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 Miss Saigon at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN

Quote of the Day:  I'm seventeen and I'm new here today. The village I come from seems so far away. All of the girls know much more what to say, but I know I have a heart like the sea. A million dreams are in me! Kim from Miss Saigon, currently on tour and playing at The Ordway Performing Arts Center in St. Paul, MN, October 8-13, 2013, created by the team who gave us Les Miserables, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubill.

Miss Saigon Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Ordway

Miss Saigon is a love story set in war torn Vietnam, mid-1970's. Two star-crossed lovers cling to each other as the world crumbles into chaos. As the lyrics explain in The Last Night of the World, "In a place that won't let us feel. In a life where nothing seems real. I found you."  Chris, an American G.I, meets Kim, a young Vietnamese girl forced into prostitution. The bond they form in two short weeks gives them each the courage to battle on through the turmoil of the end of the war and its aftermath. Kim waits with unfailing hope that Chris will return for her and their son, but the world is a mess, and then it gets even more complicated.

Miss Saigon. Description: Manna Nichols (as Kim) and Charlie Brady (as Chris) in Miss Saigon. Photo Credit: Bob Compton Photography

The story is beautiful and sad. The music gives you the chills, at times feeling like you are in the chaos. Helicopters are coming with a cacophony of sound and people running every which way. Then, in a glimmer of light, Chris and Kim find each other, embrace, and shut the world out for just a little while. A cavern of loss echoes when they are separated. 

Miss Saigon. Description: Manna Nichols as Kim. Photo Credit: Billy Bustamante

Miss Saigon depicts a time in history when people didn't know if they were going to live another day. Soldiers who might not have ever been around death before watched whole villages get destroyed, and the villagers watched their world disintegrate. Who do you trust? What is real? How do you get away from the madness? I first saw this musical 20 years ago on Broadway in NYC. It was the first musical I'd ever seen that had diversity in the casting and characters. The first time a heavy topic like this was set to music and played out in front of me. It showed me how dark the world can be and how desperate people become, what they'll do out of love, and what a mother will sacrifice to give her child a better life. 

Miss Saigon gives audiences something new to experience. It might not be exactly how some people would have liked it done, but it did break the mold of the typical white European-American characters and story line. As the controversy rages on about this show, we can thank our lucky stars to be living in America where we have freedom of speech, the right to assemble and protest, and freedoms won by those soldiers and leaders who fought for them and all the people from various nations who call this great country home. We all have the right to form our own opinions on anything from banned books to protested plays from our own experiences with them.

My favorite song from Miss Saigon is The Last Night of the World. Have a listen on Youtube, a clip from the Johnny Carson Show with Lea Salonga and Sean McDermott.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Do you know someone who was in the Vietnam war? Were you, or do you know someone, who has been a protester for any cause?

Review of The Buddy Holly Story at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN

Quote of the Day:  I don't care what color it is, I want to play my music my way. Buddy Holly from Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, North American tour.

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has brought in another outstanding musical, Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, playing in St. Paul June 11-16. Buddy Holly's short career as a performing and recording artist changed how people played, listened, and responded to music. He gave it a beat that you can't sit still for. He gave it words that touch your heart, and he gave us songs that we've been listening, dancing, and making out to for decades. He had courage and heart. Watching his story play out on the stage at The Ordway last night gave me insight into the young man from Lubbock, Texas, who dared to do things his way. At moments, the auditorium was turned into his performing venues, like the Apollo stage in Harlem, 1958. We got a glimpse at what it must have been like for him to forge his own path and bring his songs to people across the nation.

Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story brings the young man back to life and shows us that the music lives on. We are inspired by the courage of other artists. We love to listen to their music and hear their stories. This is one musical that gives you everything you came for, and more, and is fun for the whole family. It shows the kids some history about the rock and roll culture, and brings their parents and grandparents back to the days when it was brand new. The actors who portray the legendary musicians of that time become their characters. Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and the Crickets are all there, as well as many sensational supporting members. I hope all of you can go. If you're in the St. Paul, MN area, hurry and get your tickets at The Ordway! The rest of you, check their tour dates, or like them on facebook. Maybe they'll perform in a city near you. And, if you're feeling nostalgic, put on your old records, grab your sweetheart, and fall in love again.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What music was playing when you first fell in love?

Review of Anything Goes at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN

Quote of the Day:  from the musical and title song by Cole Porter, Anything Goes

In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking but now, God knows, Anything Goes.

Good authors, too, who once knew better words now only use four-letter words writing prose...Anything Goes.

 Roundabout Theatre Company’s ANYTHING GOES Pictured: Ryan Steer, Bobby Pestka, Rachel York, Jeremy Benton, Kristopher Thompson-Bolden
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

 Rachel York and Company
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

 

The pure theatrical delight of Anything Goes, particularly it's title number, are the talk of the town (state, and every stop along the tour). Imagine, the gorgeous actors singing and tap-dancing to this classic song to a packed house night after night and receiving thunderous applause. They are stunning, the acting superb, every detail glimmers of classic musical theatre. What a treat to see this show. You are transported back in time by the graceful movements of the dancers, the flowing costumes for the ladies, and the dapper looks for the men. And, what lady can take her eyes off a handsome man in a sailor suit?

 

Alex Finke (as Hope Harcourt) and Erich Bergen (as Billy Crocker)
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

 

Roundabout Theatre Company’s ANYTHING GOES.

Pictured: Alex Finke, Erich Bergen and Company

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

 

Scenes like this make you believe that falling in love, and being swept off your feet, is still possible.

 

Some shows give you meat and potatoes, food for thought. Some can leave you feeling a little uncomfortable in the way they bring dark reality to light. Others reflect modern cynicism. Anything Goes offers a sweet escape. You are drawn into the beauty of the show and your troubles drift off for a couple hours. You might even find yourself tapping your own feet and wondering if it's not too late to learn how to tap dance, or wear gorgeous gowns, dance your way into a woman's heart, or fall in love.

 

 Erich Bergen (Billy Crocker) and Rachel York (as the amazing Reno Sweeney)
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

 

Some songs, like You're the Top, help you realize that a relationship is more friendship than romance as you highlight the best in each other. (I loved this number.)

 

Roundabout Theatre Company’s ANYTHING GOES. Pictured: Rachel York and Company
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

 

The Roundabout Theatre Company is touring the revival of Anything Goes, music by Cole Porter. It's not the same show you might have done in high school or watched at your local community theatre. There are some changes and additions. Joy, my sister, attended this performance with me. She was in a community theatre production of Anything Goes in the Portland, OR area a few years ago, and she quickly noted some differences. Some of the staging and songs are different. There is definitely great energy and spirit to this show. The costumes are probably a bit more risqué than what audiences saw back in the 1940's, or at their small town theatres, and the movements kept mostly to the style of the times with a hint of modern influence.

 

One scene that made me cringe was when Erma and Moonface Martin (Public Enemy number 13) are in his cabin, hiding out. She dresses up to get out and meet the sailors. He doesn't want her to leave, so he takes out his gun to prove how serious he is about keeping her there. In our world where violence against women is still a terrible problem, you cannot make light of it. In every other way, this show is fun, delightful, and lifts your spirits. That one action changed the mood for that scene.

 

Anything Goes is playing at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN, May 7-12, 2013. The Roundabout Theatre Company is on tour and nearing the end of its run. Next stop, Grand Rapids, MI. Check their site to see if they're coming to your town, or click over there to view their promo video. You'll get a glimpse of this stunning show.

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  Do you know how to tap dance? What new artistic skill would you like to learn?

 

Open a Songbook - Review of Broadway Songbook at The Ordway in St. Paul, MN

Quote of the Month: Open the window in the center of your chest and let the spirits fly in and out. Rumi
(My theme for this year's A to Z Challenge
 is Open.)

Millie and Willie Cottonpoly, a sock puppet creation, are here to tell you their story during the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. 
The Cottonpolys enjoy all types of entertainment. I am an entertainment reviewer, and they have started to accompany me to events. Since I'm still in the A to Z Challenge and the Cottonpolys have taken over blogging, I'll let them tell you the highlights of The Broadway Songbook at The Ordway Performing Arts Center in St. Paul, MN.

Willie and Millie Cottonpoly enjoyed a slice of Galaxy cake at Great Waters Brewing Co. before attending The Broadway Songbook at The Ordway.

Willie:  It was out of this world delicious!

 

The Broadway Songbook is an ongoing series at The Ordway Performing Arts Center in St. Paul, MN. April 19-28, they are featuring the music of Cole Porter. 

 

As the first strains of music ripple through the air...

Willie:  (sits up a little straighter in his seat and whispers to Millie) Let's Misbehave. (chuckles)

 

Millie:  I think that song sums up Cole Porter's attitude towards life and writing music.

 

Willie:  (doing a little toe tapping in his seat) Mine too.

 

Millie:  (quietly sings along to the next song) Let's do it. Let's fall in love. (leans a little closer to Willie) That's the song that was running through my mind while we were courting.

 

Willie:  I like this one about Cherry Pies.

 

Millie:  It's a cute one.

 

Willie:  (singing along) You're the icing they put on my cake. (gives Millie a little squeeze)

 

Millie:  It's DeLovely

 

Willie:  It's delicious.

 

Millie:  It's delightful.

 

Willie:  It's delirious.

 

Millie:  These performers really bring Cole Porter's songs to life.

 

Willie:  Ain't bad to look at either.

 

Millie:  Don't get distracted by all the glitter and glitz, it's their voices and performance that tell the story of these songs.

 

Willie:  I like all those food songs.

 

Millie:  What?

 

Willie:  You're the top...you're a Waldorf salad.

 

Millie:  (smiling)

 

Willie:  You're sublime. You're a turkey dinner.

 

Millie:  That Cole Porter was a good lyricist.

 

Willie:  You're the top. You're a dance in Bali. You're the top. You're a hot tamale!

 

Millie:  Willie, shh. (smiles)

 

Willie:  You're Lady Astor. You're broccoli. Huh? That one could go either way.

 

Millie:  No romance is perfect. Sometimes it's Hot Tamales. Sometimes it's broccoli.

 

Willie:  What are your favorite Cole Porter songs, Millie?

 

Millie:  I have two. I love the sound of So in Love, the words are all about how deep in love he is, but with a melody that haunts. Night and Day is a beautiful marriage of words and melody.

 

Willie:  Those lyrics about it being only you beneath the moon or under the sun, whether near to me or far... I think of you. That's our song, Darling.

 

Millie:  (nods) I hope everyone feels so in love when they go to this performance. It's wunderbar!

 

 

***************

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

The Broadway Songbook featuring the music of Cole Porter is at The Ordway April 19-28. Followed soon by a production of Anything Goes, May 7-12. Millie and Willie Cottonpoly already have it marked on their calendar! Go to The Ordway for more info. and to buy your tickets!

 

Journaling Prompt:  What songs bring out the romance in you? What songs were playing when you fell in love?

 

Open to a Musical

Quote of the Month: Open the window in the center of your chest and let the spirits fly in and out. Rumi
(My theme for this year's A to Z Challenge is Open.)

Millie and Willie Cottonpoly, a sock puppet creation, are here to tell you their story during the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. 

Millie and Willie hitched a ride with a knight to the St. Francis Catholic School's Production of

What a Knight!

 

Millie:  Weren't those kids darling up on stage.

 

Willie:  Couldn't hear them.

 

Millie:  The costumes were adorable.

 

Willie:  Couldn't see them.

 

Millie:  I really liked the songs. The soloists did a great job. The kids seemed to be having fun.

 

Willie:  There was music?

 

Millie:  Of course, there was music. It was a musical.

 

Willie:  Hmmpf.

 

Millie:  Well, I just love a show with kings, queens, court jesters, dragons, traveling minstrels, knights.

 

Willie:  Oh, there was more than just one knight in the show?

 

Millie:  Of course, there was a whole cast of characters from Medieval Times. The school had about 60 kids involved. They all looked like they were enjoying it so much.

 

Willie:  I didn't see 60 kids on that stage.

 

Millie:  What do you mean, Willie? You rode into the show with me.

 

Willie:  Well, I guess you didn't notice that I fell off the horse at the concession stand and never made it into the auditorium.

 

Millie snuggling behind the knight in shining armor.

 

Millie:  I, um, well, he was a dashing young man.

 

 

Willie:  The popcorn was good.

 

Millie:  You dribbled a little on your trousers.

 

Willie:  I'm going to talk to Annie.

 

 Millie and Willie with their neighbor Annie, who played a princess in the school play.

 

Willie:  You look very nice in your costume. Could I get a ride home?

 

*************

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  What are some of your favorite songs from a musical or a movie?

 

The top three that come to my mind are My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, Chim Chim Cher-ee from Mary Poppins, Maybe from Annie, and Wouldn't it be Loverly from My Fair Lady.

 

Willie: Mine is the opening number to The Music Man. Love the rhythm of that song.

 

Millie:  He's a Tramp from the Disney movie The Lady and the Tramp, which is also one of my favorite movies, along with 101 Dalmatians and The Fox and The Hound.

 



Review of Buccaneers at the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis

Quote of the Day:  Words are powerful. Enid Arabella, main character from Bucanneers, currently playing at The Children's Theatre Company's in Minneapolis.

Try talking your way out of a situation like this!

Photos by Dan Norman, The Children's Theatre Company

 

Enid Arabella, the quick thinking adventuresome girl, runs away from one bad situation at home and into a worse one on the high seas. She finds herself on board a pirate ship where Captain Johnny Johne' collects children from around the globe and forces them to work on his ship. Enid Arabella has to think fast to talk her way out of walking the plank, a challenge with a sword, and acceptance from the other crew members. She ends up leading a mutiny and getting the cruel captain off the ship. But, the danger isn't over. Enid Arabella's parents are searching for her. The captain is a champion swimmer, and a ship without a leader is adrift on the open seas.

 

The crew elects Enid Arabella as the new captain. She declares that they shall be Buccaneers not Pirates. What's the difference? Pirates are the robbers of the seas. Buccanneers are adventurers with no intent to hurt anyone.

Photo by Dan Norman

Enid Arabella at the helm

 

Buccaneers has all the elements of a great show for older elementary students through adults. It does have some scary images that might be disturbing for younger kids. I heard one mother say that her preschooler wanted to leave after the opening scenes on board the ship. The captain looks and sounds scary and he doles out some harsh punishments. The boys who attended the show with me, ages 11 & 13, loved the show. They thought it was exciting. Said it was, "Awesome," and were really engaged with the show. I loved how they included music and dancing, a bit of humor, and characters from around the globe. I thought it was so well cast with a colorful and interesting group of "kids." The costumes and choreography were beautiful and lively - entertainment for the eyes. I asked the boys what surprised them about the show. They said it was the captain's hidden talent. I was surprised to find out where the music was coming from. Loved the music, by the way, made me feel like dancing a jig right there in the aisle.

 

++++

 

 

 

 

 

The Children’s Theatre Company is playing the world premiere of the raucous musical Buccaneers written by Liz Duffy Adams with music by Ellen Maddow September 14 through October 21. Buccaneers includes all the swashbuckling you would expect from an original pirate musical, plus an unforgettable young heroin, Enid Arabella. Tickets range from $10--$56.00 for adults and $10--$46.00 for children, and are available by calling (612) 874-0400 or by visiting www.childrenstheatre.org. A limited number of seats for $10 are available on first come first served basis by calling on Sundays, starting at noon.  



 

Journaling Prompt:  Did you ever dream of running away from home? Did you go? Where would you go if you dared to leave?

M is for Musicals

Letter of the Day:  M

M is for musicals, memory and Mary!

I guess I previewed M with yesterday's post on My Fair Lady, and the mention of Mary Poppins.  Two musicals where I can sing all the words to most of the songs.  Another favorite is Music Man, a great one for M day.  My sister Joy played the best Marion the Librarian I've ever seen, and that includes the performance I saw at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.  She became Marion, heart and soul.  This musical is about community and redemption and the joy of music and building self-confidence.  Remember the boy who sang, Gary Indiana?  It helped him get over his stutter.

M is also for memory.  I've been playing piano at a local assisted living center, and I can feel the connection the residents make to the music.  Sometimes, I play a song or hymn that is well-known and I can hear people singing or humming along.  Sometimes, the song isn't as familiar, but I see smiles, tapping of hands or feet, and one woman was "playing along" with her hands while I played.  In the memory care unit, I marvel at the people who have lost names and faces, but still remember all the words to Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.

And, finally, M is for Me!  Mary at the piano.

I'm having the spring recital for my students this weekend, at the same assisted living center.  I'm calming nerves and building confidence (I hope).  Send confident vibes to my students on Saturday!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What's your favorite musical?  Did you ever play in a recital?