17
Sep

Ghost, the Musical

ghost
Ghost, the Musical
Georgia Ensemble Theatre
through October 2, 2016

I guess with all the early pre-Hallowe’en stuff around town, I guessed this all wrong before attending the show. It isn’t about tricks and treats. It’s about stiffs and cheats.

Sam (Chase Peacock) is a banker who has some second thoughts about some serious discrepancies he has found at work. He’s on his way home to a new flat in Brooklyn where he and his girl friend Molly (Kylie Brown) are going to live. But as he gets almost there he gets offed by some thug who steals his wallet.

And the story starts to get more involved, with their “friend” Carl, who may have an interest in Molly and in some info that Sam related to him. Sam may be dead, but his spirit refuses to take leave of Molly and he manages to get the help of a psychic, Oda Mae (Kandice Arrington), to get a warning to Molly that her life may be endangered. Oda Mae and her staff are poster-girl psychics with the moves and costumes.

And as the story progresses Sam and Oda Mae dive into an Enron roll where they have to move a large chuck of cash from a bank. Can’t tell you how or where it goes. That’s what a play is about.

Under the direction on Robert Farley, the cast of a dozen players pulls this one off with great aplomb, and with a live band under direction of Bethany Irby who is also on the keyboard. It isn’t a score you will recall much of, but the evening is a very pleasant one, and one where there are no politicians yakking away.

More info and tickets at GET.org

11
Sep

The Threepenny Opera

threepenny-opera
The Threepenny Opera
7 Stages
through October 2, 2016

Bertold Brecht is most famous for his creation of this opus along with Kurt Weill who composed the score. They sold the idea to a friend in 1928 who produced it in Berlin, and it had a difficult success, especially once the Nazis came to power. Brecht and Weill both left Germany before the war.

It is derived from an old neoclassical work, The Beggar’s Opera, and it’s most known number in English is Mack the Knife. The sets and costumes remind one of Cabaret. Michael Haverty and Bryan Mercer joined forces to direct the show, and it is quite a bit of work with a cast of 14 payers, live music on stage, and really good period costumes and makeup.

The story is set in London in the SOHO part of the old West End. It was in the days when that region was rife with brothels, street people, beggars, pimps, dealers and thieves. And it is there that we meet Mr. Peachum (Kevin Stillwell) who runs the panhandling business in the manner of the mafia. His daughter, Polly (Stephanie Lloyd) falls in love with Macheath, a/k/a Mack the Knife (Aaron Strand), who is not quite the gent that her parents would have her wed.

So what are they to do? Get the guy strung up. So, they rat him out to the coppers. But, Macheath has an edge, as he is buddies with the Police Commissioner, Tiger Brown (Adam Lowe); so as the Brit’s would say “Bob’s your uncle.” and you get a free pass. Mrs. Peachum is played in drag by Don Finney who is a hoot.

The show is about managing to survive life in lousy circumstances in days when the wrong crowd seemed to control everything. Remind you of anything going on these days? It should appeal to some politicians these days. For, as Tony Soprano would advise, “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

More info and tickets at 7Stages.org

10
Sep

Run for your Wife

runforyourwife
Run for your Wife
Lionheart Theatre
through September 25, 2016

This show is a riot, and has a very short run in Norcross. The cast of 8 players does a great job with this opus, which is a Britcom, sort of like John Cleese meets Moliere.

The story line is insane, of course. A cabbie named John Smith is married to Mary and they live in Wimbledon. He also happens to be married to Barbara and they live a short distance away in Streatham. He carefully designed his shifts so that he can keep the two unions from coming together. But, as in any Britcom, things have to go awry; and they do with great hilarity.

Jeremy Reid is the bigamist, John, and wife Mary is played by Sarah Fechter while wife Barbara is played by Emily McClain. The two neighbors get dragged into the morass and they are the retiree Stanley (Jerry Jobe) and the ultra-gay newbie played by Bob Smith.

This play by Ray Cooney opened in 1983 in the West End and had a 9 year run and since then has played thousands of times in many languages. If you have had enough of politicians and analysts maybe an evening of non-stop laughter would be a better entertainment.

Lionheart is just off the square in Norcross, plenty of free parking and they even provide yummy snacks at intermission. But, be forewarned that this production will be on only Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and on Sundays at 2pm. More info and reservations at LionheartTheatre.org

9
Sep

Art

art
Art
Serenbe Playhouse Intown
through September 11, 2016

Yasmina Reza’s Tony winning play is cast as a comedy; and in fact it premiered as such in Paris in 1994. Like many comedies, it is also rife mit sturm und drang. This one is being performed at Atlanta Contemporary which is located downtown on Means Street not far from Georgia Tech area.

Director Ryan Oliveti brought together a cast of three players, each of whom plays his role to the max. Serge (Daviorr Snipes) is a dermatologist who has invested a bucket of money in a painting which may not be as revered by others as it is by him. The unframed solid white canvas, by an artist they refer to at Antrois, reminds one of some of Ellsworth Kelly’s works. The show is set in Paris and at one point refers to works in the Beaubourg. Obviously the playwright has seen works by Kelly and Jackson Pollock and others, whose works may be deemed to be art. C’est la vie.

Marc (Adam Fristoe) is one of Serge’s friends and he just doesn’t share Serge’s admiration of the work, and that is the start of the journey through the play about friendships. Yvan (Daniel Parvis) is also their friend, and he at first alleges to side with Serge on appreciation of the art. But, Yvan is up to his behind in preparation for his wedding and dealing with the usual sort of family relationships. His high speed monologue is quite a work of art in itself.

The energy levels in this play are such that it must run as one act, albeit there are many scene shifts. Running time is about 90 minutes. Be aware that there is plenty of verbal combat, so it is not the Odd Couple or trio. It is about relationships and the essence of friendships. Easy venue, free parking and more info online at SerenbePlayhouse.com

8
Sep

The Prom

prom
The Prom
Alliance Theatre
through September 25, 2016

Do you love great musical theatre? If so, you can stop reading this and call right now for your tickets to this world premiere of a musical that will surely go to Broadway and merit several Tonys.

Without going into some details that would give away all the twists in the plot, let me say that the story line by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, deals with a high school girl in Indiana who wants to go to her prom, but not with a guy. And the ensuing story is about the homophobic idiots of the small town who feel a right to impose their standards upon all others, regardless of the fact that we’re all just people.

The score by Matthew Sklar with lyrics by Chad Beguelin is top quality, and the entire show exudes energy that can’t be beaten. A cast of winners has been brought to town including the riotous Beth Leavel as Dee Dee Allen, the stereotypical egocentric diva of flops, who would prefer to be on the walk of stars. Caitlin Kinnunen plays the young Emma, whose difficulties draw the attention of Dee Dee and her colleagues when they seek a way to generate some good press by doing good.

There is a cast of 26 players, every one of whom is superb. The choreography, costumes and great sets and props excite everybody in the house. We know how we want things to be resolved, but maybe there is more than one road to a destination. Courtenay Collins comes off as a local pain. She’d certainly vote for the guy with the weird hairdo, as she feels you may have a right to your opinion but you are wrong.

And on that point I have to say my opinion is that were this show to be judged on the usual 1 to 10 scale, it would be at least a 12. Go see it before you have to shell out a lot more money to see it in NYC, Boston or Frisco. It’s a winner. Thank you, Alliance, for presenting this one. More info and seats at AllianceTheatre.org