Melissa Rain Anderson will be directing a reading of Michael Raver’s new play, Quiet Electricity as part ofEmerging Artists Theatre’s New Work Series. The play tells the story of Jodie and Dana, a once happily married couple, that are forced to deal with the after effects of a tragedy which leaves them with very little to say to one another. When the power in their Hoboken apartment building is temporarily shut off in the evenings for rewiring, they are forced to spend their nights together in the dark. A simple game of confessions unearths truths and hidden feelings, leading Jodie and Dana to epiphanies about love, sex and marriage.
“What happens when we keep secrets from our partner?” muses director Melissa Rain Anderson (Geva Theatre Center’s In The Heights, The Great River Shakespeare Festival’s The Comedy of Errors). “The play examines what it looks like for two people to be living under one roof, sharing one life while each person builds a private room to store their grief. As the membrane that holds them together grows thinner and thinner, how does the partnership survive?”
I was lucky enough to have a chat with Anderson prior to her entering into the process of directing this reading.
Ross: Give us a bit of an overview of Michael Raver’s play, Quiet Electricity, and what brought you on board to direct?
Melissa Rain Anderson (MA): I believe the play examines what it looks like when a couple suffers a heart wrenching loss and how they grow apart from one another after such grief. It’s interesting to me because I’ve watched families go through terrible loss and there seems to be a chemical change, almost on a cellular level, how do we go on living with a person that has changed so drastically? At what point does grief take hold so tightly that we are unable to get back to our selves, to our partner?
Ross: That’s a compelling scenario, especially the idea of the chemical change. What would you like to say to the two leads, Rachel Pickup (left; The Globe Theatre’s The Merchant of Venice) and Rachel Botchan (right; The Sorceress), as they tackle such an adventure?
MA: For the actors, it’s a lot of history to “cap” or “bury”. What’s interesting to me is how the packed up emotions “ooze” or “seep” through the masks they wear in front of each other.
Ross: Looking back over your career as a director, what about this play excites you due to something unique, different or challenging?
MA: I direct a lot of musicals and Shakespeare and so I am thrilled to be working on a contemporary human piece. I am a huge fan of language based plays and although Michael’s language is very genuinely in the now and honest, it has beautifully written dialogue with clues into the human psyche: what do we want to share, what are we hiding and when, why are we running away and where are trying to get back to? I see the dialogue like a road map to the their hearts.
Ross: The play’s ending isn’t necessarily a happy one. How do you define what tragedy is and in comparison to Shakespeare’s, do you think of this play is indeed a tragedy?
MA: I feel that it’s more of a melancholy state of affairs. A slow burning toxicity that kills their partnership.
Ross: Tell me a little about your process in regards to this play? Are you an actor’s Director? Or do you see yourself in another light?
MA: As a director, I tend to direct the play, and guide the actors inside the “playground” we set up. Directing a reading is always about the actual text for me. What does the writer need to hear? Hopefully we unpack relationships and subtext. The Actors bring great gifts: a beating heart, with history and a complex soul. I’m grateful to have such great actors in the room to share their gifts to this play.
Ross: Have you worked with the playwright, Michael Raver (Fire on Babylon) or the two actors before?
MA: Michael and I are friends and I’ve seen several of his play readings and I’ve read a few more. Quiet Electricity resonated with me deeply and I’m very happy to be collaborating with him. I haven’t worked with the actors before, although I’m familiar with both of their work and couldn’t be happier with this cast.
Ross: As a director, what do you ideally want from actors?
MA: Actors who come in with something to contribute and willing energy. Trust is key and I always look for actors who are generous with their gifts- generous with each other, to the process and to the material.
Ross: What do you want from a writer?
MA: A passionate artist is so compelling to work with. Writers who are passionate in making their work clearer and fleshed out are super attractive to work with. Writers who like to collaborate freely are a joy to work with.
Ross: By the end of the process, once you get to the reading, what do you hope the piece transmits to the audience? In the greater scheme of things? What is success for you?
MA: I hope to find where the pulse of the play resonates with the audience. When an audience is listening, leaning in and breathing with the actors.
Emerging Artists Theatre’s Annual New Work Series runs February 26th – March 18th, 2018. The reading of Quiet Electricity will be on Tuesday, March 6th at 7pm at Tada Theatre in New York. Tickets are $10.
To purchase tickets, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3336306
For more go to frontmezzjunkies.com
Broadway’s blockbuster Wicked, in partnership with National Day Calendar, has announced that October 30 will officially become National Wicked Day, in honor of the hit Broadway musical’s debut at the Gershwin Theatre (245 West 51st Street) on October 30, 2003.
This marks the first time that a Broadway show will have its own official day in the National Day Calendar. With this inclusion, Wicked joins some of the most recognizable National Day celebrations, including National Barbie Day, National Star Trek Day, National Scrabble Day, National Winnie the Pooh Day, and National Teacher Appreciate Day, among others.
Read the official announcement HERE.
Currently Wicked 4th longest-running show in Broadway history, and will celebrate its 20th Anniversary on Broadway this October 30th.
The Broadway production of Wicked currently features Alyssa Fox as Elphaba, McKenzie Kurtz as Glinda, John Dossett as The Wizard, Michele Pawk as Madame Morrible, Jordan Litz as Fiyero, Jake Pedersen as Boq, Kimber Elayne Sprawl as Nessarose, and William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond.
Adam Blackstone
Emmy Award®-winning music director and Grammy Award®-winning writer, Adam Blackstone, joins the creative team as Dance Music Arranger for the revival of The Wiz. The Wiz will launch a national tour on September 23, 2023 in Baltimore, MD before returning to Broadway for a limited engagement in the 2023/24 season.
Adam Blackstone
“Joining The Wiz’s creative team has been a very surreal moment. I remember watching the film on VHS daily for years, wondering how it sounded so incredible, how MJ transformed into the Scarecrow, and the score and orchestrations truly told a story all of its own. Fast forward to today, I get to musically partner with Terence Vaughn and reunite with my brother, super choreographer and creative director JaQuel Knight, and explore our own interpretation for a revival of this masterpiece. I am excited and look forward to this body of work changing lives, just like it did for me in the 80’s!” stated Adam Blackstone.
The cast will include previously announced Wayne Brady to lead the production as the Wiz on Broadway in Spring of 2024, San Francisco (January 16 – February 11, 2024) at the Golden Gate Theatre, and Los Angeles (February 13 – March 3, 2024) at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Alan Mingo Jr. will star in the role of the Wiz in the following cities of The Wiz National Tour this fall, kicking off with the tour launch in Baltimore, including Cleveland, OH, Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, PA, Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, Chicago, IL, Des Moines, IA, Tempe, AZ and San Diego, CA.
The cast will also feature Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Deborah Cox as Glinda and Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em and Evillene, Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tinman, and Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow. The Wiz ensemble includes Maya Bowles, Shayla Alayre Caldwell, Jay Copeland, Allyson Kaye Daniel, Judith Franklin, George, Collin Heyward, Amber Jackson, Jackson, Jones, Jones, Kindle, Mariah Lyttle, Kareem Marsh, Anthony Murphy, Rae, Matthew Sims Jr, Avilon Trust Tate, Keenan D. Washington, and Timothy Wilson.
The production will include ‘Everybody Rejoice’ music and lyrics by Luther Vandross, as well as the ‘Emerald City Ballet’ with music by Timothy Graphenreed.
The McKittrick Hotel (530 West 27th Street, NYC), home of Sleep No More, announced the opening of Hypnotique – A Late Night Sultry Spectacle. Performances have been extended on Friday and Saturday nights through October 14, 2023. The all-new Hypnotique revue offers a unique after-dark experience that envelops you. Audiences are captivated by spontaneous performances and mesmerizing dancers, accompanied by daring sonic soundscapes in a surreal ambiance in The Club Car.
The cast features Chloé Lexia Worthington, Courtney Sauls, Fabricio Seraphin, Haley Bjorn, Jacob Nahor, Jesseca Scott, Maurice Ivy, Maya Kitayama, Samantha Greenlund, Victoria Edwards, and swings Alex Sturtevant, Cameron Arnold, Kennedy Adams, and Stacey Badgett Jr..
Cocktails inspired by the experience, including the signature Hypnotonique (an electrifying punch made with cucumber-infused vodka, elderflower liqueur, and grapefruit juice), are available from The Club Car’s bar.
Performances are offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30PM. General Admission tickets with standing room are currently priced from $65 per person.
Kevin Del Aguila and the cast Photos by Marc J. Franklin
Two industry readings for Female Troubles, an original musical comedy, will happen next week at Open Jar Studios. Female Troubles is a completely original musical comedy featuring lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominated and Grammy Award nominated songwriter Amanda Green (Mr. Saturday Night, Hands On A Hardbody, Bring It On), music by three-time Emmy Award nominee Curtis Moore (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), book by Emmy Award-winning writers Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden (“Veep,” “Arrested Development,” “Seinfeld,” “The Simpsons,” “HouseBroken”) and directed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Disney’s Newsies, My Fair Lady, “Schmigadoon,” “Schmicago”).
Lesli Margherita
The cast for the readings will includeKrystina Alabado, Kevin Del Aguila, Amanda Green, Lilli Cooper, Lillias White, Lesli Margherita, Ryann Redmond, Kate Rockwell, Matt Saldivar, Alanna Saunders, Trent Saunders, Jake Swain, Sav Souza, Rachel Stern and Frank Viveros. In Female Troubles, Elinor Benton finds herself surprisingly and undeniably “knocked up” — and, since she’s unmarried and this is 19th century England, she has a very big dilemma. Facing ruin, she and her girlfriends embark on a raucous journey to find the one notorious woman who can help them with their “female troubles.” Their misadventures change the course of each of their lives. This uproarious musical comedy asks the trenchant question “Can you believe this sh*t is still happening in 1810?”
I attended the reading of Love In The Time Of Crazy withbook and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Outer Critics Winner for Desperate Measures), music by Stephen Weiner (two-time Richard Rodgers Award winner) and David Hancock Turner (orchestrator for Desperate Measures and Penelope), directed by Lauren Molina (Desperate Measures ). The cast stared Philippe Arroyo, Stephen DeRosa, Robin Dunavant, David Merino, Josh Lamon, Roe Hartrampf and Alexis Cofield .
Look for more from this tuneful musical that actually has you leaving humming the songs. The cast was terrific, the direction sublime and the show ready to move.
Love in the Time of Crazy is a riot, but, you know, in a good way.
Gingold Theatrical Group next show is a new production of George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man.
Shanel Baile
The cast of Arms and the Man will feature Shanel Bailey (“Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies”)
Delphi Borich
Delphi Borich (Camelot)
Ben Davis
Ben Davis (New York New York)
Keshav Moodliar
Keshav Moodliar (Queen)
Thomas Jay Ryan (Uncle Vanya)
Evan Zes
Evan Zes (The Kite Runner),
Karen Ziemba
Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba (Prince of Broadway).
Keshav Moodliar, Delphi Borich, Shanel Bailey, Thomas Jay Ryan, Karen Ziemba, Evan Zes and Ben Davis
Understudies for this production are Mazvita Chanakira (Gap Year)
René Thornton Jr (The Tempest)
Matthew Zimmerman
and Matthew Zimmerman (A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
David Staller
Arms and the Man will be directed by David Staller.
Lindsay Genevieve Fuori (Set Designer)
Lindsay Genevieve Fuori
The production will feature set design by Lindsay Genevieve Fuori
Jamie Roderick (Lighting Designer)
lighting design by Jamie Roderick
Ariel Kregal (Assistnat Costume Designer), Cassie Williams (Hair and Makeup Designer), Tracy Christensen (Costume Designer) and Karine Ivey (Wardrobe Supervisor)
costume design by Tracy Christensen
Julian Evans (Sound Designer)
and sound design by Julian Evans. Prop design is by Emmarose Campbell.
Allie Posner (Production Manager)
Production management is by Allie Posner. Hair design is by Cassie Williams, and Stephanie Yankwitt of tbd Casting Co. is the Casting Director.
Logan Gabrielle Schulman (Assistant to the Director)
Logan Gabrielle Schulman is the Assistant to the Director and Ariel Kregard is the Assistant to the Costume Designer.
April Ann Kline (Production Stage Manager) and Jade Doina (Assistant Stage Manager)
The production stage manager is April Ann Kline and Jade Doina will serve as assistant stage manager.
Pamela Singleton (Gingold Board Chair), David Staller, Greg Santos (Managing Producer) and Sean Bertrand (Managing Producer Associate)
Natalie Kane (Administrative Assistant)
Arms and the Man is one of Shaw’s most popular comedies. The plot follows a hunted soldier who, seeking refuge in a young lady’s boudoir, starts in motion a series of highly engaging and unlikely comedic events. His unusual philosophies about love, war and life in general open up a world of thought she’d never previously entertained–certainly not with her dashing war-hero fiancée who also arrives unexpectedly. This early work of Shaw’s is remarkably pithy.
Fareeda Ahmed, Ethan E. Litwin and Pamela Singleton
The play’s title, Arms and the Man, references the first line of the epic Virgil poem, The Aeneid, in which we’re reminded of how foolish humans can be by fighting each other and struggling against the best of human nature: “Arms and the man I sing, who, forced by fate / And haughty Juno’s unrelenting hate, / Expelled and exiled, left the Trojan shore.”
Arms and the Man will play Theater Two at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036) from October 17 through November 18, 2023. Opening night is set for October 26. The performance schedule is Tuesday–Thursday at 7pm; Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm; Sunday at 3pm. Cast and guest-moderated talkbacks will take place after each Sunday performance.
By Dennis W
Vinny Celerio (as Intrusive), Nicole Lamb (as Intrusive), Mia Cherise Hall (as Melinda), Zummy Mohammed (as Intrusive), and Audree Hedequist (as Intrusive) Photos by Thomas Mundell.
Relapse: A New Musical is filling Theatre Row with the sound of music from voices patients in a psychiatric hospital hear only in their heads. The 100-minute production captures the audience and brings them into the foggy, erratic, self-destructive world of this group who have lost their grasp on reality. It’s a difficult feat to write a musical about mental illness and get it right. The approach J. Giachetti takes in the book and lyrics, with music supplied by Louis Josephson, is quite inventive and works. The play takes place in group therapy sessions for four patients. But the music is about what’s going on in the minds of these people as they struggle with their sanity. And there are four more players called, ‘The Intrusive’ (the voices in the patients’ heads) doing whatever they can to keep the people in the group from breaking through to reality.
Bryan is played by Randall Scott Carpenter and this is his Off-Broadway debut. Bryan has an eating disorder and Carpenter captures a man searching for control right down to the nervous tick of shaking his leg. The schizophrenic in the group is Melinda played by Mia Cherise Hall. She has just the right spin on the character’s detachment from reality while still being part of the group.
Audree Hedequist (as Intrusive), Zummy Mohammed (as Intrusive), Becca Suskauer (as Kendra), Nicole Lamb (as Intrusive), and Vinny Celerio (as Intrusive) Photos by Thomas Mundell.
Kendra is played by Becca Suskauer (Pretty Woman, National Tour) making her Off-Broadway debut. Kendra is a sociopath who torched her home and killed her father. Rounding out the cast is Adam played by Jacob Ryan Smith (Lizard Boy, Off-Broadway) who is new to the group. He’s an alcoholic and this is his fourth relapse. All the characters have a singular goal: to get out. They are joined by ‘The Intrusive’ played by Vinny Clear, Audree Hedequist, Nicole Lamb, and Yummy Mohammed. They swarm around the patients blocking their way to progress, as well as, filling the void as a well-voiced chorus.
The lyrics by J Giachetti do the job of filling out the characters with titles like Psych 101, Outta Here, Shattered Brain, and What Would You Do. The rock edge to the music by Josephson (Composer, Additional Lyrics, Orchestrations, Julliard) adds to the chaos nicely.
Vinny Celerio (as Intrusive), Nicole Lamb (as Intrusive), Zummy Mohammed (as Intrusive), and Audree Hedequist (as Intrusive) Photos by Thomas Mundell.
Dr. Carlisle and Margot, the nurse, are played respectively by Troy Valjean Rucker (Romeo and Bernadette, Off-Broadway) and Ashley Alexandra (Tootsie – National Tour) who have a kind of antagonistic relationship. Margot is not completely happy with the doctor’s handling of the group and is not shy about speaking out. They also talk about how funding for the group session may be cut off. This is where the plot begins to wander somewhat unnecessarily.
Director and Choreographer Joey McKneely (West Side Story, Broadway) keeps all the characters moving to highlight their stories in the ensemble musical using all of the stage space. The eerie swarming of ‘The Intrusive’ works but as the show progresses their movements become somewhat repetitive.
Randall Scott Carpenter (as Bryan) Photos by Thomas Mundell.
The scenic design by Sheryl Liu (The Memorial, A.R.T.) is adequate, with six blue chairs in a semi-circle as you would expect. It’s easily moved around as needed. Liu, as costume designer, dresses the patients in simple scubs-like tops and pants. Except for Bryan who has a slouching muddy brown cardigan that he uses to his advantage as he nervously rubs it between his fingers hinting at his lack of control and obsessive-compulsive behavior.
This ensemble production of Relapse: A New Musical takes us inside mental illness. The problem comes within the optimistic ending. We really have mostly seen how the characters deal with their specific problems and how the voices in their heads keep holding them back. The doctor says he is moving a patient to the next level facility even though he isn’t ready just to show some progress on paper. Relapse isn’t perfect but it is definitely an evening of entertainment that will give you a lot to talk about when you leave the theater.
Ashley Alexander (as Margot) Photos by Thomas Mundell.
For more go to frontmezzjunkies.com
The new hilarious Off Broadway show Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, officially opened at New World Stages September 18th.
Producers Dane Levins and Drew Desky
Tally Sessions
Gordon Greenberg (Co-Author and Director)
Tally Sessions and Gordon Greenberg
Victoria Deloris (Sound Design)
Steve Rosen (Co-Author)
Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen
Gordon Greenberg, Chess Jakobs and Steve Rosen
Telly Leung and Karen Mason
Karen Mason
Telly Leung
Paul Rolnick and Karen Mason
Julie Halston
Darren Goldstein
Katie Finneran and Darren Goldstein
Katie Finneran and Darren Goldstein
Katie Finneran, Steve Rosen and Darren Goldstein
Katie Finneran
Dominick Laruffa
Brett Ricci
Kaitlyn Boyer
Sean-Michael Wilkinson and Kaitlyn Boyer
Sean-Michael Wilkinson
Rob Denton (Lighting Design)
B.D. Wong and Julie Halston
B.D. Wong
Drew Desky and Dane Levins
Creative Team Victoria Delorio (Music and Sound Design), Tijana Bjelajac (Scenic and Puppet Design), Ashley Rae Callahan (Wig and Hair Design) and Rob Denton (Lighting)
Arnie Burton and Julie Halston
Arnie Burton
Julie Halston, Arnie Burton and Richard Kind
Ellen Harvey
James Daly and Ellen Harvey
James Daly, Ellen Harvey and Arnie Burton
James Daly, Ellen Harvey, Jordan Boatman, Arnie Burton and Andrew Keenan-Bolger
James Daly, Ellen Harvey, Sean-Michael Wilkinson and Jordan Boatman
James Daly, Ellen Harvey, Sean-Michael Wilkinson, Jordan Boatman, Kaitlyn Boyer, Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Arnie Burton
James Daly
Jordan Boatman
Andrew Keenan-Bolger
Gordon Greenberg, Steve Rosen, Drew Desky and Dane Levins
Performances will run through January 7th.
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, opened tonight at New World Stage and it is sure to wrap you in its spell. The script by Gordon Greenberg (also the director) and Steven Rosen, takes on Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror classic and spins it into a delightful, intelligent, 90 minutes of sheer delight. This version is more along the lines of Mel Brooks, Rocky Horror, Monty Python and The 39 Steps.
We start of course in Transylvania, this Dracula (James Daly) is smoking HOT! taking off his black-lace vest to the delight of the audience. He is tall, blonde, muscular and wears tight leather pants, but he is also hilarious. He is an equal opportunity bloodsucker, perfect for this day and age. When Jonathan Harker (Andrew Keenan-Bolger), a meek and germ-a-phob, brings to the count his new real estate contracts to be signed, he also shows him his fiancé Lucy (Jordan Boatman), and the count is in lust with her neck.
James Daly, Jordan Boatman, Photo by Matthew Murphy
Headed across the sea to meet Lucy, he arrives at her father’s Dr. Westfeldt (Ellen Harvey), who runs the asylum where Renfield also lives and is also played with break neck speed by Harvey. Lucy’s sister Mina, is a lustful Arnie Burton who also plays the German Dr. Van Helsing as Cloris Leachman in “Frankenstein.” Harvey and Burton are consulate actors who make any show they are in perfection. Both play roles that cross genders in drag and take them to the hilt.
Ellen Harvey and Arnie Burtin Photo by Matthew Murphy
The direction by Greenberg is fast paced and well thought out. He brings the best out of this uber talented ensemble, that is a director’s and audience’s dream. There is nothing I can fault here, nor would I want to.
Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Jordan Boatman, James Daly, Ellen Harvey and Arnie Burton Photo by Matthew Murphy
Not only is the play fabulous but the scenic and puppet design by Tijana Bjelajac, the costumes by Tristan Raines and wigs by Ashley Rae Callahan, lighting design by Rob Denton, original music and sound design by Victoria Deiorio are done to perfection.
If you want to laugh, be entertained and feel like life is care free for at least 90 minutes, go and see Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, you’ll be thrilled you did.
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors: New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, until January 7, 2024 or beyond draculacomedy.com
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