Review of Wizard of Oz at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN

Quote of the Day:  Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. a favorite quote from The Wizard of Oz.

Krista, I've a feeling we're not in Minnesota anymore. In fact, we were transported to the merry old land of Oz at the Ordway Performing Arts Center, Friday night, Dec. 6, 2013. The magical winds of a fantastic theatrical production swept us out of the cold and away from our troubles that melted like lemon drops despite the subzero temperatures outside. 

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz. Description: Company in The Land of Oz. Original Toronto Cast. Photo Credit: Cylla Von Tiedemann

Danielle Wade is a delightful Dorothy. When she sang, "Somewhere over the Rainbow," chills ran down by arms, and her final note of why, oh why can't I... floated up into the rafters and hung there until Christmas. I had tears in my eyes from the beauty and emotional electricity of the performance. The Wizard of Oz stage production gives us exactly what we came to see and hear - the beloved characters, the scary witch, flying monkeys, exciting dancers, heartfelt lines, the journey, the music, the visual effects. I could go on and on. With the use of scrims, film, technology and phenomenal actors, I felt like we were part of the show, blending the old movie into the new theatrical production. During the tornado scene the projection seemed to be in 3D as we were pulled into the whirlwind and landed with a flash of light in Oz. The little girls in front of me weren't the only ones to gasp and say, "Oh, look at that!" I found myself tapping Krista on the shoulder and whispering that I had goosebumps, sighing at the amazing music and theatrics to wondering how many times the dancers whacked each other the head while rehearsing the dance with the sticks. I loved that number, the rhythm and dancing set my heart racing.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz. Description: Jamie McKnight as Scarecrow. Original Toronto Cast. Photo Credit: Cylla Von Tiedemann

Watching this beloved film classic come to life on stage is a fantastical experience. It's like you could step inside the film itself and become part of the show. The way they used the projection and scrims created the effect of walking through the woods, twirling in the tornado, interacting with the story, and journeying along with Dorothy and her pals. 

The most impressive actor on stage was Toto. He got his own standing ovation. How does the trainer, William Berloni, get him to bark on cue, enter and exit, and be such a steady part of the show? I looked at his website, Theatrical Animals, and learned that he uses rescue dogs. For more information on him, his talented furry superstars, and his efforts to help rescue animals, check out his site.

The Wizard of Oz is on its North America Tour. Check to see if they'll be in your neighborhood. This is the best show I've ever seen, and what makes it even more amazing is how they could bring the classic film to life and give us even more of the magic as we journey to Oz and back with Dorothy and Toto. 

I have fun photos and more to tell you about our freezing cold day in our state's capital. I'll save that for a later post. Bring the kids to Wizard of Oz at the Ordway, Dec. 4-29, 2013, or go with a great date. Thank you, Ordway, for bringing this fantastic show to St. Paul. Thank you, cast, crew, and creative team of this production. Your talents are "somewhere over the rainbow."

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What are your favorite lines, characters, or scenes from The Wizard of Oz?

Review of 1950's Songbook at The Ordway

Quote of the Day:  True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time. George Gershwin

Photo courtesy of Ordway Media

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has a great program called The Broadway Songbook. They have done musical medleys from such Broadway greats as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim. They are currently showcasing "Musicals of the 1950's" which some consider to be the height of musical theatre. With musicals such as The Sound of Music, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, The Pajama Game,West Side Story, and The King and I it's hard to argue against that sentiment. They mix in a few sleepers as well. Some shows didn't have the staying power of Guys and Dolls, or they aren't as easily done by every high school, college, and community theatre. A bit of trivia from last night is that Guys and Dolls is performed somewhere every day of the year! Most of us could hum the tune to Sit down you're rocking the boat, or 76 Trombones from The Music Man. Some songs from the era made it into mainstream music as it was recorded by the greats of the time like Rosemary Clooney singing Hey There, or Frank Sinatra crooning Luck be a lady tonight.

My sister Joy and I enjoyed the song selections, although, we felt the whole performance went a bit long. Granted, we have a long drive back to Brainerd when it's over, but I could see areas where editing/cutting would improve the overall experience. While I like learning some musical theatre history during these performances, this time it went too in depth, particularly about shows that I've never seen or even heard of and will likely never be performed again. James Rocco, producing artistic director and host for the evening, put together many great numbers and did his research on the 1950's musicals. Still, we don't need, or really want, to know everything about the era. Most of us are there to hear our favorites.

Our favorite of the evening was when Jennifer Baldwin Peden sang Adalaide's Lament, her love-sick solo from Guys and Dolls. We were convinced that she'd played the part in her career. In fact, what I enjoyed the most about the performance was the little bit of dialogue they'd often use as they were getting into the songs and characters. The accompanist and musical director of The Ordway, Rayond Berg, deserves his own standing ovation as he seemingly effortlessly brings the singers and audience through the various repertoire of this musical period. 

The Ordway is going through a construction phase. They have torn down their intimate 300 seat McKnight theatre and are replacing it with a 1100 seat concert hall. For The Broadway Songbook, which was normally held in the smaller theatre, they had the audience sitting on stage with the performers. It was a little awkward. We could see the performers enter from the dressing rooms and wait for their entrance. Once they were in their places at the back of the stage, they felt more removed and harder to see from our seats, which were at the front of the stage and to the right and not all that comfortable. When you're setting up seating, think about giving people a bit of space between each other. Most people aren't as small in the seat as those padded metal chairs, and we're Midwesterners, afterall, and need our elbow room. A better intimate arrangement would be to have us surrounding the performers on three sides, so we all feel closer and part of the performance, or have us all sit in the comfortable seats in the front section and create a smaller stage environment that we can all enjoy.

The Broadway Songbook is running October 17-20, 2013. Coming soon to The Ordway is Liz Wright and Raul Midon, October 25, the Yemen Blues, October 29, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's  The Wizard of Oz, Dec. 4-29, 2013.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What are your favorite musicals or songs from musicals?

Review of Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN

Quote of the Day:  Tonight we're going to turn The Ordway into an Irish pub! Eileen Ivers, performance on March 17, 2013 at The Ordway Performing Arts Center in St. Paul, MN. I felt like I was at an Irish wedding dance. Your heart sings. Your feet tap. Little kids run down to the dance floor in front of the stage. The melodies, both haunting and exciting, course through your veins.

Eileen Ivers, promo photo from her website. Photo by Luke Ratray

 

The daughter of Irish immigrants, Eileen Ivers grew up in the culturally diverse neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. Rooted in Irish traditional music since the age of eight, Eileen proceeded to win nine All-Ireland fiddle championships, a tenth on tenor banjo and over 30 championship medals, making her one of the most awarded persons ever to compete in these prestigious competitions.

Being an Irish-American, the intrigue of learning more about the multicultural sounds of her childhood took hold. After graduating magna cum laude in Mathematics from Iona College and while continuing her post-graduate work in Mathematics, Eileen fully immersed herself in the different genres of music which she experienced growing up in New York. Perhaps it was the mathematical mind coupled with her passion for seeking parallels in certain traditional music styles which contributed to what has become the signature sound featured in much of Eileen's recordings since the late 1980's.

(from Eileen Ivers' website)

 

What a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day to be filled with the exhilarating music of Eileen Ivers, her fiddle, and her fabulous band! You can't sit still while listening to this music. Your heart beats a little faster and you have to at least tap a toe. I envied the kiddos who jumped up and dragged their friends and grandparents to the dance floor. Some of those young lads and lasses could really dance a jig and had all the fancy footwork. I'll admit, I was a little intimidated. When I pop on the CD at home, though, I wiggle a little and practice the moves I saw!

 

Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul Band, photo by Luke Ratray

 

You can "Youtube" anything these days. Listen to as much recorded music as you like, but nothing, NOTHING, replaces the experience of live music. The energy in the room was intoxicating. Eileen Ivers and her band really did turn The Ordway into an Irish pub. By the end of the show, the dance floor was filled and overflowing up the aisles and into the balcony. What a rush. What an awesome experience. What an energizing way to celebrate being Irish (anyone can feel a bit Irish on March 17), and cultures beyond the seas and right here at home.

 

Thank you, Ordway, for inviting Eileen Ivers and her band and all of us to have a night filled with festive fun! Check out Eileen Ivers' schedule on her website. I hope she's coming to your neighborhood. You won't want to miss out on this party!!!

 

Go to The Ordway for info on upcoming music, dances, and shows. They have a great line-up yet this year, and next year's schedule looks amazing. I'm particularly excited to see Miss Saigon this fall, 2013.

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt: What is your family's heritage? How do you celebrate your own culture and other cultures in your neighborhood?

 

C.J. Chenier at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN

Quote of the Day:  You play zydeco and you see the shoes flying off. You can't come to my show and stay unhappy all night long. You're going to break a smile and stomp your foot before long. This is happy music, and it makes you dance. C.J. Chenier, quote in the program from Chenier's performance at The Ordway Performing Arts Center in St. Paul, MN.

 

It was a dance party at The Ordway last night. The opening band, The Butanes and Wille Walker, brought the folks out on the dance floor up by the stage. A few of us small town girls held back unitl C.J. appeared with his magnetic musical personality and his energetic band. One guy was playing spoons on a metal vest that he wore on his chest. He was interesting to watch! Some people came dressed for Mardi Gras with hats and boas and beads and sparkly shirts. The rest of us looked like normal Mid-Westerners, mid-winter.

 

When C.J. and the metal vest playin' guy came down from the stage and walked through the crowd, nearly everyone was up and shakin' something. They were part of the the party and the party-goers were part of the music.

 

Listening to zydeco, a Cajun inspired form of blues, jazz and soul, makes you feel like having a barbeque down in the bayou with jambalaya and a mojito with fresh mint. It renewed my desire to visit New Orleans. (Hey, Chef, let's plan our next trip!)

 



C.J. Chenier, Photo by George Balthazar

 

Check out C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisana Band if they're coming to your neck of the woods. Wear your boa. Grab your favorite dance partner, and get ready to party! (If you go to his website, click on his name and you'll get a sampling of his energetic zydeco music.)

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What kind of music makes your shoes come off?