in Bizet’s opera, but also elucidated the nationalistic connections of the principal characters and Carmen’s innate superstitious nature. This is a Carmen who has no moral compass and easily betrays those who care about her – and does so without any guilt. The love triangle that includes Carmen, Don Jose, and Lucas, a matador, inspired rage and jealousy, all foreseeing that this story would not have a happy ending.

Peterson chose to choreograph his version of Rodion Shchedrin’s orchestration of Bizet’s familiar music which provided a pulsating background score for the drama on stage. That drama was exemplified by the performances of Nanko Yamamoto in the title role, Journy Wilkes-Davis in the role of Don Jose, and Aldeir Monteiro in the role of Lucas, the matador.

American Repertory Ballet showed that the quality of presentation is not determined by how large a budget you have or how many dancers you have. This performance also reminded us that there are dance performances worth seeing throughout the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.

City Center Fall for Dance Festival – Program Two

City Center

October 4, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The City Center Fall for Dance Festival’s Second Program, seen on October 4, 2017, featured a rare New York appearance by one of our major American ballet companies, the Pennsylvania Ballet. The Pennsylvania Ballet is now dancing in New York more frequently than it had been and this was a welcome opportunity to examine the new artistic policy that has been put into effect by the Pennsylvania Ballet’s artistic director, Angel Corella.

For this appearance the Pennsylvania Ballet presented the New York premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush, a work created for the San Francisco Ballet in 2003 and was given its company premiere by the Pennsylvania Ballet in 2017. Choreographed to Bohuslav Martinu’s Sinfonietta La Jolla, Wheeldon has created an homage to the duet. In its neoclassical style and structure, Wheeldon’s choreography is epitomized by its close partnering, symmetry with tinges of European veneer, and with a hint of influence from Jiri Kylian.

The Pennsylvania Ballet danced Rush with the necessary speed and clarity – and included in contrast was the understated pas de deux in the second section of Rush danced by Oksana Maslova and Ian Hussey with great subtlety in their performances.

Cie Art Move Concept adapted its piece, Nibiru, in its United States premiere for this Festival performance. In their choreography, Soria Rem and Mehdi Ouachek (also one of the company’s dancers) have fashioned an urban scape creating a hybrid piece ranging in various styles from hip hop to break dancing, from circus arts and mime, all combined in an atmosphere of optical images, and highlighting  the cast members’ virtuoso dancing. The cast of Kevin Mischel, Si M’hamed Benhalima, Bruce Chiefare, Artem Orlov, Jackson Ntcham, Erwan Godard, and Mehdi Ouachek must also be credited for bringing this highly theatrical piece to life.

The Stephen Petronio Company, created to curate American post modern dance masters, has authored a project entitled Bloodlines, which presents iconic works from the beginnings of the post modern movement to the present. At this performance the company danced two short works, Chair-Pillow, choreographed by Yvonne Rainer, and Excerpt from Goldberg Variations choreographed by Steve Paxton which are examples of the ingenious post modern choreographers. 

In Chair-Pillow the cast members enter the stage with chairs and pillows in hand moving to Ike and Tina Turner’s rendition of River Deep Mountain High. Created in 1969 in this ensemble work the cast members follow patterns and repetitions in manipulating both their chairs and their pillows in this short and to the point piece.

In Paxton’s Excerpt from Goldberg Variations, this solo is danced to Glenn Gould’s idiosyncratic interpretation of Bach’s music – always moving -- in a challenging piece well danced by Nicholas Sciscione. 

Both Rainer and Paxton were original members of the pioneering of Judson Dance Theater, and in these pieces, one can see these choreographers’ signatures.

Closing the program was German Cornejo’s Tango Fire which had been adapted for its New York premiere at this Festival performance. Tango Fire features a series of lively duets and ensemble pieces in the tango idiom, telling stories, telling tales – sultry, humorous with heat and passion, and precision dancing executed with flair by the superb cast of Sebastian Alvarez, Victoria Saudelli, Marcos Esteban Roberts, Louise Junqueira Malucelli, Ezequiel Lopez, Camila Alegre, Eber Burger, Sabrina Nogueira, Julio Jose Seffino, and Carla Dominguez – with the frosting on the cake -- musicians playing the music that grabs one’s attention. This was a rousing finale to ponder at another varied Festival program.

City Center Fall for Dance Festival – Program One

City Center

October 3, 2917

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The City Center Fall for Dance Festival’s opening program, which was presented in its second performance on October 3, 2017, reflected the Festival’s mission for diversity in dance presentations. As in past years, this year’s Festival participants will include some of our major American ballet companies as well as multi-national, and modern and contemporary dance companies from all over the world.

This performance was notable for the appearance of the Miami City Ballet, a company which has been a more regular New York visitor in the last few years. The Miami City Ballet opened this program with Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia, a work created by Wheeldon for the New York City Ballet, and was given its Miami City Ballet company premiere in 2013. 

Created by Wheeldon when he was resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet, he choreographed Polyphonia to piano music by Gyorgy Ligeti, which has become associated for being used in the movie score from Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut.

Polyphonia is a ballet for four couples featured in ten sections where the dancers perform in ensemble groups, solos and pas de deux which interconnect as the ballet progresses. Some of the ballet’s sections are punctuated by blackouts on a dimly lit stage. Influences from Balanchine’s modernism, partnering, the manipulation of bodies, and movement in space are apparent in Wheeldon’s Polyphonia, here danced with clear execution by the cast of Tricia Albertson, Reyneris Reyes, Ashley Knox, Jovani Furlan, Emily Bromberg, Jennifer Lauren, Kleber Rebello and Renato Penteado. The Miami City Ballet’s dancers seemed very much at home in Wheeldon’s intricate choreography.

Also presented on this program was the New York premiere of Gula which had been given its world premiere in South Africa in 1993. Danced by its choreographer, Vincent Mantsoe, this tour de force solo opened with the sounds of bird-like chirping – and Mantsoe developed bird-like movement creating an atmosphere and mystery which illustrated the physicality of birds and their relationship to man, and the earth to the sky – creating a respect for nature.

Celebrating the memory of Trisha Brown, the Trisha Brown Dance Company danced Trisha Brown’s You can see us, a piece that had its initial birth in a solo in 1994 which was distinctive as the audience saw Brown dancing with her back turned and only revealing her face in side glances. This concept has been expanded in You can see us in which two dancers, Cecily Campbell and Jamie Scott are also seen on a darkly lit stage with the dancers rarely facing the audience and not connecting – and notable for Brown’s signature angular movement. 

Bringing this program to a boisterous conclusion was Dorrance Dance presenting the world premiere of Michelle Dorrance’s Myelination, featuring original live music by Donovan Dorrance and Gregory Richardson with vocals by Aaron Marcellus. This new incarnation of Myelination was commissioned by the City Center Fall for Dance Festival as an expanded version of a short work which Michelle Dorrance created for the Festival in 2015.

Dorrance is a unique tap virtuoso and in this piece, and others she has created her own brand of tap which she uses to create new directions and new expression, and combining tap with contemporary and modern dance. This expanded version of Myelination includes improvisational choreography – besides Dorrance additional choreography is credited to Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie and Matthew “Megawatt” West – and provides a wonderful showcase for Dorrance’s dancers – and a fitting conclusion to an intriguing program of dance presented by the City Center Fall for Dance Festival.

The York Theatre Company – Desperate Measures

Theatre at Saint Peter’s

September 30, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The York Theatre Company is opening its 2017-18 season with its presentation of Desperate Measures from September 19-October 15, 2017.

Desperate Measures is a new musical comedy, with a wink and nod towards William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure was written in the early part of the 17th century chronicling the story of the Duke of Vienna who leaves the city to conduct state business. But appropriately disguised he remains in the city to witness his interim successor’s corruption – especially as it concerns Claudio who is unjustly imprisoned by this temporary ruler, Angelo. Fortunately Claudio’s sister, Isabella, begs for Claudio’s life and schemes with the disguised Duke of Vienna to thwart Angelo’s evil intentions.

The creative team of Desperate Measures resets the Bard’s story to 1890 in a Western territory in the United States where Johnny Blood (played by Conor Ryan), a not too repentant cowboy, has been sentenced to hang for killing a man in self-defense in a local bar fight. His sister, Sister Mary Jo (played by Emma Degerstedt) is a novice nun who makes her pleas to the corrupt governor (Governor Von Richterhenkenpflitchtgetruber -- played by Nick Wyman) to save her brother’s life. The Governor promises to do so only if the Sister sacrifices her virtue and succumbs to his sexual advances. In consenting and participating in the Governor’s seduction, a series of ruses save the Sister’s morals, and frees her brother from prison.

The other accomplices are the highly moral Sheriff Martin Green (played by Peter Saide), the saloon girl Bella Rose, drawn as a woman of easy virtue with a heart of gold (played by Lauren Molina), and Father Morse (played by Gary Marachek) who spends most of his waking hours in an alcoholic stupor and is a fan of the German philosopher, Nietzsche.

There are hints along the way that Desperate Measures was not to be a typical musical as reflected in the signage on the stage including “End of the Trail Jail”, “Mane Street”, “Our Lady of the Tumbleweeds”, and “Wild Will’s Saloon” and with the dialogue in verse there is plenty of tongue in cheek humor.

It is these kooky characters and their interactions that create the chaotic and surprising plot of Desperate Measures which eventually ties up everything with an unexpected conclusion that is life changing for all of Desperate Measures’ characters. The fun is enjoying these offbeat characters, their plotting, and how they make their way to this musical’s unexpected conclusion.

The score with music by David Friedman and lyrics by Peter Kellogg – Kellogg is also the book writer for Desperate Measures – is Country and Western influenced which fits in with the re-location of the story and Desperate Measures unique interpretation of Shakespeare’s words and action – and appropriately American. Every song draws and illuminates these off beat characters, and moves the plot forward – but many of these songs could be stand alone and could be performed beyond the parameters of this clever, witty, and tuneful musical.

The wonderful cast brings life to this fanciful comic plot. Nick Wyman gives a tour de force performance as the Governor who is a hybrid of Hugh Hefner – down to the monogram on his bed and his wardrobe of a silk robe and pajamas -- and the hapless John Cleese. Conor Ryan’s Johnny Blood appropriates the comic elements ingrained in this character as he deals with what could be his last days and contributing as much as he can to the plot and plot twists to get him out of jail – and this character is not a rocket scientist either.  

Peter Saide plays Sheriff Green with the intensity of a Hollywood western movie hero. Based on his intelligence and his slickness you wonder where he actually came from and why did he settle for life in   this odd Western town. And then there is Gary Marachek’s Father Morse portrayed as a bungling drunk who somehow manages to get involved in the many ruses that are included in Desperate Measures’ plot.

Just as outstanding are the leading ladies, Emma Degerstedt as Sister Mary Jo who seems innocent at first but basically has enough street smarts to participate in and facilitate the many plot twists to get her brother out of jail – and the multi-talented Lauren Molina as Bella Rose, who, chameleon-like, changes her looks, voice and mannerisms which put Sheriff Green’s schemes into motion.

This chaos is guided expertly by Bill Castellino both as director and choreographer. Also the costume designs by Nicole Wee and the scenery designs by James Morgan add to the realization of David Friedman’s and Peter Kellogg’s concept.

Desperate Measures can be inanely funny at times, entertaining at all times, and makes for a problem forgetting two hours in the theatre – a tonic we all need! And isn’t that what a musical comedy ought to be!

Spirit of the Fallen

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Conceived and choreographed by Keith Lee, Spirit of the Fallen, is a documentary which is an impassioned tribute to Americans who served in the military, but are often forgotten.

In 2013 Keith Lee created his dance piece, The Fallen, and his journey began to make an educational documentary film about American military veterans. The documentary, Spirit of the Fallen, had its premiere in 2017. The dedication to the ballet and the documentary film is the same, “Dedicated To Veterans Who Fought And Serve For Our Freedoms”.

In addition to Keith Lee’s dance piece, which serves as the core of the documentary, Spirit of the Fallen also includes historical footage during periods in American history when our future was uncertain, and describing how much sacrifice was made by Americans serving our country. They need not be forgotten and the compassionate words of veterans’ activist Heather Webber, emphasize that they cannot be forgotten and their rights need to be protected.

Integrated into Spirit of the Fallen is Keith Lee’s fitting and emotional choreographic tribute to the veterans, The Fallen, and a spiritual piece, Con Spirito. Lee’s voice is also present as there are several sections of narrative which are spoken by Lee himself.

Celebrations commemorating the beginning of World War I in 2014 brought us full historical circle to appreciate this compassionate and straightforward tribute to the best of the best in this personal tribute to those who served in the military and who are too often forgotten. This is not to mention the military services which have made extraordinary efforts in regard to the relief efforts in the hurricane effected areas of the United States.

Scandinavian American Theatre Company Presents The Baroness – Isak Dinesen’s Final Affair

John Clurman Theatre

September 10, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Scandinavian American Theatre Company’s mission is to present the work of contemporary Scandinavian playwrights, and new perspectives of Scandinavian classics.

As part of the fulfillment of that mission from September 2-24, 2017, the company is presenting a new play by Danish playwright Thor Bjorn Krebs, The Baroness – Isak Dinesen’s Final Affair at the John Clurman Theatre on Theatre Row. Krebs is a young Danish playwright who has won many Danish theatre awards and The Baroness is his 12th play.

Isak Dinesen is Baroness Karen Blixen’s pen name and she achieved notoriety for her book, Out of Africa and her short story, Babette’s Feast. She spent a part of her life in Africa, and experienced an adventurous and uncompromising life – ultimately becoming an author of note – in some respects more accepted in parts of the world other than her native Denmark.

Krebs' play, The Baroness Isak Dinesen’s Final Affair, translated by Kim Dam Boek and directed by Henning Hegland, focuses on Blixen’s May-December mentor relationship with Thorkild Bjornvig, an author and poet. Within the real time span of a little over two hours with one intermission, The Baroness is inspired by anecdotes, letters and books by and about Blixen and Bjornvig.

When Dee Pelletier, as the 62-year-old Isak Dinesen, sets foot on the stage it is clear that there is to be an inspired relationship and a battle at the same time, and Conrad Ardelius, as the 29 year-old Bjornvig, is her target. This relationship is represented from the student’s perspective rather than from a teacher’s perspective – involving a blind faith trust given to a mentor – an arrangement of sorts that is a personal one and can foster creativity or do enormous damage.

Bjornvig is convinced that his boring domestic life with his wife and son is limiting his creativity, and this uncontrollable circumstance is causing writer’s block. And it is at this vulnerable stage of his personal and artistic life that Dinesen makes her appearance and perhaps sees an opportunity.

Spanning the years of 1948-55 this complicated bond has a catalyst in the third character Benedicte, (played by Vanessa Johansson), the wife of Bjornvig’s publisher, who warns Bjornvig of Dinesen’s duplicity when it comes to relationships. Dinesen’s intentions in cultivating her relationship with Bjornvig are revealed when Dinesen describes herself as a lioness and Bjornvig as her lion cub.

Dinesen is well-known at the time, and when she takes Bjornvig under wing they share an explosive friendship, introducing new people into their lives, and in questioning her intentions towards Bjornvig, Dinesen even doubts her mental state as she reveals her decades-long battle with syphilis.

This relationship is a mixture of regrets, control and what it is is to be an artist. All presented in an intimate space with the actors performing in a theatre scape including a modernistic and changing graphic of contemporary artwork.

Besides depicting this difficult liaison, which Bjornvig described as a complicated friendship, these authors question the role of an artist, an artist’s doubts, and how emotions and enablers conflict with an artist’s work.

The Baroness also reveals the complicated personalities of Blixen and Bjornvig, which makes for an absorbing play.

This story is entrusted to three wonderful actors including Dee Pelletier as Isak Dinesen, Conrad Ardelius as Thorkild Bjornvig, and Vanessa Johansson as Benedicte. All are commanding – and in command of their characters – and breathe life into these very intriguing and manipulative characters.


Dame Beryl Grey’s Memoir For The Love Of Dance

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Oberon Books has recently published the autobiography of one of the great British ballerinas, Beryl Grey, who had danced with the Royal Ballet, and after her retirement from the stage took on the directorship of London Festival Ballet.

For The Love Of Dance represents a detailed journal of Dame Beryl Grey’s life as a dancer with the Royal Ballet and as a freelance guest artist, and the everyday travails of directing a major ballet company and inner workings of such a ballet company. The intricacies of a ballet company’s daily life are rarely revealed to the general public and in For The Love Of Dance, the reader will be able to read insights into the hazards and rewards of taking on the job of an artistic director of a major ballet company.

Grey joined Ninette de Valois’ fledging Sadler’s Wells Ballet at age 14, dancing Swan Lake on her fifteenth birthday, Giselle at age sixteen and Aurora at nineteen – and was the first English ballerina to dance with the Bolshoi Ballet and the Kirov Ballet in Russia.

Grey describes her early childhood and life in Great Britain during World War II, and in this absorbing autobiography she describes the apprehensions and highly-charged anticipation early in her career as she took on one major role after another. She comments about rivalries with other dancers, billing, competing for roles, creation of roles, and in retrospect disappointment in how de Valois treated the dancers. She also describes the hazards of touring with a big ballet company and in small concerts after she left the Royal Ballet.

Mentioned was the lost opportunity to play Princess Katherine in Laurence Olivier’s movie version of Henry VI as de Valois refused permission for her to do so. However Grey also mentioned how rewarding it had been to dance the second ballerina role in George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial – and upon mentioning her planned wedding to Sven Svendsen, Balanchine warned her that marriage would have a deleterious effect on her career.

Also there are the fascinating facts and remembrances of Grey’s debut on a Russian stage at the height of the Cold War, primitive performing conditions but supportive colleagues, kind government officials who fixed problems, and travel plans gone awry. 

There are also many no holds barred comments about dancers she had seen perform and those dancers that performed for her while she was artistic director of London Festival Ballet. Described are inconsistent performances by company members as they danced one day to the next, coping with injured dancers, casting ballets, backstage intrigue, and also what she felt was intrigue aimed at her – uncomfortable Board of Directors’ meetings and why Eliot Feld was engaged to stage a ballet for the company – Meadow Lark – and the rationale for other choreographers to be engaged by her to either create re-stage ballets for London Festival Ballet’s repertoire. Presented are day to day journal entries with a depth of frank and honest detail.

In one of the rare instances of sensationalism in this autobiography Grey writes of the love-hate relationship she had with Rudolf Nureyev during the time period when he appeared as a guest artist with London Festival Ballet. This was the juggling act of coping with Nureyev’s moods, undermining her authority, and even violence towards dancers in the company. Also described is how this relationship had an impact on the London Festival Ballet’s touring engagements that involved Nureyev as a guest artist, and how his demands and the requirements of presenters and producers came into conflict. According to Grey he was not the only dancer that created or caused stress and challenges for her as an artistic director.

Also Grey describes how she juggled her professional life with her family life, the sacrifices her family had to make in order for her to fulfill her career goals and make a living as a dancer and artistic director. There are no clear answers to these problems in her autobiography, and these questions remain unanswered today as people contend with problems of all kinds in their daily lives.

Grey has revealed a great deal of herself in her autobiography which makes For The Love of Dance an absorbing read.

Alive and Kicking – The History of Swing Dancing

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Magnolia Home Entertainment is presenting Alive and Kicking, a documentary that examines the origins of swing dancing and its best practitioners of this dance genre today. In her directorial debut, Susan Glatzner explores all of the facets of this American social dance form, its history, and its current resurgence.

Harlem during the Great Depression was the birth place of swing and swing dancing, and as with all trends and genres, swing dancing went out of fashion and is now back in fashion. Swing dancing is now taught all over the world, and the best of the best teach this dance form, and also participate in competitions.

Alive and Kicking presents archival footage of swing dancing at its birth, and interviews with swing dancing legends Norma Miller and the late Frankie Manning – and also introduces the legends in the making in a new generation of swing dancers. 

Through this 90-minute documentary one can see the development of the great social dances that were developed and refined in the swing era, and how these social dances are making their way back into our current popular culture. There is also the emotional ride taken by the dancers themselves as they develop and perfect this dance form.

As described swing dancing is inspired by the music. Also participation in swing dancing creates a personal connection – rather than watching life one is participating in life – also creating an emotional and creative outlet. One partner leads in the dancing and thereafter it is all improvisation as one partner reads the other. It becomes a conversation between the dancers. Swing dancing is now spanning generations and is creating new dance communities.

This 90-minute documentary, Alive and Kicking, provides excellent insight into the dance form of swing dancing, the people dedicated to keeping the art form alive, and how it is inspiring its community.

York Theatre Company – Musicals in Mufti – Jerry’s Girls

York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s

August 6, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The York Theatre Company has added a special attraction to its season – adding spice to the summer – and closing the chapter on the company’s tribute to the show music of Jerry Herman. The York Theatre Company is ending its season with a Musicals in Mufti performance of the Jerry Herman revue, Jerry’s Girls, from August 5-13, 2017.

Jerry’s Girls, with a concept by Larry Alford, Wayne Cilento and Jerry Herman, had been developed in cabaret venues, then toured in the United States and arrived on Broadway in 1985 starring Dorothy Loudon, Chita Rivera, and Leslie Uggams. 

It is a tribute to the many female characters that are prominent in Jerry Herman’s musicals, such as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!, the title role and Vera Charles in Mame, and Countess Aurelia in Dear World, Mabel Normand in Mack and Mabel. Herman seemed particularly adept in understanding the female characters in his musicals and providing actresses with roles that will stand the test of time.

In Jerry’s Girls Jerry Herman’s wonderful songs are sung by an all-female cast in tribute to these  female characters that Herman has given center-stage in his musicals. And in this production Jerry’s Girls returns to its roots with minimal production values and only a pianist to accompany a cast of dazzling female performers. The result is that you have a fitting and entertaining tribute to one of Broadway’s significant composers.

In Jerry’s Girls, Herman’s songs are performed out of context but they all tell a story – comic, describing characters, and poignant. The songs are spirited, honest and uplifting, and define Jerry Herman as an American treasure.

Herman’s music was in the capable hands of the cast led by Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Christine Pedi, and Stephanie Umoh, versatile performers with excellent singing voices, story-tellers, and all having natural comic timing. All of these wonderful ladies had their moments but in particular Stephanie D’Abruzzo in her performances of “Before The Parade Passes By” and “Time Heals Everything”, Stephanie Umoh in her performances of “It Only Takes A Moment” and “I Am What I Am”, and Christine Pedi in her performances of “If He Walked Into My Life” and “Nelson”.

The cast was guided by director Pamela Hunt who understood Herman’s music and intentions, and spotlighted these marvelous actresses at their best. And then there is the musical director, Eric Svejcar, a one-man band who musically supported these female performers and is a notable interpreter of Herman’s optimistic music.

Plaudits to the York Theatre Company for presenting this most entertaining and rewarding evening of Jerry Herman’s music and to find the excellent cast, director and musical director to do justice to Herman’s contributions to Broadway.

New York Musical Festival – Georama

Peter Jay Sharp Theatre

August 4, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The New York Musical Festival continues its mission to provide a showcase for musicals that are being developed and have reached the stage when an audience’s responses are required. The Festival performances also provide opportunities for these musicals to reach the next stage of its creative process.

From August 2-6, 2017, the Festival is showcasing an official selection of the Festival’s Next Link Project, Georama: An American Panorama Told on 3 Miles of Canvas, its New York premiere, with music and lyrics by Matt Schatz & Jack Herrick with a book written by West Hyler, who is also this musical’s director.

Georama focuses on the life of the American artist John Banvard, who was a well-known artist in the first half of the 19th century and became famous for painting his three-mile long moving panorama celebrating the Mississippi River and its adjoining landscape. 

Born in New York in 1815 Banvard began painting large scale panoramas of the Mississippi River Valley in 1840. These paintings were transferred from sketches to large-scale canvases in a building built for this purpose in Louisville, Kentucky. Banvard developed a mechanism to display his panorama pieces and in 1849 began touring “Georama” in Europe, Asia, and Africa – including a private showing for Queen Victoria. Unlike other starving artists Banvard became a millionaire. This engrossing and empathetic story, which is now merely a footnote in American history, is presented in this musical.

Georama traces Banvard’s life as an artist selling his sketches of the Mississippi River Valley to passengers on the Mississippi River’s show boats, and then with the collaboration of Taylor he develops the painting of large canvases and the mechanism to present these large canvases to audiences on show boats and along the Mississippi River. Along the way Banvard romances Elizabeth Goodnow, a pastor’s daughter, who is a composer and musician, and their collaboration on Banvard’s Georama, ultimately evolves into marriage.

Banvard’s Georama intertwined moving pictures and music which became the latest novelty and trend in America – with great success at first – but as with any trend or novelty, the American public moves on to the next novelty and trend.

Banvard had a great success with his Georama but also a great many disappointments as the entertainment entrepreneur, P.T. Barnum, appropriated his ideas, and Banvard must make a decision whether he wishes to be true to his art, his wife, and the reason why he became an artist in the first place. Banvard succumbs to the conflicts of art and commerce, and must answer the question as to whether it is a betrayal for an artist to lie about his art in order to promote his art.

Of course such themes have been contemplated in all art forms, but West Hyler, Matt Schatz and Jack Herrick have created an earnest musical with a score that is sincere and tuneful, and sometimes satirical and witty in telling Banvard’s story. Now in the form of 90 minutes, Banvard must move on to the next stage to develop the characters a bit more and perhaps a bit more exposition about Banvard’s life and his enterprise, the Georama.

Georama’s story is told by the talented cast of P.J. Griffith as John Banvard, Jillian Louis as Elizabeth Goodnow, Randy Blair as Taylor, Nick Sullivan in multiple roles, and musicians Jacob Yates and Ana Marcu who also play minor roles in this musical.

Georama has already reached the stage of being informative and entertaining, and now must be developed to also expose more of its heart.

Bolshoi Ballet Dances The Taming of the Shrew

David Koch Theater

July 27, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

In its rare American tours, it is also a rarity for the Bolshoi Ballet to dance its recent acquisitions and world premieres. For this engagement at the Lincoln Center Festival, the Bolshoi Ballet performed a recent world premiere, that of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s The Taming of the Shrew, which was given its Bolshoi Ballet premiere in 2014.

There are few choreographers who have tackled a dance adaptation of this comic play by Shakespeare. The best known was choreographed by John Cranko for the Stuttgart Ballet which is in the repertoire of ballet companies all over the world. Cranko’s version of The Taming of the Shrew was inspired by Cole Porter’s Broadway musical, Kiss Me Kate, which was based on Shakespeare’s play. Maillot’s influences seem serendipitous and different but are also not wholly derived from Shakespeare’s play.

Maillot has choreographed his own unique versions of Swan Lake, Cinderella, and Romeo and Juliet. In these full-length ballets Maillot has searched for 21st century theatrical concepts to tell these stories which have their roots in prior centuries. Minimalist scenery is the landscape (designed by Ernest Pignon-Earnest), costumes inspired by couture designers (designed by Augustin Maillot), and the use of stage craft, a few props, a multitude of dance styles, and the extension of conventional mime. These ingredients have now become standard in Maillot’s narrative ballets.

In his version of The Taming of the Shrew Maillot tell his story in two short acts.  Maillot’s method of story-telling is unique in that the dancers often must connect the dots when it comes to portraying the characters and moving the story forward. The choreography is focused not only on steps and movement, but also on facial expressions, and hand movements. However when all pieced together Maillot’s view of The Taming of the Shrew is unique – and witty and satirical – and most important, fast-moving, as Shakespeare’s comedy is told in less than two hours.

Maillot has described his version of The Taming of The Shrew as a ballet about the play – and there is the avoidance of the complicated gender politics traps that productions of The Taming of the Shrew fall into. Maillot envisions Katharina and Petruchio in a battle of the sexes as two strong individuals who are trying to find out more about each other, and Katharina willingly submits to Petruchio in the end – and finds happiness in doing so. 

One should also be aware that one of Shakespeare’s collaborators, John Fletcher, had written a sequel to Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew -- entitled The Tamer Tamed -- in which Petruchio’s second wife, Maria, turns the tables on Petruchio. Even one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries had questions about Shakespeare’s slant on relationships.

From the beginning of the ballet when Victoria Litvinova as the Housekeeper comes from behind the curtain – breaking the fourth wall – and reveals herself as a self-absorbed fashionista --  it is clear that the story of The Taming of the Shrew is being told in a novel manner.

Maillot has choreographed to music from several of Dmitri Shostakovich’s ballet scores and films – Counterplan, Alone, Hamlet, Pirogov, The Gadfly, Sofia Perovskaya, The Great Citizen, Symphony No. 9 Op. 70 and String Quartet No. 8, and from his musical comedy, Moscow Chuymushliki.

Shostakovitch’s arrangement of Tea for Two is the musical back drop for the end of the ballet tea party – the seasoning of wit that seems to pop up through this ballet, and also sets the stage for Katharina’s and Petruchio’s happy ending.

Besides telling the story in The Taming of the Shrew in an unconventional manner, Maillot gets the best out of the dancers who dance this ballet. Kristine Kretova as Katharina and Denis Savin as Petruchio danced the combative pair in this ballet with Anastasia Stashkevich as Bianca and Artem Orcharenko as Lucentio, the ardent lovers in a relationship in which Bianca is the one who turns out to be more combative than Katharina and Petruchio are. All four dominate the stage when they appear – a real stretch for all four dancers.

Maillot’s ballets are an acquired taste, but it was fascinating to see the Bolshoi Ballet’s dancers tackle the unfamiliar, be challenged, and rise to the occasion.

Also I hope that it won't be too long before the Lincoln Center Festival hosts the Bolshoi Ballet again.

Lincoln Center Festival Presents Joint Performance of Jewels Danced By the Bolshoi Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Paris Opera Ballet 

David Koch Theater

July 22, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

From July 20th – 23rd, 2017 the Lincoln Center Festival produced a significant dance event. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the premiere of George Balanchine’s Jewels, the Festival presented a joint performance of Jewels danced with the participation of the New York City Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, and the Paris Opera Ballet at the David Koch Theater. 

Balanchine created Jewels for the New York City Ballet in 1967 – a 3-act abstract ballet with the only link being the theme of precious jewels visualized in the costuming and scenery. Balanchine created three ballets with different styles, and all of them expressing allusions to the past. The distinctive styles of the ballets, and the signature dancing styles of the ballet companies were emphasized and enhanced by each company dancing in costumes designed for its own specific production of Jewels.

Jewels is a ballet well-known to New York audiences but only two companies other than the New York City Ballet have danced Jewels in the New York area, Miami City Ballet at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in 1999, and the Mariinsky Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House in 2002. Ballet du Nord, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and the San Francisco Ballet have danced the Rubies act of Jewels in New York as well.

At the July 22nd matinee performance, the Paris Opera Ballet danced Jewels’ first act, Emeralds. Choreographed to Gabriel Faure’s incidental music for theatrical productions of Pelleas and Melisande and Shylock, Emeralds was Balanchine’s homage to the Romantic era of ballet in the early part of the 19th century with the Parisians dancing in distinctive costumes designed by French fashion designer Christian Lacroix.

The Paris Opera Ballet is known for its attention to detail in the way the company’s dancers dance every ballet. There was an air of mystery in this performance of Emeralds as well. All the more emphasized in Balanchine’s revised ending of the ballet with the three principal men in the cast left alone on stage. 

The attention to detail was in evidence in the first pas de deux danced by Laetitia Pujol and Mathieu Ganio, in the second pas de deux danced by Myriam Ould-Braham and Mathias Heymann, and in the pas de trois danced by Hannah O’Neill, Sae Eun Park, and Fabien Revillion. It was an occasion just to see these Paris Opera Ballet dancers on a New York stage.

The New York City Ballet danced Rubies, choreographed to Igor Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, typical of the choreographer’s style with a bit of American and Broadway swagger. The New York City Ballet dancers danced in the original costumes designed by Karinska.

Leading this cast of Rubies was Megan Fairchild, Joaquin De Luz and Teresa Reichlen exemplifying the company’s usual high energy. This performance was also notable for its spirit and clarity – and joy. In the performances of the principal dancers there was a feeling of the specialness of the occasion. 

The Bolshoi Ballet danced the closing Diamonds act, choreographed to Tchaikovsky’s Third Symphony, representing Balanchine’s reverence to the era of Marius Petipa at the Mariinsky Ballet at the end of the 19th century. The dancers danced in glittering costumes designed by Elena Zaitseva.

Dancing the principal roles in the Bolshoi Ballet’s performance of Diamonds were Alena Kovaleva and Jacopo Tissi. Tissi is a former member of La Scala Ballet and one of the few non-Russian dancers in the company. Thereby adding another layer to the stylistic nuances in the execution of Balanchine’s choreography. Kovaleva and Tissi danced with an easy elegance beyond their experience and years.

As would be expected Kovaleva, Tissi and the supporting Bolshoi Ballet’s dancers were very much suited to the opera house grandness of Diamonds. Also in evidence was the dancers’ musicality as they switched the dancing styles from classical ballet to character dancing – when the music called and choreography called for it – and then switched back to classical ballet.

This collaborative performance of Jewels reconfirmed that this rarity among Balanchine’s ballets has also become iconic.

The New York City Ballet Orchestra played the music composed by Faure, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky with refinement – under the experienced guidance of conductor Andrew Litton.

In spite of the fact that Jewels has been danced often in New York the Lincoln Center Festival’s collaborative performances of Jewels was an extraordinary artistic and logistic effort, and an opportunity to see a familiar ballet danced by companies with very distinct styles. An experience that was shared by an audience appreciative of the ballet’s acceptance, appeal and longevity.

Me & Ella

York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s

July 16, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The York Theatre Company is celebrating the summer with the “NEW2NY” series presentation of Me & Ella from July 15-23, 2017, a musical celebrating the song stylist Ella Fitzgerald. Just in time for Fitzgerald’s centennial – a perfect time to remember one of American music’s legends.

Me & Ella has been written and is performed by Andrea Frierson with music direction and arrangements by Ron Abel, and co-directed by Murphy Cross and Paul Kreppel. Here presented as a musical in development, one can see its future clearly with the need for a wider audience to experience this engaging autobiographical show.

First and foremost Me and Ella intertwines the stories of Ella Fitzgerald and Andrea Frierson, and how Fitzgerald inspired Frierson’s career in music. Frierson does not impersonate Fitzgerald but shares Fitzgerald’s essence with the audience.

Fitzgerald has been described as the First Lady of Song. She was best known for interpreting the Great American Songbook with a varied career including recordings, television, concert, and concert appearances.

Fitzgerald, like many other artists, had challenges to overcome in learning her craft and fulfilling her musical genius which entertained audiences for decades.

In this 80-minute presentation Fitzgerald’s art and life is presented through the songs that Fitzgerald aptly interpreted during her singing career – a song list that includes I’m Old Fashioned, S’Wonderful, Tisket A Tasket, I’m So Lucky To Be Me, Goody Goody, Sunday Kind of Love, Lady Be Good, Laura, I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good, How High The Moon, It Might As Well Be Spring, Close To You, and many others – as well as Frierson’s descriptive and engaging narrative.

Frierson creates a tapestry of her family life, her family’s achievements, and her own career, and how much she was inspired by Ella Fitzgerald’s difficult life and genius. Fitzgerald and Frierson are two extraordinary women with extraordinary lives that contributed so much to American life and American history. And rather than describe all of the details in these women’s lives, one should experience Frierson’s talent for storytelling for oneself. Both Fitzgerald and Frierson have compelling stories to tell.

Murphy Cross and Paul Kreppel have lovingly fashioned Andrea Frierson’s inspired journey which is enhanced by the show’s musicians, Ron Abel, Rex Benincasa, and Richie Goods.

In Me & Ella one is not only entertained by Andrea Frierson’s performance and her sincere tribute to Ella Fitzgerald – but is also moved by it. What is clear is that Andrea Frierson’s journey has not ended and will continue, and there are compelling reasons why the joy of this journey must be seen by a wider audience. 

Encores! Off Center – Assassins

City Center

July 15, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Encores! Off Center, presented by the City Center, is not a new series. But this was my first opportunity to experience the series’ mission and take in one of the high-level performances that the series presents. The mission of the series is to present off-Broadway musicals in concert form in sync with the City Center Encores series which presents concert versions of Broadway musicals.

One of the offerings presented this summer is Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins from July 12-15, 2017, a musical that premiered off-Broadway in 1990 and was remounted for a Broadway production in 2004. 

Based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr., Assassins spans decades of American history. With Sondheim’s signature music and John Weidman’s thought-provoking book Assassins focuses on the people who have attempted or succeeded in assassinating Presidents of the United States. With surgical precision Sondheim and Weidman get into the minds of these people and why they craved  notoriety so much that they would be willing to kill to make their political views known, and achieve their misguided notion of patriotism and immortality.

In this concert production, directed by Anne Kauffman, these assassins are portrayed as a crew of misfits and malcontents questioning whether the American Dream can be achieved and an obsession in effecting change through violence – and a society allowing people such as these to have easy access to the weapons to achieve their goals.

The premise for Assassins is a murderous carnival game where notorious assassins are invited to take target practice at photos of American Presidents. The characters are presented in vignettes in which these assassins articulate their frustrations of not being recognized for their hard work and victimization, and having these assassins interacting with each other in which they examine their motivation to use violence to resolve their conflicts with these American Presidents. In the closing minutes of Assassins, the notorious assassins of the past convince Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate President Kennedy in an effort to make sure they are not diminished to being footnotes in American history.

The Proprietor (played by Ethan Lipton) acts as a facilitator to egg on the assassins while a Balladeer (played by Clifton Duncan) narrates -- provoking and questioning the assassins’ motives for their actions.

Sondheim’s music and Weidman’s words speak to us profoundly – especially in those moments when black comedy is used to communicate its pertinent points emphatically – a message that seems to be timely at most any time in history. These cautionary tales are presented in an engrossing piece of theatre that keeps one full attention for about 2 hours in length.

There isn’t a weak link in this production’s cast. The superlative cast  -- matched with the targets of their characters’ assassination attempts -- included Steven Boyer as John Hinckley Jr. (Ronald Reagan), Alex Brightman as Giuseppe Zangara (Franklin Roosevelt), John Ellison Conlee as Charles Guiteau (James Garfield), Clifton Duncan as the Balladeer, Shuler Hensley as Leon Czolgosz (William McKinley), Ethan Lipton as the Proprietor, Erin Markey as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme (Gerald Ford), Steven Pasquale as John Wilkes Booth (Abraham Lincoln), Cory Michael Smith as Lee Harvey Oswald (John Kennedy), Victoria Clark as Sara Jane Moore (Gerald Ford), and Danny Wolohan as Samuel Byck (Richard Nixon).

Also Anne Kauffman’s direction and concept persuades one that Assassins is a musical for the ages.

Errol & Fidel at the New York Musical Festival

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

July 13, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The New York Musical Festival has been an important showcase for the work of composers and writers who wish to make their mark in the musical theatre. The Festival’s presentations are produced in a minimalist fashion, and the musicals performed are in the developmental stage needing the feedback from an audience in order for these musicals to be refined by their creative teams.  Several of the musicals presented in this format have been further developed and produced off-Broadway, on Broadway, and produced by regional theaters.

Of the many musicals showcased for this year’s Festival is Errol & Fidel, a new musical, that presented an attention-grabbing historical juxtaposition of a cinema star and a political leader – both of whom were known for their notoriety in their professional and private lives. It is the fictionalized story of this relationship between Hollywood movie star, Errol Flynn, and Cuba’s long-time political leader, Fidel Castro, which is the basis for Errol & Fidel and is being presented at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater on July 10, 13, 14, & 16, 2017.

Errol & Fidel is based on the historical novel by Boyd Anderson, Errol, Fidel and the Cuban Rebel Girls, with music composed by Peter Caldor, John Caldor, and Doug Oberhamer, lyrics by Boyd Anderson, and book by Boyd Anderson and Guy Anderson, an all-Australian writing team. Not a wonder that this story might be of interest to Australians as Errol Flynn was born in Australia.

Flynn became known for his roles in Hollywood films as a romantic swashbuckling leading man – a career that had its ups and down. Fidel Castro was a revolutionary leader in Cuba where he was able to bring down the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, and forcing Batista into exile.

Flynn went to Cuba in 1958 to film and produce Cuban Rebel Girls – a B-movie – where he met Fidel Castro and was initially a supporter of the Cuban Revolution. Flynn, who had some journalistic background, wrote a series of newspaper and magazine articles for American publications describing his experiences in Cuba. Many of these stories were lost, but then rediscovered in 2009 at the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for American History. And in fact, Flynn’s last known work as an actor was as the narrator of a short film, Cuban Story: The Truth About Fidel Castro Revolution which was released in 1959.

However Errol and Fidel is not an historical musical. It is a satire with a political and social edge – and is a by-product of reality television, and the public’s obsession with celebrities.

Narrator, Mima (played by Sydia Cedeno) sets the scene articulating the dreams of the Cuban people on the brink of a revolution – and the hope of Cuban immigrants to escape tyranny by receiving sanctuary in the United States and achieving the American Dream.

Errol Flynn (played by Jonathan Stewart) is making a film in Cuba at the very same moment in time. He is captured and kidnapped by Cuban revolutionaries in the mountains with the assistance of Lola (played by Claire Saunders) who is acting as a double agent for the CIA. Soon after his arrival in the revolutionary encampment, Flynn meets Fidel Castro (played by George Psomas) initiating a personal relationship as smoking and drinking buddies while commiserating with the lack of recognition for the successes they have had in their careers.

In an effort to restore his career and reflect his past glories, Flynn is taken in by Castro’s charismatic personality and with the prompting of his agent, Flynn drafts himself to be Castro’s Minister of Information. When that relationship sours, Flynn takes on the personality of the action heroines he played in the movies and escapes Castro’s guards and returns to the United States with the assistance of the CIA. Also entangled in this story are the stereotypical cold war warrior CIA bureaucrats who are naively unaware of what they are doing and how their bad decisions embroiled the United States in the quickly changing political developments in Cuba.

All along the way the story is told with tongue in cheek and satirical humor, and I am not sure that such a story could be told in this satirical manner without the objectivity of Errol & Fidel’s Australian creators who provide music, lyrics and a book that are to the point and sometimes cut like a knife – but is entertaining and funny throughout.

Under Michael Bello’s guidance as director the wonderful cast of Errol & Fidel underscore the irony and satire in this sketch of the peculiar circumstantial meeting of these two charismatic personas and what they saw to gain from their relationship.

There is the need for further development of some of the principal characters and sharpening this musical’s pace. However Errol & Fidel is remarkable for its sharp satire and its pure entertainment. 

American Ballet Theatre Ends Its Metropolitan Opera House Season with Tchaikovsky Spectacular

Metropolitan Opera House

July 8, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

To end its Metropolitan Opera House season American Ballet Theatre devoted its final week to dancing ballets that were choreographed to music by Tchaikovsky. The final program of the season on the evening of July 8th included works familiar and unfamiliar, hearing a piece of Tchaikovsky music’s for the first time, and also important historical inserts that were presented in an excerpt from one of Tchaikovsky’s classics.

Not only was the program dominated by Tchaikovsky’s music, but also by two choreographers whose roots had been in Russia and had developed their careers as choreographers in the West – George Balanchine and Alexei Ratmansky.

George Balanchine was represented by two of his works representing his choreographic range, and his musical sophistication. Balanchine approached Tchaikovsky’s Suite No. 4 on several occasions during his career as a score for Mozartiana – the first time in 1933 and a new version in 1981 in conjunction with the New York City Ballet’s Tchaikovsky Festival. Tchaikovsky’s orchestral suite is an arrangement and orchestration of short works by Mozart, a composer that Tchaikovsky had venerated. 

Mozartiana is reverential and spiritual in its choreographic content as represented in the Preghiera section and is quickly followed by the Gigue which offers a joyful counter balance. The choreography is uncomplicated and can expose a ballet dancer’s faults. Mozartiana has been in American Ballet Theatre’s repertoire since 2004 and on this occasion was danced by Hee Seo, Cory Stearns, and Jeffrey Cirio supported by students from the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Seo was soulful in the opening Preghiera section and was ably partnered by the elegant Cory Stearns, and Cirio was elfin-like in the Gigue.

When Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov prepared their iconic production of Swan Lake for the Mariinsky Ballet, they didn’t have all of Tchaikovsky’s music. Missing was the music that Tchaikovsky had composed for the Black Swan Pas de Deux which had been part of the score for the Bolshoi Ballet’s production of Swan Lake. In rediscovering this music, Balanchine choreographed a stand-alone virtuoso pas de deux in the neo-classical style which, in mood, was in striking contrast with the original narrative intent of Tchaikovsky’s music. 

Balanchine created this duet for Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow in 1960 and in this performance it was danced by Isabella Boylston and Joseph Gorak. Boylston and Gorak were tested in executing filigree and floating choreography and did so with ease and flair.

The other two pieces on this program were contributions by Alexei Ratmansky. The first of which was the company premiere of Ratmansky’s Souvenir D’un Lieu Cher, a work that Ratmansky had created for the Dutch National Ballet in 2012. Tchaikovsky composed this moody and striking piece of music for piano and violin, which was later orchestrated and arranged by Alexander Glazunov. Ratmansky choreographed this work for two couples who fall in and out of love in the first section of the piece, and then have a complete emotional turnaround in the second section. Jealousy and conflicting emotions are evident and there are illusions to Antony Tudor’s Jardin Aux Lilas.

There was a great deal of sexual tension reflected in the dancing and the choreography in Souvenir, which was well danced by Devon Teuscher, David Hallberg, Cassandra Trenary and Tyler Maloney who all heightened the tension in the piece.

Closing the program was Ratmansky’s staging of the third act of his opulently designed production of The Sleeping Beauty which he had staged complete and was performed by American Ballet Theatre in 2015. This production was inspired by the Diaghilev Ballets Russes’ production of The Sleeping Princess that premiered in 1921. 

On this occasion, this performance omitted the Hop ‘o My Thump and Cinderella divertissements, and inserted were the Porcelain Trio, danced to the Chinese Dance from The Nutcracker, choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska, and The Three Ivans, danced to the Russian Trepak from The Nutcracker, choreographed by Ninette de Valois, both of which were included in the aforementioned production of The Sleeping Princess. These divertissements were restaged and reconstructed from film. Although neither one of these divertissements seemed to be integrated into this historical production of The Sleeping Beauty, and seemed more suited to a production of The Nutcracker, it was an opportunity to have some idea of what The Sleeping Princess might have been like when it premiered in 1921.

The role of Aurora was danced by Cassandra Trenary with Joseph Gorak as her adoring Prince, Luciana Paris as the Diamond Fairy, and Sarah Lane as Princess Florine and Gabe Stone Shayer as the Bluebird. All of these dancers adapted to the historical period style of choreography that Ratmansky staged for this production which to today’s audience represented moments of surprise more often than not.

This all made for a special evening of dance – reverential to Tchaikovsky and choreographers George Balanchine, Alexei Ratmansky, Bronislava Nijinska, and Ninette de Valois – and the perfect way to end American Ballet Theatre’s Metropolitan Opera House season. Now only to wait for American Ballet Theatre’s fall season at the David Koch Theater in October.

Royal Ballet Dances All-Ashton Program

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

To conclude its cinema screenings for the 2016-17 season the Royal Ballet presented an all-Frederick Ashton mixed-bill program which will be shown in the United States during the month of July. As a choreographer and artistic director, Mr. Ashton’s vision was a major influence on the artistic development of the Royal Ballet and its international reputation as one of the world’s major ballet companies.

In this mixed-bill program there are three prime examples of why Mr. Ashton’s choreography is not only an important aspect of the Royal ballet’s artistic vision but also Mr. Ashton’s place in dance history. These ballets represent a wide range of his choreography at pivotal points in his creative life.

The Dream premiered in 1964 as part of a mixed-bill program celebrating the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth, and was fashioned as a vehicle for young ballet stars in the making, Antoinette Sibley creating the role of Titania, and Anthony Dowell creating the role of Oberon. In The Dream Mr. Ashton distilled the magical and comic plot of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a concise and stylish manner, and added brilliance by re-setting the action in Victorian England.

Mr. Ashton chose Felix Mendelssohn’s well known incidental music – arranged for The Dream by John Lanchbery – with a beautiful forest setting created by the designer David Walker along with the Victorian costumes to match.

As in Shakespeare’s play, Ashton creates the magical atmosphere and supernatural world in which two pairs of mismatched lovers are united. Also in what may be considered a cruel joke as revenge for Titania not giving up her Changeling Indian Boy (played by Ambrose Bartlett), Oberon plays a trick on his love, Titania, convincing her that she is in love with a donkey – until all is resolved. The epilogue of The Dream is a beautiful pas de deux of reconciliation and love danced by Titania and Oberon.

In this performance Akane Takada takes on the role of Titania, and Steven McRae takes on the role of Oberon. This is a sublime pairing with McRae being imperious as Oberon and giving an excellent account of the choreography in the Scherzo, and Takada is impish, and a bit spoiled, and exacting in her dancing.

Also integral in The Dream is the role of Puck here danced by Valentino Zucchetti, the comic Bottom danced by Bennet Gartside – in a particular heartrending and sympathetic characterization -- and the excellent  two pairs of lovers, Itziar Mendizabal as Helena, Tomas Mock as Demetrius, Claire Calvert as Hermia, and Matthew Ball as Lysander.

Another one of Ashton’s masterpieces follows, Symphonic Variations, premiered in 1946, choreographed to Cesar Franck’s music of the same name, with distinctive designs by Sophie Fedorovitch.

With choreography influenced by the neo-classical style, only six dancers are on stage, dancing in unison and separately to form sculptural pictures against Fedorovitch’s landscape. The six dancers never leave the stage during this ballet. There are many moments of stillness in Symphonic Variations which are just as effective as the movement in Ashton’s choreography. Here danced with musicality and precision by Marianela Nunez and Vadim Muntagirov with Yasmine Naghdi, James Hay, Yuhui Choe, and Tristan Dyer as the side dancers.

To conclude the program is Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand, based on Dumas’ Lady of the Camellias, and more of a piece d’occasion than a substantive ballet as it was created as a star vehicle for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev at the beginning of their partnership in 1963. Marguerite and Armand has been revived of late by the Royal Ballet and has been acquired by other ballet companies, but in this instance it was a piece d’occasion as much as anything else. These last performances of Marguerite and Armand for the 2016-17 season marked the farewell performances by Royal Ballet principal dancer, Zenaida Yanowsky here dancing Marguerite opposite guest artist, Roberto Bolle, of La Scala.

The story of Marguerite and Armand is told from Marguerite’s point of view in a series of flashbacks highlighting the key moments in the story about these passionate lovers.

Choreographed to a piano sonata composed by Franz Liszt with designs by Cecil Beaton one has all of the ingredients of a dramatic yet understated ballet that Ashton was known for.

Yanowsky is one of the best dramatic dancers of her generation and she was equally matched by Bolle’s ardent Armand. This is a story of passion, betrayal and heightened emotions – further heightened as this was Yanowsky’s farewell performance – ending with a celebration as only the Royal Ballet can do it.

This is a glorious evening of ballet celebrating Frederick Ashton’s career as a choreographer, and Zenaida Yanowsky’s career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet – a suitable ending to this season’s series of cinema screenings.

To find this screening at a venue in the United States, visit https://www.roh.org.uk/cinemas.

American Ballet Theatre Turns To The Drama of Eugene Onegin

Metropolitan Opera House

June 21, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Although John Cranko’s Onegin has been in American Ballet Theatre’s repertoire since 2001, the ballet has not been performed regularly by the company. Cranko’s classic ballet drama based on Alexander Pushkin’s poem, has returned to American Ballet Theatre’s active repertoire during its Metropolitan Opera House season with familiar and unfamiliar casts.

Cranko created Onegin for the Stuttgart Ballet and the ballet had been performed regularly by that company in New York during its American tours. There had been performances of Onegin in New York danced by the National Ballet of Canada and the Bavarian State Opera Ballet, but American Ballet Theatre is now calling Onegin its own in these performances from June 19-24, 2017. Borrowing new costumes and scenery from the National Ballet of Canada designed by Santo Loquasto, Onegin made a triumphant return to New York at the Metropolitan Opera House.

The focus of Onegin’s story is the passage to adulthood of the young and impressionable Tatiana, who has an infatuation with Eugene Onegin, a mysterious visitor. Onegin spurns Tatiana’s affection, and Onegin’s uncompromising devotion to honor is tested when he is challenged to a duel by Lensky – precipitated by Onegin’s flirtation with Lensky’s love, Tatiana’s sister, Olga. It is years later when Tatiana, now married to Prince Gremin, that Onegin realizes what he lost in not returning Tatiana’s affection. He tries to persuade her of his feelings, but Tatiana rejects him.

Rather than employing music from Tchaikovsky’s opera, Eugene Onegin, Kurt-Heinz Stoltze arranged lesser known Tchaikovsky music fashioning a score that seems as if it was commissioned for Cranko’s ballet. The score includes excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s piano cycle, The Seasons, and also from the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy.

There is a great deal of heightened drama and theatrics in Onegin -- particularly the moving Act I Letter Scene --  which draws one into the story which Cranko tells concisely in dance terms. The choreography flows organically and the dramatic details are told in a literal and easy to access fashion  -- with very little conventional mime -- while also being the showcase for excellent dancing. The choreography and the ballet itself tend to test dancers as actors and mature artists.

This doesn’t mean that Cranko hasn’t included visions of grandeur with huge ballroom scenes, and theatrical dancing. However every choreographic element that Cranko introduced into Onegin has an important role in illuminating this dance adaptation of Pushkin’s poem, defining the characters, and creating the atmosphere and the mood in which the story takes place.

American Ballet Theatre is presenting four casts during  its Metropolitan Opera House season and I was able to see the matinee performance on June  21, 2017 which featured Stella Abrera as Tatiana, Cory Stearns in the title role, Cassandra Trenary as Olga, Joseph Gorak as Lensky and Alexandre Hammoudi as Prince Gremin.

Abrera has shown herself to be a creditable dance actress in many other roles and she came into her own in Onegin’s Third Act Pas de Deux – this is also where the chemistry truly was at its height with Cory Stearns in the title role. Gorak was superlative in the Act II solo as the character he was portraying, Lensky, was emotionally bereft at what could be his death in a duel with Onegin – and Cassandra Trenary, as Olga, came through with flying colors in regard to her acting ability and the crispness in her dancing. Hammoudi brought pathos to his performance of Prince Gremin.

American Ballet Theatre is on its way to making John Cranko’s Onegin its own and I trust will succeed in just that with more frequent performances of the ballet in the coming years. 

Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition

Symphony Space

June 10, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Valentina Kozlova hosted her own international ballet competition’s gala and awards ceremony at Symphony Space on June 10, 2017. This competition is unique for many reasons including the participants encompassing an age range that included young dancers and senior dancers, there is a separate competition for modern dance and modern dance choreography, and the goal for competitors is to obtain scholarships for further studies and contracts with professional dance companies. In short one can see what is in store for the future when it comes to the development of artists in the dance world.

The Awards Ceremony and Gala were the culmination of a competition which began on June 6, 2017, and was adjudicated by a distinguished jury with Andris Liepa as the Chairman of the Judges, and including Nina Mireille Buisson (France), Charles Jude (France), Caroline Llorca (Germany), Nina Ananiashvili (Georgia), Ivan Cavallari (Italy), Alberto Pretto (Italy), Tursynbek Nurkaliev (Kazakhstan), Aivars Leimanis (Latvia), Patricia Aulestia de Alba (Mexico), Olga Guardia De Smoak (Panama), Sergei Soloviev (Russia), Sun Hee Kim (South Korea), Mi Sook Jeon (South Korea), Jelko Yuresha (United Kingdom), Virginia Johnson (USA), Victoria Morgan (USA), Radenko Pavlovich (USA), Margo Sappington (USA), and Peter Stark (USA).

The contemporary competitors were required to dance a compulsory choreographic solo with Y. Czhang choreographing the compulsory solo for the senior male division, and Ricardo Scheir choreographing the compulsory solo for the senior male division. Classical dancers were required to dance variations from La Viviandiere. The contemporary competitors also brought solos that had been pre-prepared presenting a wide range of choreography, while classical competitors chose from a list of required repertoire and also danced contemporary solos. All of the competitors must be lauded for their work and contributions to this Competition’s success. 

The award winners were:

GRAND PRIX

Bakhtiyar Adamzham, Kazakhstan – Classical 

Sungmin Kim, South Korea - Contemporary

CLASSICAL COMPETITION MEDAL WINNERS

Youth Division (Ages 11 - 12)  Female

Gold Medal: Seehyun Kim, South Korea 

Silver Medal: Katya Saburova, Russia 

Bronze Medal: Lilly Fridlyand, USA

Bronze Medal: Chloe Colter, USA

Bronze Medal: Delaney Hart, USA

Youth Division (Ages 11 - 12)  Male

Gold Medal: Kangwon Lee, South Korea

No Silver and Bronze Medals Awarded

Student Division (Ages 13 - 14)

Gold Medal: Alesia Astashonok, Belarus

Gold Medal: Catherine Parker, Switzerland 

Silver Medal: Nattalia Tiemi Nakamura, Brazil 

Bronze Medal: Jillian Schubert, USA

Bronze Medal: Natasha Snogren, USA

Junior Division (Ages 15 - 17)  Female

Gold Medal: Rheya Shano, USA

Gold Medal: Yuyu Ichikawa, Belgium 

Silver Medal: Mari Bell, Canada 

Bronze Medal: Talia Egge, USA

Bronze Medal: Madison Holdsworth, USA

Junior Division (Ages 15 - 17) Male

No Gold and Silver Medals Awarded 

Bronze Medal: João Paulo Jezler, Brazil 

Bronze Medal: Marco Marongiu, Italy

Senior Division (Ages 18 - 26) Female

Gold Medal: Yu Jeong Choi, South Korea 

Silver Medal: Eunhye Lee, South Korea 

Medal: Francesca Loi, Italy

Senior Division (Ages 18 - 26) Male

Gold Medal: Jinsol Eum, South Korea 

Gold Medal: Koyo Yanagishima, USA

Silver Medal: Justin Valentine, USA

Silver Medal: Jun Kyoung Kim, South Korea 

Medal: Serik Nakyspekov, Kazakhstan 

Bronze Medal: Marcos Silva, Brazil

Best Interpretation of the Classical Compulsory Female 

Iliana Yotova, Bulgaria

Best Interpretation of the Classical Compulsory Male 

Christian Pforr, USA

Best Interpretation of the Contemporary Compulsory “Deep Mirror” 

Alice Lunedei, Italy

Camila Rodrigues, USA

Best Interpretation of the Contemporary Compulsory “In the Wake”

Marcos Silva, Brazil

CONTEMPORARY COMPETITION

MEDALWINNERS

Division I (Ages 12 and Under)

Gold Medal: Sadie Weintraub, Ireland 

Silver Medal: Lilly Fridlyand, USA 

Medal: Maria Loberto, Brazil 

Bronze Medal: Katya Saburova, Russia

Division II (Ages 13 - 14)

Gold Medal: Noh Youn Kim, South Korea

Silver Medal: Jillian Schubert, USA

Bronze Medal: Giuliana Maria Tavarelli Nunes, Paraguay

Division III (Ages 15 - 17) Female

Gold Medal: Nikita Boris, USA

Silver Medal: Yul Ui Kim, South Korea 

Bronze Medal: Alexia Duff, USA 

Bronze Medal: Semi Lim, South Korea

Division III (Ages 15 - 17) Male

No Gold Medal Awarded

Silver Medal: Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil 

Bronze Medal: Roberto Santos, Brazil 

Bronze Medal: Khevyn Sigismondi, Belgium

Division IV (Ages 18 and Up) Female

Gold Medal: Jooeun Son, South Korea

Silver Medal: Kyungmee Hwang, South Korea

Silver Medal: Scarlet Oliveira, Brazil 

Bronze Medal: Yasmine Matos, Brazil 

Bronze Medal: Isabella Souza, Brazil

Division IV (Ages 18 and Up) Male

Gold Medal: DongHun Go, South Korea 

Gold Medal: Haneul Jung, South Korea 

Silver Medal: Seungmin Choi, South Korea 

Silver Medal:  Justin Valentine, USA 

Bronze Medal: In Hyeok Jung, South Korea 

Bronze Medal: Jey Santos, Brazil

Duets

Gold Medal: Yasmin Matos and Jey Santos, Brazil

Silver Medal: Nicole Soares and Marcos Silva, Brazil

Bronze Medal: Ana Luiza Santilli and Gabriel Barbosa, Brazil

Bronze Medal:  Mima Freitas and Alexandre Lobo, Brazil

Groups

Gold Medal: Dedicatoria de um Retrato by Laura Moeckel, Brazil

Silver Medal: Implexus by Flavia  Sà, Brazil

Bronze Medal: Sensibus by Ricardo Scheir, Brazil

CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION MEDAL WINNERS

Gold Medal: A Thin Line Between by Sunghoom Kim, South Korea

Gold Medal: Delusion by Jungoh Ha, South Korea

Silver Medal: Implexus by Flavia Sà, Brazil 

Silver Medal: Hersperion by Ariel Rose, Brazil 

Bronze Medal: Only… by Flavia Sà, Brazil

COMPANY CONTRACTS

Boston Ballet – USA

Natasha Snogren, USA

Cincinnati Ballet – USA

Marcos Silva, Brazil

Columbia Classical Ballet – USA

Camila Rodrigues, Brazil 

Mari Bell, Canada

Lily Saito, USA 

SCHOLARSHIPS

Accademia Internazionale Coreutica – Italy

Rheya Shano, USA 

Iliana Yotova, Bulgaria 

João Paulo Jezler, Brazil

Boston Ballet – USA

Natasha Snogren, USA

Brussels International Ballet School – Belgium

Francesca Loi, Italy 

Iliana Yotova, Bulgaria

Catherine Parker, Switzerland 

Marcos Silva, Brazil

João Paulo Jezler, Brazil

Koyo Yanagishima, USA

ClémentGuillaume, France 

Marco Marongiu, Italy

Cincinnati Ballet – USA

Rheya Shano, USA

Cinevox Junior Company– Switzerland

Marcos Silva, Brazil

Columbia Classical Ballet – USA

Natasha Snogren, USA

Conservatoire National Superieur de musique et de danse de Paris – France

Catherine Parker, Switzerland

Christian Pforr, USA

K-ARTS – South Korea

 Sydney Hensen, USA 

Madison Holdsworth. USA

Le Atelier Loft – Switzerland 

Alesia Astashonok, USA 

Pauline Gierling, Belgium

Munich National Conservatoire – Germany

Alesia Astashonok, Belarus

Tulsa  Ballet  –  USA

Alice Lunedei, Italy

Camila Rodrigues, USA

VKDCNY Full Year Scholarship – USA

Jillian Schubert, USA

VKDCNY Sotogrande Summer Intensive – Spain

Alesia Ashtashonok, USA 

Alexia Duff, USA

Elodie Lefebvre, Belgium 

Marcos  Silva,  Brazil 

João Paulo Jezler, Brazil

PERFORMANCE INVITATIONS

Confederacion Interamericana y Mundial de Profesionales de Danza Gala Tijuana – Mexico

Clément Guillaume, France

Corporea in the State of Mexico – Mexico

Koyo Yanagishima, USA

Gala Rudolph Nureyev Moscow March 2017 – Russia

Bakhtiyar Adamzham, Kazakhstan

Performance at the Ecuador Congress Gala – Ecuador

Nikita Boris, USA

Justin Valentine, USA

Riga National Gala August 2017 – Latvia

Bakhtiyar Adamzham, Kazakhstan

Also Arthur Mitchell was given an award to honor his lifetime achievement in dance. This award was accepted by Eddie Shellman on Mr. Mitchell’s behalf, with Ms. Kozlova giving a heartfelt speech about Mr. Mitchell’s sacrifices and successes in his founding of the Dance Theatre of  Harlem, and also describing the arts as having no borders.

The award winners also performed in the Competition’s Gala with the medal winners showing off their versatility and their artistry in varied  contemporary dance pieces, and classical ballet competitors dancing both classical ballet pieces and contemporary dance pieces.

Besides the award winners’ performances in the gala, also among the participants was a trio of dancers, Gazella Verbitskaya, Nina Immobilashvili, and Eugenia Repelskii of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, who danced a more than credible performance of the Odalisques Pas de Trois from Le Corsaire. 

American Ballet Theatre Dances Le Corsaire – A Pirate Fantasy

Metropolitan Opera House

June 6, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The ballet, Le Corsaire, is unique in ballet history as for decades the ballet was only danced by Russian ballet companies. It is only in the last 20 years or so that the ballet has been seen more widely and has become popular.

The ballet is based on a poem by Lord Byron, and was given its world premiere at the Paris Opera in 1856 with choreography by Joseph Mazilier. Marius Petipa re-choreographed Le Corsaire for a production danced by the Mariinsky Ballet in 1889. It is Petipa’s production that provides the foundation for current productions, but the score is a mix of music composed by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Leo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo and Prince Oldenbourg.

American Ballet Theatre’s production of Le Corsaire was staged by Anna-Marie Holmes in 1998 after Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev – a production that American Ballet Theatre has toured widely.

Le Corsaire’s story focuses on a Greek princess, Medora, who has been sold to Seyd, a pasha. Conrad, a pirate, falls in love with her and organizes his pirate gang to steal Medora away from the pasha by raiding the village and kidnapping Lankendem who is the owner of the village’s bazaar.

Conrad succeeds in his quest, but when Medora makes the request for Conrad to have all of the slaves freed, one of Conrad’s pirates, Birbanto, betrays him. Birbanto succeeds in his plot to capture Medora and free Lankendem. But disguised as pilgrims, Conrad and his band of pirates save Medora, and they sail off in his pirate ship only to be shipwrecked – but they survive serving as a symbol of their enduring love.

There is a lot of swashbuckling, bravura dancing – including the pas de trois version of the Le Corsaire Pas de Deux in Act II – and the beautiful Jardin Anime, a divertissement combining soloists and the corps de ballet to represent a flower garden coming to life. And the story is told in three fast-moving acts.

American Ballet Theatre’s performance of Le Corsaire on June 6, 2017 featured the cast of Hee Seo as Medora, Cory Stearns as Conrad, Devon Teuscher as Gulnare, Joo Woo Ahn as Lankendem, James Whiteside as Ali, and Gabe Stone Shayer as Birbanto.

The combination of Hee Seo as an elegant and serene princess, and Cory Stearns as a matinee idol hero had a great deal of chemistry. Stearns, a strong partner, brought out Seo’s fluid classical style, and with James Whiteside displaying pyrotechnics as Ali, the Act II Pas de Trois proved to be the highlight of this performance.

Devon Teuscher as Gulnare has all of the facility and presence of a principal ballerina showing  strength and control in her solo variations – while Gabe Stone Shayer as Birbanto showed off his considerable technique and his comic sensibility, as did Joo Woo Ahn as Lankendem – in particular in the Act I Pas de Deux with Gulnare.

The trio of Pauline Waski, Zhong-Jing Fang, and Kaho Ogawa as the Odalisques were all treasures, and American Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet came into its own in the Jardin Anime divertissement.

More importantly Le Corsaire is a fun evening of entertainment and a showcase for wonderful dancing.

Paper Mill Playhouse Presents Mary Poppins

Paper Mill Playhouse

June 3, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Paper Mill Playhouse is concluding its 2016-17 season with its own presentation of the stage version of the magical film, Mary Poppins from May 24 through June 25, 2017.

Based on P.L. Travers stories and the Walt Disney film, with original music and lyrics from the film by Richard M. and Robert Sherman, new songs and additional music and lyrics by Anthony Drewe and George Stiles, and a book by Julian Fellowes (of Downton Abbey fame), this stage version premiered on Broadway in 2006 and closed on Broadway in 2013 – not all that long ago it seems, but has been missed.  

This stage version’s adaptation mirrors the film’s plot and themes. But the stage version includes a few of the grimmer aspects of P.L. Travers stories.  On the other hand it is all joyous and entertaining – and lives up to its reputation as the international hit Mary Poppins has become.

As in the film version Mary Poppins turns up out of nowhere upon being made aware of the requirements for a nanny as proscribed by the Banks’ family’s children domiciled on Cherry Tree Lane. She has an uncanny ability to connect with children using magic tricks, cajoling, taking the children on fantasy travels, appears and disappears at will,  and also solves the problems of the adults in the same household. 

The Banks household has been set on its ear as Mr. Banks has not been successful in balancing his work responsibilities as a banker in London with his family responsibilities. His children are concerned, and so is Mrs. Banks. 

There is a reason why Mr. Banks is not as close to his children as he might be and wants to be, but this puzzle and others are charmingly presented and resolved by Mary Poppins, taking the audience on a journey that is as delightful and enchanting as a musical can be and should be. This production of Mary Poppins is wrapped in all of the charm that can entrance an audience – from the very young to the most cynical adults among us.

Drewe and Stiles have composed the additional songs in a fashion that completely meshes with the original Sherman songs from the film version, and Fellowes has conjured a compilation of the Mary Poppins’ tales that showcases the magic that Mary Poppins creates. All of the main characters have back stories including Mrs. Banks’ previous career on the stage, and Mr. Banks being terrified by his own nanny Miss Andrew (described as the Holy Terror).  

Also there are the wonderful dance numbers choreographed by Denis Jones, and familiar songs that tug at the heart strings, and make hearts sing no matter what age you may be.

All is under the reverential and expert direction by Mark S.  Hoebee, and fashioned in such a way that makes the Paper Mill Playhouse’s production of Mary Poppins inviting and entertaining.

And you can’t find any faults in Denis Jones’ choreography for the knee-raising Step in Time and the clever staging of Supercali-fragilisticexpialidocious inventing a spelling lesson that is amusing and ingenious.

This production of Mary Poppins is buoyed by a superlative cast including Elena Shaddow as the inimitable and practically perfect Mary Poppins, Mark Evans as Poppins’ sidekick Bert, Adam Monley as George Banks, Jill Paice as Mrs. Banks,  Dierdre Friel as Mrs. Brill, Bill Nolte as Admiral Boom, Blakely Slaybaugh as Robertson Ay, Abbie Grace Levi as Jane Banks, John Michael Pitera as Michael Banks, and then there is Liz McCartney in the dual role as the Bird Woman and Miss Andrew – with McCartney singing Feed The Birds in a compelling and compassionate fashion, and transforming herself into the role of the horrifying Miss Andrew.

Anything is possible with Mary Poppins around. It is a joy to see Mary Poppins on the stage again, and entertaining new audiences. By all means get to the Paper Mill Playhouse to see this classic musical with this incomparable cast while you can. 

Janis Brenner & Dancers Presents New York Premieres

Gibney Dance – Agnes Varis Dance Center

June 1 , 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

For its annual New York season, Janis Brenner & Dancers is performing at the Gibney Dance - Agnes Varis Dance Theater from June 1-3, 2017 as part of Gibney Dance’s Performance Opportunity Project.

Presented were two New York premieres both of which feature Brenner’s signature choreography, sentiment, humanity – and also tinged with her special brand of humor where appropriate. Most important is that you will be moved by what you are seeing and experiencing.

The focal point of this engagement is the New York premiere of an ambitious project, a major work choreographed by Janis Brenner, Once You Are Not A Stranger, which had its world premiere at the Sarajevo Winter Festival on February 10, 2017.

This work, a collaboration with composer musician Svjetlana Bukvich, costume designer Sue Julien, set designer, Eva Petric (Petric also providing designs for projection/video design and photograph collection), and lighting designer Mitchell Bogard, represents another stage in Janis Brenner’s artistic  maturity as a dance-maker. This work in particular, is an artistic response to the troubled times that have taken over the world as we know it. 

Once You Are Not A Stranger is the culmination of the family histories of each of the participating dancers which illuminate lineage and ancestry, and emphasizing that we are one community at a time when people are being displaced all over the world. If there was one note of humor, Brenner, herself states that she is walking in someone else’s shoes, and that is a metaphor for own experiences as well as for others.

In Once You Are Not A Stranger, Brenner has collaborated with her dancers in the creation of the choreography, combining young and mature artists who contribute to this important piece. Kyla Barkin, DeAndre Cousley,  Ruth Howard, Sumaya Jackson, Kristi Ann  Schopfer, Aaron Selissen, Brenner herself and composer Svetlana Bukvich all infuse a part of themselves in the performance of this work. The added ingredient is that the piece was performed with live music – including Ms. Brenner as a vocalist.

Also on the program was another one of Ms. Brenner’s works making its New York premiere, Soul River/Blues, which Ms. Brenner created in collaboration with the Maya Dance Theatre in Singapore. 

Inspired by the music of Ry Cooder, and BV Bhatt’s “A Meeting by the River” this piece focuses on the significance of water in rituals and as a part of nature. Sometimes nature at its cruelest when devastation is the result. In this piece Brenner evokes the East, while also creating a spiritual and calming atmosphere.

In Soul River/Blues dancers Kara Chan, Ruth Howard, Sumaya Jackson, Kristi Ann Schopfer and Aaron Selissen create the mood – and the calm.

In this particular program Janis Brenner sets the tone for our times -- no mean feat in these difficult times, making for a provocative and entertaining program of dance.

American Ballet Theatre Dances Giselle

Metropolitan Opera House

May 29, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The ballet, Giselle, has been in American Ballet Theatre’s repertoire since 1940, and fulfilling that long tradition the company performed Kevin McKenzie’s staging of this Romantic era 19th century classic for a week of performances during the company’s Metropolitan Opera House season from May 25 to 31, 2017.

The ballet, Giselle, is one of the few ballets created during the early 19th century which continues to be performed today. It is the epitome of that time period’s style and it is a style that must be mastered by the best of any generation’s dancers.

Productions of Giselle differ from each other in what amount to small details. What is consistent is the core of the story which is about a young girl who is being taken advantage of by an arrogant aristocrat – a story taken out of early 19th century literature when women’s roles in ballets and operas tended to be roles in which they were ill-used by men. However in Giselle there is a redemptive resolution to the story.

Giselle is a peasant girl who is pursued by two eligible men. One of them, Hilarion, is a gamekeeper in the village, and other is Loys, who is actually Count Albrecht, a local aristocrat who has disguised himself as a peasant and is affianced to Bathilde, the Duke of Courland’s daughter.

Hilarion reveals Albrecht’s deception which results in Giselle being so despondent that she dies of a broken heart – presented with theatricality in a “Mad Scene”. However her departed spirit returns in the second act of the ballet in which Giselle saves Albrecht from the wrath of the Wilis, and saves his life. It is assumed that upon being successful in his redemption that Albrecht has resolved his character flaws. We may yet have hope for him as he pursues his life in the future.

Although Giselle premiered at the Paris Opera Ballet, with choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, most productions of Giselle performed today have their ancestry in productions of the ballet staged in Russia. Marius Petipa revived Giselle for the Mariinsky Ballet and his production is the blueprint for today’s productions of Giselle.

There was a strong Russian tradition represented in the performance of the American Ballet Theatre dancers who assumed the principal roles in this ballet.

For this performance on May 29th, 2017, Isabella Boylston portrayed the heroine and title role, and dancing Boylston’s Albrecht was James Whiteside. Boylston’s Giselle was vulnerable and believable, and her mad scene was filled with naturalistic dramatic details. As the spirit of Giselle in Act II her dancing reflected Giselle’s forgiving nature.

Whiteside’s Albrecht was regal, royal, and often arrogant and proud. His attributes as an excellent partner was particularly present in Act II as he was able to assist Boylston in presenting the theatrical allusion that Boylston was Giselle’s spirit.

Veronika Part was a commanding Queen of the Wilis as were Zhong-Jing Fang as Zulma and Katherine Williams as Moyna, and much credit must be given to American Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet for the uniform poetry and the necessary menace presented in the sequences danced by the Wilis. Patrick Ogle’s Hilarion was sympathetic as he expressed his devotion and loyalty to Giselle and exhibited his pain when Giselle unexpectedly dies.

American Ballet Theatre also presented its future with the excellent performances of Skylar Brandt and Joseph Gorak in the Peasant Pas de Deux.

American Ballet Theatre’s reading of this great ballet classic is one that shows depth and compassion. 

American Ballet Theatre Brings Back Don Quixote

Metropolitan Opera House

May 17, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

American Ballet Theatre has opened its annual Metropolitan Opera House season with a week of performances of the Kevin McKenzie/Susan Jones staging of the full-length ballet, Don Quixote – a ballet that has been missed from ABT’s repertoire.

A curiosity about the ballet, Don Quixote, is that Marius Petipa created his first version for the Imperial Russian Ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1869, and later re-created a new production for the Imperial Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1871. Most modern-day productions derive from a version staged by Alexander Gorsky for the Bolshoi Ballet – and later staged for the Mariinsky Ballet – in the very early years of the 20th century, and continued to be performed in Russia during the days of the Soviet Union and until the present. Although many ballet companies now perform productions of Don Quixote, the ballet’s choreography requires a very high standard of dancing, and fortunately American Ballet Theatre meets that standard with ease.

When Marius Petipa conceived Don Quixote, his libretto focused on an episode from Cervantes’ novel, one of the great literary masterpieces of the Spanish Golden Age of the 17th century. The Knight Errant, Don Quixote, contemplates his vision of an ideal love, Dulcinea, and sets out on a quest to find her and to right the wrongs inflicted upon those that are powerless.

In the Act I Prologue, Don Quixote (here played by Clinton Luckett) wanders into a village, with his companion Sancho Panza (played by Sean Stewart), and supports the efforts of Basilio, the local barber, in his romantic pursuit of Kitri, the tavern keeper’s daughter. Kitri’s father has greater aspirations for his daughter and hopes to match her up with one of the local aristocrats, Gamache. However with the Don’s assistance – and those of Kitri’s friends, Kitri and Basilio are joined together in marriage offering up a third act wedding celebration with lots of fireworks and flash.

The ballet’s first act set ups the conflict and the romance between Kitri and Basilio which is highlighted by the first of several virtuoso pas de deux danced by these protagonists as well as a spirited suite of dances led by Espada the Toreador and Mercedes the Street Dancer. To escape Gamache and Kitri’s father, Kitri and Basilio are whisked off to a gypsy camp.

Then Petipa conjures up the romantic and mysterious atmosphere of one of his Dream sequences in which the Queen of the Dryads, and a vision of Kitri, which the Don misapprehends as his ideal love, Dulcinea.  Then a comic tavern scene in which the Don, Basilio, and Kitri outsmart Kitri’s father to gain his consent to the marriage of Kitri and Basilio leading in to the Act III wedding celebration, a suite of divertissements including the well-known Don Quixote Pas de Deux.

American Ballet Theatre’s staging of Don Quixote reveals the comic story that is told in a clear fashion, while also moving aside when necessary to make room for the virtuoso dancing.

In this performance on May 17th, 2017, it was Isabella Boylston as Kitri and Danill Simkin as Basilio whose virtuoso dancing and mettle excited the audience – and also displayed Simkin’s comic ability. They not only pulled the stops out in the Act III Grand Pas but also throughout the ballet with Boylston making a fluid transition from the bubbly Kitri to the vision of Dulcinea  in Don Quixote’s dream.

Alexandre Hammoudi gave a commanding performance as Espada – with a little trace of arrogance and the pizzazz of a sports hero. Stella Abrera brought the necessary brassiness as Mercedes and the atmospheric vision as Queen of the Dryads.

Also just as notable were Sarah Lane and Luciana Paris as the Flower Girls in their variations in Act III, and the charming “Les Petits Amours” in the Dream sequence.

ABT’s corps de ballet was brilliant in the vision scene and also created the animated scenes in the first and third acts.

This was a wonderful way to get American Ballet Theatre’s Met season started!

City Center Encores Presents The Golden Apple

City Center

May 12, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The City Center Encores’ third and final offering of the 2016-17 season is a Broadway musical that has had a cult following. The Golden Apple premiered at the off-Broadway, Phoenix Theatre, in 1954, and then transferred to Broadway’s Alvin Theatre the same year where it ran for only 12 performances in spite of critical acclaim. After much anticipation, City Center Encores is presenting The Golden Apple from May 10-14, 2017.

The score is the work of composer Jerome Moross with lyrics by John Latouche who also wrote the book for this sung-through musical.

The Golden Apple is a musical adaptation of parts of the Greek myths of The Iliad and The Odyssey – transported in time to the early part of the 20th century and re-located to Angel’s Roost, a small town dominated by apple orchards near Mt. Olympus in the state of Washington. 

In the original Broadway cast Kaye Ballard portrayed the role of Helen and Stephen Douglas portrayed the role of Ulysses, and one of the songs from the score, Lazy Afternoon, has been performed through the years. 

The story begins with Soothsayer, Mother Hare (N’Kenge) promising a golden apple to the winner of a bake-off with the enthusiastic local bakers being Mrs. Juniper (Ashley Brown), Miss Minerva (Alli Mauzey) and Lovey Mars (Carrie Compere). A travelling salesman, Paris (Barton Cowperthwaite) is the judge but he has his prejudices as Lovey Mars promises to help him win over Helen (Lindsay Mendez). In spite of the fact that Paris communicates only through the language of the ballet choreography he dances, Paris still succeeds in seducing Helen, a character who often expresses how boring it is to live in the small community of Angel’s Roost, and they fly off in a hot air balloon pursued in haste by Ulysses (Ryan Silverman), a local farmer, who along with other young men from Angel’s Roost, has returned to this small community after fighting in the Spanish-American War.

After the exposition of the first act, the second act condenses the episodes of the Trojan War and the journey home back to Angel’s Roost – with the journey presented in the form of a vaudeville revue -- hosted by Hector (Jason Kravits) -- with the theme of the seven deadly sins. The vaudeville turns represented in The Golden Apple comment on hubris, greed, and power as Ulysses’ men disappear succumbing to the temptations in the small city of Rhododendron. In the end Helen is retrieved and taken back to Angel’s Roost, and Ulysses returns to the waiting Penelope.

Latouche’s lyrics and book adaptation are clever, and Moross’ music is colored with varied American styles dominated by influences from Aaron Copland. Moross composed music for ballets – particularly Ruth Page’s Frankie & Johnny – and in Latouche’s libretto there are many characters who communicate through dance rather than through speaking. 

Golden Apple’s score has many gems including the well-known Lazy Afternoon – seen in context as a “duet” sung by Helen and danced by Paris – My Love Is On The Way, Helen Is Always Willing, My Picture in the Papers, Store-Bought Suit, and We’ve Just Begun. In fact the score soared when one had the luxury of the orchestra playing Lazy Afternoon as audience members were leaving the City Center. This score’s vibrancy at this performance must also be credited to Rob Berman’s contributions to The Golden Apple as musical director.

The cast for The Golden Apple must be excellent singers as well as comic actors as The Golden Apple is a sung-through musical with soaring melodies, and also having its subtle and compelling moments that cleverly draw human frailties and emotions. Although the story doesn’t stand up to the test of time in all aspects, this concert version of The Golden Apple is what the City Center Encores’ artistic mission is all about – and The Golden Apple gets its due in this concert production.

This production has been directed by Michael Berresse with choreography by Joshua Bergasse – and between those two there was a great deal of dance expertise. Dance was discretely integrated into this production and moves the action with clarity and is quickly paced.

A wonderful cast came together to give The Golden Apple life and its due. Lindsay Mendez as Helen not only sings well but is an excellent comedienne, Ryan Silverman as Ulysses represents what a Broadway leading man should be, Mikaela Bennett makes an excellent City Center Encores debut as Penelope, Barton Cowperthwaite communicates well in his dancing as Paris, and then there are the sterling performances by Ashley Brown as Mrs. Juniper, Alli Mauzey as Miss Minerva Oliver, Carrie Compete as Lovely Mars, Jeff Blumenkrantz as Menelaus, and N’Kenge as Mother Hare.

This may be your only opportunity to see this jewel of a musical, The Golden Apple, and one must thank City Center Encores for making it possible.

Richmond Ballet at the Joyce Theater

Joyce Theater

May 9, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Richmond Ballet has become a regular New York visitor and is currently performing at the Joyce Theatre from May 9-14, 2017. As in past New York visits, the company is presenting dance pieces from the company’s diverse repertoire. For this engagement the works of four different choreographers will be performed which were commissioned by the Richmond Ballet supporting the company’s well-earned reputation for creating new works.

The program opened with Val Caniparoli’s Swipe, choreographically a mix of many styles of dance from classical ballet to African, contemporary dance, jazz and hip-hop. Premiered by the Richmond Ballet in 2011 this was all danced to music composed by Garbriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev, in a remix of his own String Quartet No. 2.

In Swipe, Caniparoli “swipes” dance motifs from familiar dance styles and ballets – particularly African dance motifs, which he had also successfully distilled in his piece, Lambarena – also including virtuoso ballet vocabulary, particularly the competition among four male dancers.

The cast of Cody Beaton, Elena Bello, Abi Goldstein, Trevor Davis, Kirk Henning, Thomas Ragland, and Fernando Sabino danced this piece with aplomb and showmanship.

And in a more classical vein, the Richmond Ballet danced Malcolm Burn’s Pas Glazunov, a romantic and playful piece using Glazunov’s music from Raymonda -- which was given its company premiere in 1991.

In Pas Glazunov Burn set up partnering challenges for the male dancer dancing this piece but you can see the romance between these dancers evolving through Pas Glazunov which was appealingly danced by Cody Beaton and Marty Davis.

In contrast was Katarzyna Skarpetowska’s Polaris, an ensemble dance work, inspired by the photo, “Pillars of Creation” taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995.

Choreographed to a sound scape by Fernando Corona and performed by Murcof, this modern dance work is inspired by the gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula pictured in the Hubble Telescope photos.

With the stars appearing to fall, the dancers participate in slow modern dance movement against shadowed images which give the impression of exploring an unknown world. The movement is continual and deliberate, and Polaris reaches its conclusion with pictorial images.

Choreographer Ma Cong was represented by Lift The Fallen, which was premiered by the Richmond Ballet in 2014. Choreographed to music by Max Richter, Lift The Fallen was inspired and influenced by the choreographer’s Chinese culture, and also is a tribute to his mother.

Although the choreography did not always reflect Cong’s themes he created effective choreographic images with the use of classical ballet, and contemporary ballet vocabulary which was enhanced by the use of fabric being used for scenery and also being utilized by the dancers as part of the piece. One sees the cycle of life depicted in an awakening, falling in love, struggle, and the uplifting of us all, and in the end seeing a humanitarian-driven community.

In Life The Fallen there were notable performances by Maggie Small, Fernando Sabino, Lauren Archer and Thomas Ragland.

New works enrich the dance world, and I look forward to the Richmond Ballet’s next New York visit.

Royal Ballet Dances George Balanchine’s Jewels

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

George Balanchine’s iconic three act, abstract ballet, Jewels,  is being danced by a host of ballet companies all over the world in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ballet’s world premiere by the New York City Ballet in 1967. In performing Jewels, each company brings its own signature and interpretation of the ballet, and an example is that of the Royal Ballet, whose production of Jewels goes back to 2007 and will be shown in cinema screenings in the United States on May 23, 2017.

In 1947 George Balanchine choreographed Symphony in C for the Paris Opera Ballet, which was then named Le Palais de Cristal, with each movement costumed in a different jewel color. After a visit to the world renowned jewelry store, Van Cleef and Arpels, Balanchine returned to the “jewel concept” when he choreographed the full-length Jewels. This is also to mention the New York City Ballet had only just moved from the City Center to the then New York State Theater, which was designed by architect Philip Johnson, with the motif of a jewel box.

Balanchine’s Jewels includes Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds – although he also considered pearls and sapphires – with each act’s music and choreography combining to be an homage to an important era of dance.

Emeralds, choreographed to Gabriel Faure’s music for Pelleas et Melisande, and Shylock, alludes to the early 19th century Romantic ballet era. Balanchine’s choreography is as exact as the stitches in a French tapestry and reflects the mystery and spirit of the ballets of that era.

One of the highlights of Emeralds is the “Walking Pas de Deux” which was beautifully danced by Laura Morera and Ryoichi Hirano, but the entire cast, which also included Beatriz Stix-Brunell and Valeri Hristov among the principal dancers, and Helen Crawford, Emma Maguire, and James Hay dancing the Pas de Trois expressed the immediacy, the emotion and the mystery that is Emeralds. All the more mysterious with Balanchine’s second thoughts on the ending of Emeralds in which the three male dancers are alone on stage.

In contrast Rubies, reflects the neo-classicism and a bit of Broadway that is a Balanchine signature with playful choreography that is a perfect companion for Igor Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. Balanchine’s angular and spirited choreography expresses optimism all expressed ably in the dancing by Sarah Lamb, Steven McRae, and Melissa Hamilton.

The closing Diamonds, alludes to the grand opera house style of Petipa and late 19th century classicism and danced to Tchaikovsky’s Third Symphony. One feels the ghosts of The Sleeping Beauty and Snowflakes from The Nutcracker reflecting the grandeur of Tchaikovsky’s music.

Marianela Nunez has all of the attributes of a classical ballerina and they are showcased here with Thiago Soares as her elegant partner – the excellent partnership is particularly shown off in the extended pas de deux in Diamonds.

The Royal Ballet’s production is performed with Karinska’s costume designs with new scenery designed by Jean-Marc Puissant which subtly reflects each act’s era and style. They create a different but clear picture of Balanchine’s Jewels.

In this cinema screening the Royal Ballet brings George Balanchine’s Jewels to a worldwide audience with its dancers meeting Balanchine’s challenges. All the more of interest for this global audience to enjoy the Royal Ballet’s unique interpretation of what has become a modern classic.

Dance Theatre of Harlem –

Glen Tetley Tribute

City Center

April 22, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

To close its City Center season on April 22nd, 2017, the Dance Theater of Harlem’s mixed-bill program’s centerpiece was a tribute to Glen Tetley that included excerpts from two of his dance pieces as well as a new Dance Theatre of Harlem production of a work that was being revived at this performance.

The tribute to Glen Tetley was to mark the tenth year anniversary of his passing and also to note the artistic relationship between Tetley and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. The tribute was introduced and hosted by Dance Theatre of Harlem’s artistic director, Virginia Johnson, and Carmen de Lavallade lovingly spoke about working with Tetley as a dancer, and Charmaine Hunter described her experience working with Tetley as a choreographer.

Opening the Glen Tetley tribute were Allisyn Hsiah and Carl Coomer of Texas Ballet Theater dancing a short excerpt from Tetley’s iconic ballet, Voluntaries. Created for the Stuttgart Ballet in 1973 as a tribute to the company’s artistic director, John Cranko, the ballet was choreographed to Poulenc’s stirring Organ Concerto, and has been performed in New York by the Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem in past years. Even though only an excerpt from Voluntaries was danced, one can see the subtle nuances in Tetley’s choreography and his response to the music and the reasons for this tribute to Cranko. Also in this instance were two excellent dancers who had the artistic maturity to communicate the choreography’s emotions.

Former Dance Theatre of Harlem principal dancer Caroline Rocher performed an excerpt from Tetley’s Greening, a work choreographed to music by Arne Nordheim. Here Rocher presented herself as the mature artist that she is in this short excerpt from this ballet.

The third component of this Glen Tetley tribute was Dialogues which was being presented by the Dance Theatre of Harlem in a new production. Choreographed to Alberto Ginastera’s Piano Concerto, Dialogues reflects Tetley’s specific choreographic style – a unique hybrid of ballet and modern dance movement. This work divided into four movements depicts the relationships of four couples – literally talking to each other through Tetley’s choreography with Ginastera’s music used as a soundtrack at times and Tetley creating lyric choreography to the music’s phrases. 

The Dance Theatre of Harlem’s dancers, in each movement, reflected Tetley’s intentions with Chyrstyn Fentroy and Jorge Andres Villarini leading the first moment, Alicia Mae Holloway and Nicholas Rose leading the second movement, Stephanie Rae Williams and Da’Von Doane leading the third movement, and Alison Stroming and Dylan Santos leading the entire cast of Dialogues in the fourth movement.

Tetley’s signature as a choreographer was his power and clarity, projecting emotions, and his choreography’s simplicity and directness.

Also on this program was a repeat performance of Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Vessels with the same cast that danced this piece on April 21st -- and danced with the same exuberance -- and Robert Garland’s rousing finale piece, Return, in which the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s dancers seem to be shot out of a canon -- and letting loose sustaining their energy until the end when Francis Lawrence and the Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers brought the house down in the “Superbad” section.

Dance Theatre of Harlem

– New York Premieres

City Center

April 21, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

For its annual City Center engagement from April 19 through 22, 2017, the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s repertoire of mixed-bill programs includes familiar works, a company premiere, and New York premieres.

Featured on the program on April 21st, 2016, the Dance Theatre of Harlem presented two New York premieres and a Dance Theatre of Harlem company premiere.

The company premiere was Jose Limon’s Chaconne, a 13-minute solo choreographed to music by Johann Sebastian Bach which Limon created for himself in 1942. Chaconne has been danced in the past by both male and female dancers. In this instance it was danced by one of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s male dancers, Dylan Santos. In Chaconne, Limon has created a solo that reflected great nobility and quiet dignity, and requires a dancer to cover the entire performance space with clear movement. Dylan Santos performed this solo with great respect and with a degree of melancholy.

The first of the New York premieres was Robert Garland’s Brahms Variations, a piece intended to show off the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s dancers as classicists. In the program Garland described Brahms Variations as Louis XIV’s Court meeting Harlem Swag – creating a challenge for the dancers to meet the high standards of classical ballet. Brahms Variations is neo-classic in style with choreography that requires the dancers to be spirited and to execute the steps with clarity and speed.

The cast of Chyrstyn Fentroy, Da’Von Doane, Lindsey Croop, Lilit Hogtanian, Alicia May Holloway, Alison Stroming, Nicholas Rose, Choong Hoon Lee, Stanford Placide, and Francis Lawrence danced the work with the aspiration of meeting the challenges presented in Garland’s choreography.

The second of the New York premieres was Francesca Harper’s System. Choreographed to John Adams’ String Quartet No. 1, Harper choreographed here in an abstract manner rather than being literal. However it is clear in the atmosphere of the piece that there is something holding back the human beings portrayed by the dancers on stage. Beginning in silence, with the dancers grouped together as a protective crowd wary of their surroundings, sinister and suspicious, and from there the choreography was in the abstract.

The cast of Stephanie Rae Williams, Ingrid Silva, Chyrstyn Fentroy, Da’Von Doane, Choong Hoon Lee, Dylan Santos, Nichols Rose, and Jorge Andres Villarini translated and brought Harper’s thoughts to the fore.

Concluding the program was Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Vessels, a work created for ten dancers. Choreographed to music by Ezio Bosso, Moultrie’s work represented the cycle of life with sections named Light, Belief, Love, and Abundance. The movement responded to Bosso’s pulsing music.

The Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers Alison Stroming, Ingrid Silva, Lilit Hogtanian, Stephanie Rae Williams, Lindsey Croop, Francis Lawrence, Dylan Santos, Choong Hoon Lee, Stanford Placide and Jordan Kindell gave an exuberant performance of Moultrie’s’ work.

This was a program that was the hallmark of diversity, and also displaying the versatility of the Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers.

J.T. Rogers' Oslo

Lincoln Center Theater

Vivian Beaumont Theater

April 16, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

J.T. Rogers’ Oslo opened at the Lincoln Center Theater’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater last summer and its success has simmered until Oslo re-opened at the Lincoln Center Theater’s Vivian Beaumont Theater on April 13, 2017.

Oslo chronicles how one young couple, Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul (played by Jennifer Ehle) and her husband, the director of a think tank, Terje Rod-Larsen (played by Jefferson Mays) planned secret meetings between the representatives of the State of Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization in Oslo. These meetings resulted in the historic Oslo Accords in 1993, and the photo of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat in the White House Rose Garden signing this agreement instantly became iconic – and also hopeful. Although the Oslo Accords proved to be a temporary solution to a chronic problem of an unstable Middle East, one can only look in wonderment at this great achievement.

These negotiations and secret talks unfolded during the period from April 1992 through September 1993 with J.T. Rogers presenting an account of how these negotiations were initiated, its twists and turns, the personalities of the representatives of the warring parties and those that wanted to move the direction of the negotiations to a formalized and lasting peace.  All is told with the suspense and intrigue of a James Bond movie – a brilliant manipulation of crisis management – and also a bit of humor revealing that these human beings were attempting what they understood to be next to impossible. Also to the credit of J. T. Rogers, he presents the historical facts and doesn’t take sides.

J.T. Rogers’s clarity of language, terse words, and organic dialogue help to draw the portraits of the principal characters. Using diplomatic jargon, talking past each other, and wanting peace, but after so many years of conflict, fearing peace. Also to mention that Mona Juul and Terje Rod-Larsen use every diplomatic tool in their arsenal,  their abilities to persuade and facilitate, and sometimes wind up being punching bags for the warring negotiators on each side of the conflict.

Bartlett Sher has crisply directed this 3-hour play which is involving and compelling as he creates believable stage pictures and puts the spotlight on the interconnections between the pivotal characters – highlighting Rogers’ subtle humor and the high tensions. And scenery designer Michael Yeargin has created an appropriate minimalist atmosphere in which this story inhabits.

There is an involving story told by J.T. Rogers in his powerful play, Oslo, and an equal amount of credit in telling this story must go to this incomparable cast. Besides the stellar performances by Jennifer Ehle and Jefferson Mays, and Michael Aronov as Uri Savir and Anthony Azizi as Ahmed Qurie (the representatives from Israel and the PLO), there is the superlative supporting cast of Adam Dannheisser, Daniel Jenkins, Dariush Kashahi, Jeb Kreager, Christopher McHale, Daniel Oreskes, Angela Pierce, Henny Russell, Jeff Still, and T. Ryder Smith -- many of whom play multiple parts – and who make this incredible story come alive.

Three hours is daunting and quite a commitment – but this story moves at its own speed and you cannot feel untouched by emotion as Rogers’ compelling play comes to its conclusion.

The last image one sees, after the cast has taken its curtain calls, is a partially open door in the rear of the stage. Was it unintentional or symbolic – I hope that it was symbolic at the performance I attended communicating the message that there is a possibility of peace in the Middle East – and it will require people taking risks to make it happen. It gives one hope that there are heroic and statesmanlike people in this world who might make the personal sacrifices to resolve the unresolvable and bring peace to this unsettled world we live in. 

Scottish Ballet Makes New York Debut

Joyce Theater

April 11, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Scottish Ballet has made an auspicious and long awaited New York debut at the Joyce Theater where it will be performing from April 11-16, 2017. Having seen the company dance in the past in Great Britain and Canada it was no surprise to me that this winning group of dancers and the company’s artistically challenging repertoire would be an important event during this New York dance season.

Scottish Ballet was established in 1969 under the leadership of Peter Darrell. Over the years the company has been led by curators and choreographers among them Robert North, Galina Samsova, and Ashley Page. Currently Scottish Ballet is under the artistic leadership of Christopher Hampson who is both choreographer and curator. His artistic philosophy was revealed in Scottish Ballet’s New York debut.

Hampson was represented by his neo-classical work, Sinfonietta Giocosa, which he created in 2006 and was danced in New York by the Atlanta Ballet in that same year.

Choreographed to Martinu’s Sinfonietta Giocosa – for piano and orchestra – Hampson constructed his piece for six women and six men which starts and finishes with the entire cast on stage in pre-determined and random patterns. The choreography has clean lines and symmetry – and is inspired by Martinu’s music – showing off the company’s dancers.

The First Movement was led by Christopher Harrison, Nicholas Shoesmith, and Sophie Martin, followed by Constance Devernay, Marge Hendrick, Madeline Squire, Christopher Harrison and Sophie Martin leading the Second Movement and with the final and Third Movement led by Bethany Kingsley-Garner and Thomas Edwards. Sinfonietta Giocosa showed off the strengths of these well-trained dancers.

A contrast in style was Motion of Displacement, created for the Scottish Ballet in 2015, and choreographed by New York choreographer Bryan Arias. Arias’ inspiration was the experience of Arias’ mother’s journey from her native El Salvador to seek a better life in America although that story is not presented in literal narrative terms. The setting is an empty and dark stage with suspended light bulbs illuminating the stage intermittently during this piece. Arias contrasts ballet movement (in the style of William Forsythe) with modern dance striking a balance that sets the tone for the piece. Particularly clever was a short duet in which a tall female dancer dances with a short male dancer – which would normally strike a comedic tone, but in Motion of Displacement there were forceful and independent images.

This ensemble piece was danced by Sophie Martin, Victor Zarallo, Constance Devernay, Andrew Peasgood, Marge Hendrick, Jamiel Laurence, Araminta Wraith, Thomas Edwards, Bethany Kingsley-Garner, and Nicholas Shoesmith.

One of Britain’s foremost dance-makers, Christopher Bruce, was represented with his Ten Poems, a work choreographed to Richard Burton’s 1955 recording of poetry written by Welsh-born Dylan Thomas – poetry focusing on loss, war, and peace. Bruce created this 20-minute work for Ballet Kiel in 2009.

In Ten Poems the dancers portray typical villagers that were familiar to Thomas and described in his poetry such as a vagrant hunchback and a mourning woman. The choreographic vocabulary is modern dance but the movement is theatrical in style inspired by Thomas’ poetry – and matching the rhythms and rhymes of the poetry. A mournful cadence is established in the coupling of the words and the choreography. 

Among the dancers, Thomas Edwards was notable in Fern Hill, Victor Zarallo and Christopher Harrison in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, and Jamiel Laurence in The Hunchback in the Park. But Ten Poems informed the audience that the Scottish Ballet’s dancers can convey a story even if the story in Ten Poems is gift-wrapped in metaphors.

The program of these diverse pieces of choreography showed off the versatility of the Scottish Ballet dancers – and also defining the company’s current artistic aesthetic. 

After this auspicious debut I hope that the Scottish Ballet will perform regularly in New York in the future. 

Pearl Theatre Company’s Vanity Fair

Pearl Theatre

April 8, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Kate Hamill, who was the adapter for the critically acclaimed stage version of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, has now turned to another 19th century novel, William Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. The Pearl Theatre Company is presenting this adventurous adaptation of Vanity Fair from March 24 – May 14, 2017.

Thackeray wrote his novel, Vanity Fair, in serial form during the years from 1847-48. In Vanity Fair Thackeray focuses on the lives and misadventures of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley as well as their connections and associations, and families during and after the Napoleonic Wars. The novel satirized the social conventions of the time but it is a story that is as scandalous and up-to-date as today.

Although Becky and Amelia have parallel lives they take individual paths in life. Each one of them adapting to their circumstances.

Amelia comes from a respectable family that has fallen on hard times caused by her father’s financial decisions and she marries George Osborne against his father’s wishes. George dies serving in the Napoleonic Wars leaving behind Amelia with a young son. Struggling to support herself and her young son – and also nursing her dying father – Amelia appeals for help from Osborne’s father. The result is that Amelia’s son is taken into the elder Osborne’s household but upon the elder Osborne’s death the family fortune is left to Amelia’s son. She had put off another suitor, William Dobbin, for years but when Becky Sharp makes her realize that George Osborne was not the man she thought he was, Amelia realizes that her future is in the hands of Dobbin – and marries him in the end.

However Becky Sharp is the opposite side of the coin. Intelligent, ambitious and a social climber. Sharp is sent off into the world to be a governess the only profession she can pursue as her birth is stained in scandal. She marries Rawdon Crawley against Crawley’s family wishes – including his outspoken Aunt Matilda -- and does everything within her power to support his promotion in the military and her own fortunes.  But that marriage fails when Crawley believes that Becky has betrayed him, and takes their son with him.

Both Amelia and Becky find themselves towards the end of their lives at the same place they started, but they had similar journeys as their fortunes changed. To say the least Becky Sharp is not a likable character and would be a person that would be frozen out of normal society during any era. However she is a survivor and survives in a fashion against great odds, and her adventures make for a good story.

Kate Hamill’s adaptation is clever in how it tells the story, employing humor, and satire, and without any incrimination or condescension, the main characters are enabled to throw their darts at specific targets.

Hamill’s choice of theatrical convention in her adaptation is for Vanity Fair to be performed in a story theater style. The stage manager (Zachary Fine) addresses the audience in front of the curtain and introduces the audience to the principal characters, and sets the tone for this re-telling of Thackeray’s story. Valerie Therese Bart’s costumes are period -- but look like they were pillaged from trunks hidden in a house’s attic. That is all but for the stage manager who is costumed in modern dress. Sandra Goldmark’s decorated set suggests the period with random vintage-like furniture and props carefully placed on the stage. It is in this minimal staging that one’s imagination can be ignited.

Director Eric Tucker accentuates particular moments with current references that range from excerpts from recordings by Beyoncé to Michael Jackson. The combination thereof strikes an amusing note in this 3-hour long production performed by a troupe of seven versatile actors playing a dozen parts.

Hamill, herself, plays the role of Becky Sharp, and Joey Parsons plays Amelia Sedley. These actresses recreate these larger than life characters with verve, and a wink and a nod. Among the men who go off to war are Ryan Quinn playing William Dobbin, Debargo Sanyal as George Osborne, and Tom O’Keefe playing Rawdon Crawley – and seeking his fortune in India is Joseph Sedley played by Brad Heberlee. These characters come to life in their able hands, and are instruments for Eric Tucker’s clever direction which gives these characters’ humanity.

I know that we have all run into modern day Becky Sharps which is the reason why this stage adaptation is relevant – and this wonderful cast of actors also makes it an amusing and entertaining journey. A journey everyone should take with this marvelous company of actors telling a wonderful story.

The Play That Goes Wrong

Lyceum Theatre

April 5, 2017

 By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Play That Goes Wrong has come from a continuing and triumphant engagement in London to American shores opening at the Lyceum Theatre on April 2, 2017. The question is whether the British humor on parade in this play was able to successfully travel across the Atlantic – and it does – and brilliantly. In fact if you want to be awash with comedy and humor The Play That Goes Wrong will allow you to forget your problems, and the world’s problems for a little more than two hours. A great antidote to the blues we experience on a daily basis.

The Play That Goes Wrong chronicles the vicissitudes of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society performing a stage production of a 1920’s murder mystery, The Murder at Haversham. This creaky play contains all sorts of pitfalls and potholes which should convince any theatrical producer that it would open – and then close by the end of Act I.

The premise is that this play within a play – The Murder at Haversham --  and the amateur thespians who are performing in it are not a match made in heaven. These amateurs are often inept and embarrassingly have little or no acting talent. This motley group of dedicated amateur posers is trying to save this sinking ship – and will go down with the ship if necessary. All but suggesting the phrase of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

This farce is set up before the performance begins with the actors interacting with audience members – some who play characters in the play within the play, and others who portray backstage personnel – including a lighting and sound designer who is searching for his Duran Duran CD, and is also searching for a missing dog which is integral to the plot in the play’s Act II.  Further catastrophes on stage during the play, an actor playing a dead body who moves at inopportune moments or an actor who indulges himself in over the top conventional balletic mime.

A running gag in The Murder At Haversham is the stage manager, Annie, taking over for one of the actors, Sandra during Act I of the play. Annie does her best reading from the script with the emotion of a robot. But when Sandra recovers enough to resume her role in the second act, Annie refuses to disappear from the stage with grace nor will she give up her 15 seconds of fame and the audience’s adulation.

Contravening the theatrical conventional wisdom that an actor can succeed by simply remembering his lines and not bumping into the furniture – in this instance the scenery and props are weaponized and major accidents occur. Part of the fun is how the actors on stage get themselves out of these situations and ingeniously do so with aplomb.

For these amateur actors anything could go wrong, and does go wrong. Doors don’t open. Props aren’t where they should be or can’t be found, a cocktail that includes paint thinner that could be lethal, and the stage set falls apart. What is unique about The Play That Goes Wrong is you must determine what is spontaneous and what is planned – somehow you are kept guessing.

The premise for The Play That Goes Wrong owes its roots to Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, with a hint of the in-your-face comedy on display in John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers. Slapstick humor and physical comedy represent the primary components of the play.

The Play That Goes Wrong is the brainchild of three actor/writers who are also participants in this organized chaos – Henry Lewis portraying Robert, Jonathan Sayers portraying Dennis, and Henry Shields portraying Chris – among the players in this disastrous amateur dramatic society.

Henry Shields, as actor Chris Bean, playing the Inspector in the play within the play, channels John Cleese – with his frustrations being suppressed when all about him is falling apart. 

Dave Hearn playing Max Bennett as the play within the play’s character, Cecil Haversham, gives a performance that is perfectly timed – as does Jonathan Sayer as the tongue-tied Dennis playing the inept butler, Perkins.

Keeping up with the authors are Rob Falconer as Trevor, Charlie Russell as Sandra, Greg Tannahill as Jonathan, and understudy Bryony Corrigan making her Broadway debut in the role of Annie – all joining this humorous and crazy circus with director Mark Bell as the clever ringmaster.

Scenery designer Nigel Hook has designed scenery that is a character in the play within the play that responds to plot points and is meant to sabotage the amateur actors’ performances.

An audience member has to be on high alert to catch all of the hilarious goings-on, but it is worth the effort – and glad for that fact that we now have a comedy on Broadway that will have some staying power. But don’t wait to play a part in this riotous circus!

Joffrey Ballet’s Gala Celebrated with Varied Repertoire

March 30, 2017

David Koch Theater

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

To commemorate the Joffrey Ballet’s return to New York, on March 30, 2017, the Joyce Theater hosted a gala performance offering a one-time only mixed-bill program which included one ballet that was created for the Joffrey Ballet and two company premieres.

These three short dance pieces were presented in a similarly short program of an hour and 15 minutes with no intermissions to bring down the curtain early for the gala fundraising dinner.

What these dance works all had in common is that they were primarily ensemble dances and they all represented a similar aesthetic – contemporary ballet and the inspiration for these ballets was guided by the music the choreographers chose for their pieces.

Opening the program was the only commissioned work that was presented, Yuri Possokhov’s The Bells, which was created for the Joffrey Ballet in 2011. Possokhov is a former principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet and that company’s resident choreographer. The Bells was Possokhov’s first creation for the Joffrey Ballet and was choreographed to seven piano compositions composed by Sergei Rachmaninov – with one of these compositions repeated for a second time at the end of the ballet. The choreography is influenced by folk dance traditions and contemporary ballet with each section being a vignette of its own. Possokhov presented a range of feelings and tugged at the emotions in his choreography as reflected in these vignettes. 

The cast of Anastacia Holden, Yoshihisa Arai, April Daly, Fabrice Calmels, Victoria Jaiani, Temur Suluashvili, Jacqueline Moscicke, Graham Maverick, Joanna Wozniak, and Aaron Renteria brought all of these emotions to the surface in their dancing of The Bells.

The first of the company premieres, Myles Thatcher’s Body of Your Dreams, was having its company premiere this very evening. Also there was a connection to the San Francisco Ballet as Myles Thatcher is a member of that ballet company, and has been given opportunities to choreograph by the San Francisco Ballet. Thatcher created Body of Your Dreams to music by Dutch composer Jacob Ter Veldhuis with voice overs consisting of encouraging words from fitness trainers and the pitches you would hear about fitness and fitness equipment on late night infomercials. The choreography consisted of satires of exercise classes and lots of mirrors to lose oneself in, in pursuing the perfect body.

Body of Your Dreams was danced  by Anais Bueno, Valeriia Chaykina, Nicole Ciapponi, Yumi Kanazawa, Derrick Agnoletti, Edson Barbosa, Fernando Duarte, and Elivelton Tomazi, with the enthusiasm of cheerleaders at a sporting event. All that was missing was the sports equipment product placement. Taken all into account the choreographer can be credited for his clever and witty observations.

The second company premiere was Christopher Wheeldon’s Fool’s Paradise, created for Wheeldon’s fledgling company Morphoses, and given its Joffrey Ballet premiere in 2015. Choreographed to music composed by Joby Talbot, Fool’s Paradise is a muted piece of choreography including three duets and one trio for a cast of nine dancers. The choreography is dominated by sculptural images which are dusted by the gold petals falling like rain onto the stage. There are allusions to Ashton’s Monotones -- and the piece has a calming effect. Talbot’s cinematic music punctuates the dramatic moments in Wheeldon’s choreography.

Fool’s Paradise was well danced by the ensemble cast of Jeraldine Mendoza, Christine Rocas, Anastacia Holden, Temur Suluashvili, Dylan Gutierrez, Rory Hohenstein, Yoshihisa Arai, Amanda Assucena and Alberto Velazquez.

The Joffrey Ballet’s New York engagement was a significant achievement and hopefully it will be the first of many engagements by the company in the future.

The Joffrey Ballet Returns to New York With Romeo and Juliet

David Koch Theater

March 29, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Joyce Theater is presenting the Joffrey Ballet in an overdue engagement at the David Koch Theater from March 29-April 2, 2017, after an absence of over 20 years. This engagement is a welcome return to New York and much credit must go to the Joyce Theater for making this engagement a reality.

The Joffrey Ballet had been a resident company here in New York until the company moved to its current base in Chicago back in the 1990’s. The founders of the company, Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, are no longer with us, and the Joffrey Ballet is now under the directorship of former Joffrey Ballet dancer and San Francisco Ballet dancer, Ashley Wheater. The Joffrey Ballet has evolved in these intervening years and its artistic statement has evolved. However the Joffrey Ballet has been missed.

The Joffrey Ballet opened this return engagement with Krzysztov Pastor’s re-thought production of Romeo and Juliet which had been given its world premiere by Scottish Ballet in 2008 and given its Joffrey Ballet premiere in 2014. This is the third production of Romeo and Juliet danced by the Joffrey Ballet having danced Oscar Araiz’s production beginning in 1977, and having acquired John Cranko’s production in 1984. 

Needless to say every ballet company in the world now performs Romeo and Juliet as it has become a staple in the standard ballet repertoire. With Serge Prokofiev’s score as the blueprint, even so, productions of Romeo and Juliet do differ from each other in terms of how the story is told, and also has been presented in different choreographic styles. 

Pastor, who is the artistic director of the Polish National Ballet, offers a new scenario for his production of Romeo and Juliet – in collaboration with dramaturg Wilem Bruls.

Pastor’s version opens with a first act set in Italy in the 1930’s at the time of Mussolini and the rise of Fascism in Italy and throughout Europe.  The two feuding families are represented in this production of Romeo and Juliet from a different perspective. The Capulet Family represents the rich conservative elements of society, while the Montagues represent the liberal lower and middle class elements of society. The Capulet Family represents the dictatorial rule of Italy in that era. 

The second act moves forward to the 1950’s, during the era of Red Brigade terrorist attacks, as it became known in Italy, although optimism and stability has been re-established by the Montague Family in the post World War II 1950’s. And the third act, taking place in the 1990’s, reflects the atmosphere in Italy during Berlusconi’s leadership and the increasing clashes between social and economic classes. Hatred and conflicts re-emerged during this time period, and Romeo and Juliet, who are still alive, become victims of the times.

Pastor’s approach to Romeo and Juliet is an expansive metaphor – Romeo and Juliet are destined for their fate. Families, friends, gangs and conflicting religious beliefs make it necessary for Romeo and Juliet to conceal their love. As stated in the program notes Pastor believes that younger generations suffer and die from the mistakes made by the previous generations. Conflicts, walls and wars are timeless.

Pastor’s libretto owes a great deal to West Side Story and other contemporary re-interpretations of Romeo and Juliet’s story. Having the story being told over several decades and not reflecting the morays of each era results in anachronisms. Conventional mime is absent, and there are lapses in narrative clarity.

Neither Romeo nor Juliet is represented as the flowering of youth and youthful recklessness. Juliet seems a bit calculated and has her eyes on Romeo from the moment they meet. After the Balcony Scene Romeo and Juliet disappear into a city crowd.  The killing of Mercutio is presented in a street fight and Romeo cuts Tybalt’s throat with a knife resulting in Tybalt’s death. There seems to be a lack of shock as these horrible events are taking place. And somehow the audience must connect the dots when there are gaps in the narrative.

Pastor’s choreographic vocabulary is that of contemporary ballet and modern dance – often expressive and enigmatic. Pastor’s production of Romeo and Juliet is provocative and suits the company – which comes alive by the committed and determined performances by the entire company.  

Much of the success of this production must be credited to designer Tatyana van Walsum whose costumes are simple and retain their appropriateness as one time travels from one historic period to the next. It was in the scenery designs – in which video of newsreels and projections are used – that gives support to Pastor’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet.

Also outstanding were the passionate performances of Christine Rocas as Juliet and Rory Hohenstein as Romeo. Besides their dancing being passionate, they both fully understood Pastor’s approach to the story – and enabled the story to be told. Also notable was Yoshihisa Arai’s comic Mercutio, and Fabrice Calmels as the commanding patriarch of the Capulet Family.

Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet employs Serge Prokofiev’s classic score and this performance was enhanced by the live music provided by the Joffrey Ballet Orchestra with members of the Chicago Philharmonic under the guidance of conductor Scott Speck.

There are lots of details in Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet to absorb and appreciate. But this is a Romeo and Juliet of our time and also provides an appropriate showcase for the Joffrey Ballet’s dancers and the Joffrey Ballet’s artistic vision.

Church & State

New World Stages – Stage 5

March 27, 2017

 By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

What could be a timelier New York premiere than Jason Odell Williams’ Church and State which opened at the New World Stages – Stage 5 on March 27, 2017.  Williams’ play is of the moment and grabbed out of today’s headlines. But politics, and its consequences, have amazing similarities from century to century and era to era. Yet when presented to an audience it can be baffling and perplexing.

Church and State focuses on Senator Charles Whitmore (played by Rob Nagle) who is in the midst of his re-election campaign, and he has decided to tell the public what is going through his mind as his constituents are trying to come to terms with a catastrophic event. The question is whether the voters are ready for Whitmore’s dissembling – or his honesty or his dishonesty – and whether the voters will condemn him or support him.

The play begins just after a shooting incident that has taken place in Raleigh, North Carolina, the hometown of Republican Senator Charles Whitmore. After the somber funeral of the victims – some of whom are children -- Senator Whitmore makes some off-the-cuff remarks about questioning his faith in God, and the harmful effects of not strengthening gun control laws to a local blogger/journalist who records the interview.

Whitmore’s unvarnished and impulsive comments are quickly disseminated into the world of social media which communicates both the good and the bad at the speed of light. Senator Whitmore is also having doubts about his effectiveness as a senator and whether he should be re-elected.

Senator Whitmore’s wife, Sara, (played by Nadia Bowers) and Senator Whitmore’s New York campaign manager, Alex Klein (played by Christa Scott-Reed), try to contain the damage and strategize how to salvage the Senator’s political career – there is also fence-mending between Klein, Sara, and the Senator showing the effects of  the stress that is produced during a political campaign. A truce is agreed to in order to save the Senator’s political career and future.

The timing of Senator Whitmore’s self-examination couldn’t be worse. But in an unforeseen turn of events  Senator Whitmore’s supporters and voters are not put off by his remarks as had been feared – and he is safe for the moment to face another day. However the issue of gun control and gun violence weighs heavily on the minds of the characters in Church and State.

The moral parable in the play is about gun control for which Williams expresses his transparent beliefs.  But in Church and State Williams also examines Senator Whitmore’s journey as he confronts his own beliefs and his moral dilemma. This conundrum is presented in a fast-paced 75 minutes and the audience witnesses the consequences and effects of Whitmore’s brutally frank and heartfelt words.

Rob Nagle as Senator Whitmore plays a multi-faceted and thoughtful character, with aplomb, with both comic and dramatic timing that emphasizes the metamorphoses that Senator Whitmore is going through. Nadia Bowers plays Sara impeccably as she evolves through the problems developing in her husband’s campaign even through a rather tipsy battle with her husband and her husband’s campaign manager which strains the relationships in this political troika. Christa Scott-Reed keeps her cool as Alex Klein playing the campaign manager with intensity, professionalism, and also the persistence of herding kittens let loose in a garden. Jonathan Louis Dent ably defines four different supporting characters. With this quality of actors and their acting they give Williams’ play the truth and honesty it is conveying – and also the play’s spirit.

Plaudits to Williams for taking on the issues he has in his play, Church and State, as well as Markus Potter’s precise direction. 

Lynn Nottage’s Broadway Debut with Sweat

Studio 54

March 26, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Opening at Studio 54 on March 26, 2017, Sweat marks the Broadway debut of Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage. Sweat journeyed to Broadway after a successful engagement at New York’s Public Theater last year. Nottage has finally arrived on Broadway, and has done so with a timely and powerful play.

Nottage’s Sweat tells the story of factory workers facing the day to day vicissitudes of holding down a job, juggling work and family obligations, and living from paycheck to paycheck – a story not often told. The plight of these hard-working people cannot be more of the moment, and is told with compassion and humor.

It was mentioned in the play’s program that when Lynn Nottage and director Kate Whoriskey are researching a theatrical project together that they take on the roles of investigative journalists rather than collaborators on a play. It seems that this process is what makes Sweat as compelling as it is. Sweat is a play about real people who are coming to terms with the truth that the American Dream is slipping through their fingers. A tale for our time, and our era.

Sweat’s story is set in Reading, Pennsylvania, once a city that had been booming but is now experiencing the economic downturns that are occurring in a myriad of Midwest towns. The downturns result in loss of jobs due to factory or business closings – with some of the jobs migrating to other countries. These circumstances are not merely life setbacks. Lives are changed suddenly and people search from within to find survival skills to cope. Although the events in Sweat shift back and forth between 2000 and 2008, they are just as relevant in the present day. Can this period be described as a dishonest decade – and are we still stuck in it?

The play opens with a prologue in which two young men, one white and one black – presented in separate sessions with the presence of a police officer as a mentor – and you are immediately aware that something ominous has happened. Clearly these two young men had a strong friendship that was developed over many years. We learn later in the play that these two young men are also the sons of two best friends.

Tavern keeper Stan (played by James Colby) had spent 28 years working for the Olstead steel mill and had hoped for job security and perhaps a comfortable retirement – but the company abandoned him after he was injured by faulty machinery on the steel mill floor. He is the father confessor to the locals, sympathetic to their problems while also attempting to persuade them to consider positive solutions to their problems.

Stan’s tavern has become a gathering place for Olstead workers where they share their personal challenges and their work frustrations – and celebrating their birthdays. Two particular workers Tracey (played by Johanna Day) and Cynthia (played by Michelle Wilson) have had their friendship tested all too often as they work the line, seek promotions, and are apprehensive about rumors of downsizing and losing jobs that are to be sent to Mexico.

Tensions rise when the union calls for a strike and tavern bar back, Oscar (Carlo Alban) takes a job as a replacement at the steel mill. Conflicts between the tavern regulars are revealed, which are exacerbated by frustration, accusations of racism, and familiarity doesn’t help to tamper down violence.

These characters have to face a realistic self-examination of their lives and what their futures might be, and are dealing with issues they are helpless to control. And they lash out at the closest target. It is the play’s combustible conclusion that is unexpected and then there are the long-term implications for all of these flawed characters.

The story is told by Nottage in a compelling manner which is enhanced by Kate Whoriskey’s compassionate direction revealing heartfelt and honest performances by the play’s formidable ensemble cast which makes these “regular people” come to life and easy to identify with. 

Sweat is performed by an exceptional cast, but particularly notable are the performances by Johanna Day and Michelle Wilson as the two best friends whose friendship is severely tested.

Sweat is a play with a message reflecting the chaotic times we are living in. A playwright has succeeded when he or she succeeds in provoking an audience and challenges us all to think about what society could be rather than what it is -- and also motivates us to find solutions to the problems that we face. Nottage’s Sweat succeeds on all fronts and must be experienced.

City Center Encores – The New Yorkers

City Center

March 23, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

In its concert performances of vintage Broadway musicals, City Center Encores has fulfilled its mission to reconstruct lost Broadway musicals. Such reconstructions evolve into musical archeological digs requiring research about these musicals’ scores, orchestrations, dialogue, and directorial notes. Often those doing the research had little to go on but hoped to bring these marvelous scores to a wider audience, and there have been many success stories.

From March 22-26, 2017 City Center Encores is presenting the result of such research in rediscovering the Cole Porter musical, The New Yorkers, which had premiered on Broadway in 1930. Based on a story by Peter Arno (a cartoonist for the New Yorker magazine) and producer E. Ray Goetz, with a book by Herbert Fields, this musical was built around its star, Jimmie Durante, who also contributed songs of his own to the score. The New Yorkers was a book musical, but had also been described to be more like a vaudeville revue. No matter what the description, The New Yorkers, in its present form, is a crazy valentine dedicated to New York City and its inhabitants.

Arno’s cartoons tended to be politically incorrect and critical of the urban classes in New York City. Arno’s commentary on the excesses of rich New Yorkers in the last days of Prohibition represented a slice of life of New York in the late 1920’s. Arno, a socialite himself, characterized America’s elite as unpleasant, unlikeable, pompous and arrogant. As part of a colorful life of his own Arno was a member of Rudy Vallee’s band, the Yale Collegians, and he also observed the Café Society world that was paraded in front of him – people in top hats and nightclubbing. Not a surprise that The New Yorkers’ subtitle is, “A Sociological Musical Satire”.

The only surviving material for The New Yorkers consisted of copies of the script with barely decipherable notes by a stage manager. Jimmie Durante’s missing songs were discovered in Durante’s archive at UCLA. In the original production, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians were also in the show and they performed their own original material. A portion of Waring’s contributions to The New Yorkers was found in Waring’s papers at Penn State University – and materials from Cole Porter’s archives at Yale also provided insight into the structure and music for The New Yorkers.

Musical director Rob Berman and Encores’ artistic director, Jack Viertel, made revisions of their own.  For this production, much of the Waring material and two of the Durante songs were cut, and injected were a few numbers from other Cole Porter shows to fill in gaps including songs from Fifty Million Frenchmen, Gay Divorce, Let’s Face It!, and Leave It To Me.

Josh Clayton and Larry Moore wrote new orchestrations for a 30-piece orchestra based on the musical style of recordings of other of Porter’s musicals of the same time period. 

What is presented on the City Center stage is not a recreation of The New Yorkers but a reimagined version using the newly-discovered materials and what was at hand.

The New Yorkers is set in the 1920’s, a time of speakeasies, gangster violence, and sexual liberation. The story focuses on socialite Alice Wentworth (played by Scarlett Strallen) and her bootlegger boyfriend Al Spanish (played by Tam Mutu). Attached to other love interests, they become joined at the hip, and they set off on an adventure that might only happen in New York which takes them to Sing Sing Prison – and back.

Wentworth meets Spanish by happenstance at his club seeking to hire his talented nightclub performers for a social event at her New York apartment. But after Spanish’s nightclub is raided and closed Wentworth concocts a scheme to re-open the speakeasy in her own apartment. Spanish is in jail, and Wentworth’s scheme is to make a call to the police to raid her apartment speakeasy – in order to improve business for her speakeasy -- and join Spanish in jail. Throw in bootlegging gin and a dubious business in caviar. 

The New Yorkers abounds in novelty numbers that are linked together by a conventional story you might bump into in a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie. But in viewing The New Yorkers as a period piece, appreciating its double-entendre and sharp-witted dialogue, and the mismatch of characters, The New Yorkers is a happily entertaining vintage musical.

Triple-threat musical stars Strallen and Mutu make much of the material that they are given. They were both in the moment, dancing and singing, making these characters believable.

In particular Kevin Chamberlin as Jimmie Deegan has the unenviable job of taking on the Jimmie Durante material but brings much to that material without becoming too much like an impression of Durante. His particular talents were evidence in the Act I ending novelty number, Wood – starting out with a description of himself with a head of Wood with members of the cast carrying all sorts of objects, made of wood, making a pile on the stage – and yes, Deegan makes the off-hand remark that this was how the show ended in its 1930 production.

Arnie Burton as Feet McGeegan also provides a great deal of comic relief in this musical. In particular in the tongue-twisting and witty Let’s Not Talk About Love – which demanded an encore. Also notable is Cyrille Aimee who sings superbly and has the honor of presenting one of Cole Porter’s best known songs from this show, Love For Sale, which along with I Happen To Like New York represent the two standards that are from The New York Yorkers. In fact the closing show reprise of I Happen To Like New York could only be described as an anthem and brought The New Yorkers to a heart-stirring close.

This concert version of The New Yorkers was directed with reverence by John Rando who master-minded the comic timing necessary to bring off The New Yorkers’ satire and humor, and Chris Bailey created choreography that was perfect for the novelty and cabaret numbers in the show.

The New Yorkers proved to be a treasure worth discovering, and another success story that can be credited to the City Center Encores’ artistic mission.

Hamburg Ballet Makes Debut at Joyce Theater

Joyce Theater

March 21, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

The Hamburg Ballet, directed by American-born choreographer John Neumeier, has achieved dominance in the landscape of ballet companies in Europe. Neumeier is an exponent of the full-length narrative ballet – approaching this dance form in a unique manner.

The Hamburg Ballet has performed Neumeier’s full-length ballets in various venues in New York over the last few decades including engagements at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the City Center, and the David Koch Theater. The Hamburg Ballet is making its Joyce Theater debut from March 21-25, 2017, and is presenting a thought-provoking program of dance which has been conceived to fit in this intimate theater.

The Hamburg Ballet’s program was danced under the overall title, Old Friends, an evening of dance pieces choreographed by John Neumeier, and choreographed to music ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Simon & Garfunkel. This two hour program appears to be Neumeier’s personal choreographic response to the music he selected – with little or no narrative to speak of.

Old Friends opens with the Ouverture section subtitled, Bach Suite No. 3,  which is choreographed to Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major. Bach Suite No. 3 is choreographed in the neo-classical mode with quick movement, and with partnering that veers in the direction of gymnastic and acrobatic. Led by Xue Lin and Alexandr Trusch, this plotless piece is divided into four sections and is performed at breakneck speed by the well-trained dancers in the cast.

Old Friends continues with Chopin Dialogues choreographed to excerpts from Federico Mompou’s Variations on a Theme of Chopin and Simon & Garfunkel’s Theme and Overs from Bookends.  Depicted is a relationship that is deteriorating and in trouble – bleak in its tone --and the two people in the relationship are attempting to control each other emotionally. Even at the end of this duet, there doesn’t seem to be a resolution as to how this relationship will move forward or terminate. In this duet Neumeier’s choreography transitions to the mode of modern and post-modern dance with the principals having minimal contact. As danced by Anna Laudere and Karen Azatyan this duet has Neumeier in a pensive mood.

This duet extends into the beginning of the second half of the program. The two dancers are now in the midst of a gathering of people in the Dangling Conversations section danced to a series of Chopin nocturnes with the addition of Simon & Garfunkel’s Dangling Conversation. In a La Rondine-like sequence presented is a changing series of relationships between the dancers also reflecting regret and quick changing moods, and choreographically in a mix of contemporary ballet and modern dance.

The assembled cast of Silvia Azzoni, Leslie Heylmann, Anna Laudere, Xue Lin, Emilie Mazori, Christopher Evans, Marc Jubete, Alexandre Riabko, Alexandr Trusch, and Ivan Urban transitions easily from one dance style to the other, and subtly reveal the emotions in play.

The program ends with Old Friends II – Opus 100 – for Maurice Bejart – which is a male duet choreographed to Simon & Garfunkel’s Old Friends and Bridge Over Troubled Water. This piece was created in 1996 on the occasion of Maurice Bejart’s 70th birthday. It celebrates the camaraderie between two male dancers, Alexandre Riabko and Ivan Urban, bringing Old Friends to a dynamic and forceful conclusion.

Old Friends, as danced by the Hamburg Ballet, and choreographed by John Neumeier, is Neumeier’s choreography in a different vein that one has seen in his narrative works. Still displaying the breath of the Hamburg Ballet’s dancers, and a side of Neumeier not often seen.

McCarter Theatre’s Murder on the Orient Express

McCarter Theatre Center – Matthews Theatre

March 18, 2017

By Mark Kappel

Copyright 2017

Published in 1934, Agatha Christie’s mystery thriller Murder on the Orient Express may be the best of its genre ever written. The McCarter Theatre is now presenting an engaging and entertaining stage adaptation of this Christie classic by Ken Ludwig from March 17 – April 2, 2017.

Christie’s mysteries have been adapted for film and television but their stage adaptations are not as well known even though Christie was a successful playwright as well as a novelist – the exception being the stage adaptation of The Mousetrap which is the longest, continuously running play of all time – still being performed in London. 

Ken Ludwig, who has a reputation for writing fast-paced farces, here has been reverential to Christie’s intent yet also seasons this classic mystery with insight and satiric wit. In so doing Ludwig enhances Christie’s story in bringing it to the stage.

Murder on the Orient Express features one of Christie’s most enigmatic and mercurial characters Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. His eccentricities, and his steel-trap mind aiding him to solve every murder, are what makes Murder on the Orient Express an absorbing tale. In Murder on the Orient Express there are also references to the infamous Lindbergh baby kidnapping, and Christie’s fascination with train travel – in particular train travel’s intimacy.

The play opens with a Prologue in which Poirot sets the scene for his next adventure. While in Istanbul Poirot is urgently recalled to London for a meeting at Scotland Yard. His only travel option is the Orient Express and with the assistance of the Orient Express’ Monsieur Bouc, Poirot is able to secure a compartment on the train.

One of the passengers, Samuel Ratchett, collars Poirot seeking Poirot’s help to determine why his life is being threatened. Although Poirot seems to take Ratchett’s ramblings as claptrap, on the second night of the journey Rachett is found murdered.

With the Orient Express stuck in a snowdrift in Yugoslavia, Poirot is imposed upon to solve the murder. Either the murderer is someone who managed to board the train enroute or is one of the Orient Express’ passengers. And then there is the question of who the murder victim actually is. 

Poirot, the genius detective that he is, solves the murder. But it is how this tale unravels, and making the acquaintance of this unusual cast of characters, which represents the core of Ludwig’s retelling of Christie’s mystery novel. 

When all of the murder suspects are gathered together in the play’s final scene, Poirot lists the clues revealed throughout the play with each character stating those clues in his narrative. Audience members are sworn not to reveal who the murder is, but in the play’s Epilogue Poirot comes to terms with the how and why he solved the murder.

Murder on the Orient Express hosts a most interesting group of personages led by the venerable Hercule Poirot, superbly played here by the equally venerable Allan Corduner.  Corduner could have easily channeled David Suchet’s characterization as Poirot, but Corduner has created his own approach to this eccentric character. And Poirot does have a group of eccentric and colorful characters as suspects. 

However for this stage adaptation, Ludwig has reduced the number of suspects from twelve down to eight, and in so doing allows us to get know these characters in some depth. Ludwig has also injected a bit of satire and comic farce. Ludwig can’t resist the surprise of a satiric quip, slamming compartment doors, mistaken identities, and also there are Broadway musical references, and the cacophony of the characters’ accents.

Among the personages are Princess Dragomiroff played by Veanne Cox, Mrs.  Hubbard played by Julie Halston, Michel played by Maboud Ebrahimzodeh, Mary Debenham played by Susannah Hoffman, Countess Andrenyi played by Alexander Silber, Hector MacQueen played by Juha Sorola, Greta Ohlsson played by Samantha Steinmetz, the dual roles of Ratchett/Colonel Arburthnot played by Max von Essen, and Monsieur Bouc played by Evan Zes.

This mystery is all played out within the splendid atmosphere created by scenery designer, Beowulf Boritt, costume designer, William Ivey Long, and lighting designer Ken Billington in what is a limited and confined space. Boritt has created a “train” for the stage which is ingeniously designed and utilized, and Long has created the costumes that reflect the style of this glamorous era.

The McCarter Theatre’s artistic director, Emily Mann, helms this production, and guides the train journey of this eccentric group of women and men moving these characters within the restricted space of the train without dropping a beat.

If you are a fan of mysteries – or interested in an engrossing tale – Ludwig’s Murder on the Orient Express presents a rewarding theatrical experience performed by talented and adept actors that make this mysterious tale, and its characters, come alive on the stage.