It’s a Dog’s Life at Mask & Mirror

Sylvia -Amelia Morgan-Rothschild; Greg-Michael
Allen; Kate-Phyllis Fort

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

As reviewers, we never cease to marvel at the talent that is found on even the smallest of Washington County’s stages. This was driven home to us Saturday night with Mask & Mirror’s hilarious production of Sylvia. Director Gary Roman has drawn a group of fine actors to “The Stage” at Tigard’s Calvin Church, and the opening night audience clearly appreciated this great team effort.

Author A. R. Gurney’s basic story is not terribly new or terribly complicated. A middle-aged couple (Phyllis and Greg) with empty-nest syndrome work through their respective mid-life crises – Kate by pursuing a lofty and rewarding career, Greg by abandoning a corporate job that he finds increasingly meaningless, instead seeking to get “back to nature.” Greg finds an abandoned dog (Sylvia) in the park, and brings her home to their New York City apartment. Kate is not amused – although not a dog-hater, she has been looking forward to a nice, clean adult world for the post-mommy phase of her life. The story revolves around Sylvia’s impact – first in tearing Greg and Kate apart, ultimately in bringing them back together.

Sylvia -Amelia Morgan-Rothschild; Greg-Michael Allen

W. C. Fields once warned fellow thespians never to share a stage with dogs or children (scene-stealers all), and although Sylvia is played by a human (Amelia Morgan-Rothschild), she poses the same threat. This relative newcomer to the Portland area is one of the finest actresses we have seen in recent years – her performance is agile, cute, brash, powerful, and mercurial, and she manages the frequent transitions from almost human to utterly dog with aplomb.  An added bonus is the few brief moments of a cappella work that give the audience a hint of her marvelous singing voice.

Luckily, the rest of the cast members carry their own weight quite nicely. Michael Allen and Phyllis Fort give solid performances as Greg and Kate. While Greg is clearly enamored of his lively new companion, he makes it equally clear that he really cares about Kate, despite her inability to accept his changing needs. Allen creates a likeable guy who captures the audience’s sympathy for his plight – trapped between two women, and wanting to keep both in his life. Fort has the greater challenge, at least in a room full of dog-lovers. She can be, as Sylvia points out, something of a bitch (ironic, eh?), and her relentless campaign to drive Sylvia out of their lives wins her no brownie points. However, her finest moment in the show is the one where she wins back the audience while obsessively searching for Sylvia’s red ball. In this scene, she believably reconnects with the maternal side that seemed to have vanished from her life.

The other members of the tiny cast include Diana LoVerso, who shines in her tiny role as Phyllis, Kate’s college friend - we hope to have the chance to see her do more. Tom, a man in the dog park who philosophizes about the importance of spaying Sylvia (but would never consider neutering his manly Bowser) is played by a woman, G. Moshovsky, who brings a convincing machismo to her sexist role. Continuing this gender-bending trend is B. Hare as Leslie, the marriage counselor. While Hare is male, the character is deliberately ambiguous about his/her gender, asking clients to assign gender based on their own preconceptions. Hare’s few minutes on stage effectively summarize the play’s broader themes about how gender roles can shift (with or without the services of a good veterinarian!).

Sylvia -Amelia Morgan-Rothschild; Greg-Michael
Allen; Kate-Phyllis Fort; Phyllis-Diana LoVerso

The humans’ costumes, while appropriate, are basically just clothes (although Leslie’s is gaudily sexless).  Sylvia, however, is nothing short of spectacular in her various incarnations, from tattered street-dog to post-grooming, prancing diva. The set is basic, but functional – a simple living room, a bench, and the New York skyline, all surrounded by U-shaped seating that brings the audience within a few feet of the action. The lighting supports the show’s shifting moods, especially at the end (dog-lovers, bring your hankies).

To honor Sylvia’s animal-loving themes, Mask & Mirror has identified five animal welfare groups (Animal Aid, Fences for Fido, Indigo Rescue, Oregon Dachshund Rescue, and Pacific Pug Rescue) as beneficiaries. The theater will donate $1.00 for each attendee who mentions one of these great non-profits when tickets are sold.

Sylvia runs through Sunday, March 16^th at Calvin Church, 10445 SW Canterbury Lane, Tigard with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 2:00 p.m. on Sundays. 

MORE ART AT THE H.A.R.T.

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

“In the 20^th century, no movement will be as beautiful as the movement of the line across the paper, the note across the staff, or the idea across the mind” – thus does bartender Freddy express the central theme of H.A.R.T. Theatre’s current production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile. However, author Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) modestly omits from this triad of the 20^th century’s dominant cultural influences a fourth, equally powerful and subversive force – the force of comedy.

 

Damien Siemer as Einstein and Seth Rue as Picasso

Director Peter Stein has a clear grasp of the importance of humor in captivating and enlightening his audience, and he has assembled a formidable cast to express his vision.

Paris, 1904. What if Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso had turned up at the same Montmarte watering hole, the Lapin Agile? The answer (at least in the hands of a comic/philosopher like Martin) is simple – lots of absurd stuff that somehow manages to express a whole bunch of profundity. Want to know more? Go see the play.

While the show is defined by the relationship of creativity and genius at the dawn of a new century, it is anchored by the common man (and woman) – Freddy the bartender (Dan Kroon), Germaine the waitress (Ilana Watson), and Gaston the regular customer (Carl Coughlan).  Kroon and Watson are citizen philosophers of a type often found in depictions of working class Parisians – not overly well-educated, but still willing to trade philosophical banter with their esoteric clientele. Their timing and delivery do full justice to Martin’s witty dialogue, and the characters they create are appealing and believable (given the absurdist tone of the entire play). Coughlan’s portrayal of the prostate-challenged, newly old Gaston is consistently funny – his mobile eyes convey a wealth of commentary on the passing scene even when he is silent, and his clear delivery ensures that we do not miss a thing.

Aaron Morrow, Jake Beaver, and Seth Rue

Portland newcomer Trinka is a delight in each of her three roles as Suzanne (one of Picasso’s lovers), the Countess (a friend and confidante of Einstein), and “the admirer.” She’s cute, slightly elfin, and flexible enough to shift from spitfire lover to  intellectual soulmate to uninhibited groupie with little more than the switch of a wig.

Damien Siemer shows admirable restraint and superb timing in his depiction of a young Albert Einstein –he is by turns abstracted and engaged, but he does not succumb to the urge to overplay his character’s Teutonic genius. By contrast, Seth Rue’s Picasso is painted in broad strokes – like the character he plays, Rue is an uninhibited extrovert whose energy mines the role for its full comic potential.

Rounding out the cast are cynical art dealer Sagot (Patrick Brassell) and his assistant, Andre (Greg Baysans), whose quirky characterization adds a lot to the surreal ambience of the show. Aaron Morrow (Charles Dabernow Shmendiman) and Jake Beaver (the Visitor) provide an anachronistic contrast to the rest of the show’s characters. Shmendiman, the egotistical and bombastic (but utterly clueless) inventor is an expression of the author’s contempt for industrialism; Morrow gives the role a horrifyingly comical Ugly American flair. Beaver’s Visitor captures the self-effacing humility of an unnamed, mid-century rock star, along with his pompadour hairdo and blue suede shoes. Where Shmendiman is in the wrong place at the right time, the Visitor in the right place (with other cultural icons), but at the wrong time.

The set and costumes are up to the H.A.R.T.’s usual high standards – detailed, appropriate, attractive, and functional. The complex lighting and special effects are equally impressive, and contribute a great deal to the exposition of the show’s themes.

 A minor, and easily addressable opening-night problem was audibility – a few of the lines were lost because of a lack of vocal projection, especially when there was music in the background. There are no throw-away lines in the show, and the audience deserves to hear every word.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is playing at Hillsboro’s H.A.R.T. Theatre, 185 SE Washington, through March 2 with performances at 7:30 on Friday and Saturday, 2:00 on Sunday.

New Season, New Show, (Lots of) New Cast Members at Broadway Rose!

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

The theme for Broadway Rose’s 23d season is “Brass ‘n’ Sass” – and their current production of Band Geeks is a perfect way to start the music. This captivating new show is having its West Coast premiere at the New Stage in Tigard, and authors Tommy Newman, Gordon Greenberg, Gary Alter, and Mark Allen must be thoroughly jazzed about the quality of the production.

Band Geeks draws upon themes familiar to anyone who ever had the misfortune of attending an American high school – as Director Isaac Lamb says, “high school is proof that God has a wicked sense of humor.” While the material is certainly accessible to young people, the show’s appeal is by no means limited to this audience. We each find our own geeky way through adolescence, be it marching band, yearbook, drama, choir, debate, or 4H. The relationships we forge during these crucial years not only help us to survive the slings and arrows of a popularity-based social structure, they guide us toward the people we’ll become as adults.

The story is loaded with familiar elements – Elliott, the chubby and awkward tuba player who falls for the beautiful baton twirler (Nicole); Laura, the girl next door who is everybody’s buddy, but nobody’s prom date; Jake, the angry jock; Natalia, the out-of-touch foreign exchange student; Molly, the alienated Goth girl; Alvin, the cheerily snarky gay guy, and more. The story is familiar – beefy football players bullying the band geeks, lots of unrequited passion, underfunded arts programs saved at the last minute by inclusion in regional competitions, the one cool teacher (Mr. Hornsby) who understands and supports his crew of drifting hormones, Stewart, the pathetic mama’s boy, and Ms. Dixon, the mama who made him that way.

All in all, it is a simplistic, formulaic show that somehow kept the entire audience (including us) enthusiastic and engaged, with a heartfelt and sincere standing ovation at the end. The songs are plentiful and rarely memorable, but they serve the show well – as with all Broadway Rose productions, the arrangements and vocal ensemble lend a concert-like air to the evening. There are no weak performances, but a few of the players particularly sparkle.  Zach Cossman (Jake) does “anger” convincingly – but it is through his prowess on the drums that he really finds his rhythm. Ryan Andrews (Elliott) manages to remain loveable despite the character’s nerdy neediness – he brings a naïve enthusiasm that tempers his self-absorption. The biggest laugh of the evening (it literally stopped the show) was a throwaway line delivered by David Swadis (Alvin), whose comic timing and delivery are impeccable. From her first moment on stage, the audience knows that Danielle Purdy (Laura) is the real star despite her unassuming affect. She quietly hovers in the background, ensuring that things go (relatively) well, until finally Elliott gives her the credit she deserves by giving her the position of bandleader. Her marvelous voice easily sells her solos, and provides an anchor for the ensemble numbers.

The two “adults” in the cast, Amy Jo Halliday (Ms. Dixon) and Joe Thiessen (Mr. Hornsby) play very different roles in the production. While Thiessen is given a meaty part with some real depth (and a great song, “If I Had a Stage”), Halliday’s character is little more than a cartoon, and her spectacular voice is wasted on her big number, the formulaic “For the Greater Good.”

An unexpected high point comes at the curtain call, when the real band geeks (the band, led by musical director Mont Chris Hubbard) join the cast at the front of the stage. Their appearance played no small part in motivating the opening night standing ovation.

While Band Geeks is in many ways classic Broadway Rose fare, it is exciting to see this venerable group tackling a completely new show (this is only its third professional production). We saw lots of fresh faces on both sides of the curtain – seven of twelve of the actors are new to Broadway Rose, and a lot of the audience looked like they were new to the New Stage (and will be coming back for more!).

Band Geeks runs through March 2 at the Broadway Rose New Stage, 12850 SW Grant Avenue, Tigard.

SHIRE IN THE GROVE

 

 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic tales of Middle Earth can be writ as large as Peter Jackson’s expansive film series or as small as a cozy fireside tale from the Shire. Theatre in the Grove’s current production of The Hobbit works precisely because it falls so firmly into the latter camp.

Patricia Gray’s adaptation of Tolkien’s original work manages to capture the key plot points within the confines of an action-packed single act. The things we remember most from the novel (Bilbo and his hobbit-hole, Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield  and his hardy band, the trolls, the goblins, the wood elves, Smaug the Dragon, and of course the unforgettable Gollum) are all represented in a condensed but coherent and accessible narrative.

Forest Grove high school student Adam Borrego was last seen at TITG as the Fiddler in Fiddler on the Roof. In The Hobbit, Borrego does dual duty, giving one of the evening’s best performances as Dwarf King Thorin Oakenshield and serving as the show’s director. Borrego’s maturity as an actor is matched by the leadership he provides his mostly youthful and exuberant cast, and his director’s note makes it clear that he took a thoughtful and deliberate approach to presenting the material.

Gray’s version of The Hobbit is dominated by four key players: Bilbo, Gandalf, Gollum, and Oakenshield.  Despite his hairless toes, Malachi Skjeie was an inspired choice for the diminutive and reluctant hero, Bilbo Baggins. Skjeie deftly captures the duality of Bilbo’s nature – drawn to hearth and home like a good Baggins, yet ultimately unable to resist Gandalf’s promise of adventure (a reckless vice he inherited from his mother’s side of the family).  Mark Putnam is suitably elusive as the wizard Gandalf, and despite his voluminous beard he manages to deliver his lines with magisterial clarity. And then there’s Noah Burgess as Gollum – slithering up from the dark recesses of TITG’s dank cellar, contorting himself with sinuous grace, and hissing his character’s whiny dialogue with sinister sibilance.

The ensemble is populated primarily by young actors, many of them perhaps getting their first taste of live theater (as director Borrego did in his 2007 stage debut). They are uniformly enthusiastic, but the chaos is controlled – one of best moments in the play is the scene where all eleven dwarves cheerfully lay waste to Baggins’ tidy hobbit hole. Some of show’s charm comes from its youngest players – the Forest Elves and Attendant Goblins – whose presence subtly reminds the audience that this is, in fact, a fairy tale.

TITG’s telling of The Hobbit is enhanced by simple, but effective and cleverly designed sets that suggest Tolkien’s Middle Earth while allowing for quick scene changes. The lighting and sound design complement the sets, enhancing the story by bringing an atmosphere of fantasy and creating magic, when magic is needed.

While The Hobbit is in many respects a regular TITG production, it has the added distinction of being part of the company’s annual Schools program, designed to bring drama and its literary adjuncts to local students. In addition to the regular run, several daytime, midweek performances are offered especially for area schools, and hundreds of young people get a taste of theater through this medium.

The Hobbit is playing at Theatre in the Grove, 2028 Pacific Avenue, Forest Grove., with regular performances at 7:30 on January 24^th , 25^th  and a Sunday matinee on January 26^th.

 

TITG Presents a High Caliber Annie

The cast of Annie at Theatre in the Grove. Photo by Justice Cushing

By Aaron Morrow

Given that I had neither attended an event at the Theatre in the Grove, nor seen Annie, it is fair to say that I was completely unprepared for the delightful evening in store.  I have to admit to a little trepidation at my seating, which was no more than fifteen feet from the orchestra pit and near enough to the stage that I could probably read the labels on the costumes, but once the show began, I was so swept away by the production that I probably would have been blissfully ignorant of a zombie invasion until they reached my row.

Jennifer Yamashiro, Mackenzie Gross, and Brandon B. Weaver

From the opening note of the overture to the final note of the finale, it was clear that the orchestra led by Sheryl Macy was the engine of the production - they played with a glorious combination of vibrancy and restraint that allowed the vocalists to shine.

Early in the show it was apparent that opening night nerves were at play and there were a few strained verses, but to my ears the ensemble hit all the right notes.  Mackenzie Gross, the actress who plays “Annie,” is a delight, deftly alternating between a tough little optimist and the heart-tugging orphan who simply wants to be reunited with her parents.  In a production filled with wonderful music, it is Mackenzie’s touching rendition of “Maybe” that I will remember.

Natasha Kujawa, Zachary Centers, and Jeanna Van Dyke

I had always wondered about the obsessive fascination that female actors that I have met seem to share about the role of Miss Hannigan.  From the start Jeanna Van Dyke’s portrayal was thoroughly unlikeable, tawdry, sleazy…and hilarious.  I found the juxtaposition of Van Dyke’s Hannigan to an equally wonderful Jennifer Yamashiro as Grace Farrell, hysterical.  The scene in which Grace tells Miss Hannigan that Oliver Warbucks wants to adopt Annie is worth the price of admission all by itself.

In a production that abounds with high caliber vocalists, musicians and material, I could not get enough of Jennifer Yamashiro.  The combination of her vocal talent and the believability that she infused into her role as Grace Farrell was glorious.  And Brandon B. Weaver’s delivery, gravity and timing gave a real dimension of warmth and credibility to the relationship between Warbucks and Annie without over-emphasizing the deep melancholy of the connection they share.

While Gross, Van Dyke, Yamashiro, and Weaver establish a foundation of excellence for the production, it is the exceptional ensemble that director Darren Hurley assembled which elevates TITG’s Annie from good to over-the-top great community theater.  Luella Harrelson’s precocious and scene stealing “Molly” is delightful, Natasha Kujawa’s “Lily St. Regis” is a revelation (in the program she says it’s her “dream role” and she delivers it fabulously) and she is the perfect foil for Zachary Centers’ convincingly greasy “Rooster Hannigan,” Darrell Baker gives a warm and grounded performance as larger-than-life icon FDR, Emma Holland’s “Star To Be” solo is extraordinary and Sarah Ominski sparkles in multiple roles.



Darrell Baker (seated) with Julio Montelongo, Tom Robinson,
Adam Barrett , and Carole Golart

I’m not sure I have ever seen a musical that uses choreography so effectively to set the narrative tone.  Choreographer Carla Kujawa’s choices are superb, and the ensemble executes that vision so well that even if we had been unable to hear a note, pretty much the whole story was delivered flawlessly by the motion and blocking of the cast.

In an evening of great musical theater, the one somber note always present through the warp and weft of the tapestry of the performance was its dedication to Abby (who was to be in Annie) and Anna, who as the program states were “two beautiful souls that left us much too soon.”

All in all, if Annie is indicative of the quality that Theatre In The Grove has been producing for the last 42 years, then there are a lot of theater lovers like me who should probably be kicking themselves for waiting so long to make their way out to Forest Grove.

Annie is playing at Theatre in the Grove, 2028 Pacific Avenue, Forest Grove through December 22, with performances at 7:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 pm on Sundays.

For Theater Lovers, It Really Is A Wonderful Life!

At Bag&Baggage Productions, Jessica Geffen as Lana North-Berkshire, Adam Syron as Francis
Fishbourne, Gary Strong as Winston Whiteside, Ian Armstrong as Carlson
Callaway, Megan Carver as Petunia Pennywhistle and Branden McFarland as Pete
Paulson, photo courtesy of Casey Campbell Photography

 

 By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

Hillsboro residents are fortunate to have two companies offering live theater in town – HART and Bag&Baggage. From a community perspective, these very different troupes should not be viewed as rivals, but as complementary players, each group offering something uniquely wonderful to local fans of live theater.

Bag&Baggage’s stage in the glamorous old Venetian Theatre gives them room for lush shows with elaborate sets (and huge audiences). HART’s compact theater provides a cozy space where patrons and actors are separated by only a few feet, providing an intimate connection between cast and audience.  Bag&Baggage gives lots of local high school students their first opportunity to experience live theater through its TEN4ONE program, offering free tickets on a space available basis. HART, through its symbiotic relationship with the STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy, gives many Hillsboro-area youth their first chance to sing, dance, and act on a real stage. Bag&Baggage has, in lieu of a lobby, an upscale full-service restaurant and bar. At intermission, HART’s petite lobby lures patrons with the scent of freshly baked cookies and fresh-brewed coffee (not to mention free champagne on opening nights!).

It’s Christmas, 2013, and suddenly worlds collide. Both groups are offering what seems to be essentially the same show – It’s A Wonderful Life, the Radio Show (HART) and It’s A (Somewhat) Wonderful Life (Bag&Baggage).  Remarkably, the two productions, like the troupes that spawned them, are complementary rather than duplicative. Read on to find out how!

 

HART

Jody Spradlin, Karen Roder, and Aaron Morrow at HART.

HART Theatre’s theme this season is “HART Looks At Art,” and this year’s holiday show fits like a glove. For those people too young to have attended the taping of a live radio show (and that includes almost everybody!) HART’s presentation of It’s A Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Show may be as close as they’ll get to this grand old American tradition. Director Paul Roder has clearly done his homework – the HART set closely replicates the conditions in a small-town, late 40’s radio studio – a row of chairs, a row of microphones, a row of actors, a table full of sound effects for the Foley artist, a live audience (us), a clock, and two signs (“ON AIR” and “APPLAUSE”).

It’s A Wonderful Life is curiously dark for a holiday favorite – this fundamentally depressing tale of the very good, but suicidal George Bailey is saved at the last minute (as is George) by the intervention of a Guardian Angel, Clarence. Throughout his life, George’s dreams have been dashed by bad fortune, so much that he thinks it would be better if he had never been born. By showing how the world would have been without George Bailey, Clarence lifts George’s spirits and convinces him that his life has, in fact, been wonderful in its own way.

Movie audiences familiar with Jimmy Stewart’s classic portrayal may not recognize the George Bailey they remember in Aaron Morrow’s performance. Stewart’s Bailey, while depressed and angry, retains an avuncular, cartoonish flavor. Morrow brings a darker tone, creating a real character whose private despair bursts out in moments of genuine anger.

In radio dramas, a small group of actors are called upon to play multiple parts. Paul Roder sets the record – in addition to directing, he plays eleven different characters, switching from voice to voice and accent to accent with lightning speed. Tony Smith and Ilana Watson are hard on Roder’s heels, with 10 parts each, and they bring a versatile professionalism that rivals that of the authentic radio performers of the era. Jody Spradlin, while required to play only the part of Mary Hatch Bailey, fills a key role – her warmth and empathy help the audience understand that George is truly blessed, despite the hardships he has endured. Karen Roder puts them all to shame – in addition to doing costumes, window and lobby décor, in her portrayal of Foley artist Gladys “Gizmo” Watkins she is the busiest actor on the set.

 
While the show technically begins at 7:30 (air time for the radio drama), audiences are advised to come early. The theater opens at 7:00, and by 7:15 the WBFR singers (Seth Rue, Sarah Thornton, and Emily Miletta the evening we were there) are warming up the audience with a selection of holiday and ‘40s pop tunes.

It’s A Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Show plays at the HART Theatre, 185 SE Washington, Hillsboro on December 5^th, 8^th, 12^th and 15^th at 7:30 pm, and December 7^th and 14^th at 2:00 pm.

 

BAG&BAGGAGE

It’s A (Somewhat) Wonderful Life is many things – fast-paced, funny, engaging, and witty, to name just a few. The one thing it is not is It’s A Wonderful Life. The Frank Capra classic, as adapted by director Scott Palmer, is not so much the story as it is the vehicle through which the story is told.

Jessica Geffen as Lana North-Berkshire and Ian Armstrong as Carlson
Callaway, photo courtesy of Casey Campbell Photography

 A group of veteran radio actors have gathered for the annual Christmas broadcast of It’s A Wonderful Life. In a curious parallel to the life of IAWL star George Bailey, from the beginning nothing goes right. A fanzine has reported erroneously that star Petunia Pennywhistle loves rum-soaked fruitcake, and station WBNB is inundated with fruitcakes sent by her adoring public. Petunia dumps the fruitcakes on production assistant Pete Paulson, who absent-mindedly nibbles his way to total inebriation just before airtime. Two key players are missing – the other female lead (who has ditched them to play the Ghost of Christmas Future in another production), and the Foley artist/special effects guru. The drunken Paulson is ordered to replace the Foley artist, a role in which he would have been inept even if he were sober. Player Winston Whiteside arrives with his bimbo du jour, lingerie saleslady Lana North-Berkshire, for whom he has rewritten parts of the show.  The tension is heightened by jealousy between handsome lead Carlson Calaway and Francis Fishburne, who harbors a powerful yen for the fair Ms. Pennywhistle. Somehow the cast manages to lurch through the radio script – it’s a true Christmas miracle! Along the way, the audience is treated to some of the best comedy moments of the season.

The strong six-person cast fills a multitude of roles with a combination of sharp delivery and broad physical comedy. Despite the chaotic set-up, the characters never step over the line from slapstick to unrestrained farce. Ian Armstrong (Calaway) is hilarious as he slips from his character’s haughty demeanor to a truly boffo Jimmy Stewart impersonation. Branden McFarland  (Pete Paulson) makes the most of the oft-thankless role of male ingénue, despite being mute throughout Act I. Somehow he manages to constantly draw the audience’s attention by being virtually (and sometimes literally) invisible to the rest of the cast. His impassioned speech in Act II pulls the radio show together; a moment that could have been disgustingly maudlin is saved when he concludes his speech with a dead-drunk pratfall.

Jessica Geffen simply sparkles in her portrayal of Lana North-Berkshire. She is a crass, brassy, bawdy innocent, dazzled by the lure of show biz and 100% committed as she hurls herself into one absurd characterization after another. Scott Palmer has created a very funny role, and Geffen lets none of the comic potential slip away.

It’s A (Somewhat) Wonderful Life is too good a show to be limited to one run at the Venetian. We hope that Scott Palmer will share his script and staging with other theater companies so that a wider audience can join in the fun.

Bag&Baggage’s production of It’s A (Somewhat) Wonderful Life is playing at the Venetian Theatre, 253 E. Main Street, Hillsboro through Monday, December 23d.

GLAD (PLAID) TIDINGS FROM BROADWAY ROSE

Pictured left to right are Sean Powell, Jeremy Sloan, Matthew
Brown, and Robert Head. Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer



 

By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker

 

On this lovely Thanksgiving day we are thankful that we consider ourselves reviewers, not critics. Last night’s production of Plaid Tidings at Broadway Rose would stymie a critic – there is, quite simply, nothing to criticize. The show is not just perfect, it’s: wonderful, enchanting, festive, funny, wistful, heartwarming… everything a Christmas show should be.

Show creator Stuart Ross brought the original show, Forever Plaid, to the stage in 1990. For years he resisted writing a sequel, but he finally relented after 9/11, convinced that “we all needed a little joy and a little cozy holiday fun to lift spirits.” It is something of an understatement to say that he succeeded, and his success is amplified three-fold by the sensitivity, wit, and craftsmanship of Director Dan Murphy and Music Director Jeffrey Childs (not to mention the cast – but more about that later!).

Former high school buddies Sparky, Jinx, Smudge, and Frankie had formed a close-harmony guy group, The Plaids. The group’s none-too-successful career was cut short by a fatal car crash; they were on their way to a show when they collided with a bus full of Catholic girls off to see the Beatles.  The Plaids have already returned to Earth once in their role as celestial Guardians of Harmony (in Forever Plaid) and they have no idea why their have been brought back for a sequel. The slow revolves around their musical attempts to fulfill an unknown destiny, carrying us through decades of musical styles (most done, of course, in their signature 4-part harmony). With the help of a disembodied Rosemary Clooney they finally figure out that they are here to give the Christmas show they never got to do (and to bring a little harmony into the lives of their audience). Not surprisingly, the rest of the show is comprised primarily of the Plaids performing their holiday masterpiece, “Plaid Tidings.”

While each of the Plaids (Matthew Brown as “Sparky,” Robert Head as “Jinx,” Sean Powell as “Smudge,” and Jeremy Sloan as “Frankie”) has the opportunity to shine in solo or lead performances, Plaid Tidings is a quintessentially ensemble show.  Despite their four amazing voices, the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts that it is senseless to parse out individual performances for special praise. Each performer is called on for much more than his vocal prowess – we get juggling, dancing (Agnes de Mille would be stunned at their use of “plumber’s friends” in lieu of Fiddler’s broomsticks), pratfalls, an amazing attempt at the splits, physical comedy, accordion and piano playing, and a hefty dose of shamelessly wide-eyed and innocent pathos.

Of course, the Plaids don’t do it all by themselves.  Bassist Sean Vinson and pianist Jeffrey Childs provide a full and polished musical background (except when Childs is off on his “union-mandated break”), and Bearclaw Heart’s lighting design is, as always, impeccable. The cleverly designed sets flow seamlessly, taking the Plaids from four mikes on a bare stage to a completely realized holiday setting without delay.

No other Portland area company rivals Broadway Rose in presenting concert-quality music to musical theater audiences, and Plaid Tidings is Broadway Rose at its finest. It just doesn’t get any better than this.  As word gets out, tickets will go fast – buy now. You deserve a Plaid Christmas.

Broadway Rose Theatre Company’s Plaid Tidings runs through December 22 at the New Stage, 12850 SW Grant Avenue, Tigard. See the Broadway Rose website for show dates and tickets.