Displaying items by tag: Scott Weinstein

I thoroughly enjoyed Drury Lane's enchanting stage production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid from start to finish. While few are overly familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s original, darker tale of ill-fated romance, the Disney animated film and this stage adaptation, with a book by Doug Wright and music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, beautifully transform the fairytale into a heartwarming story of love and triumph for the heroine, Princess Ariel.

The mermaid Ariel, portrayed with sunny enthusiasm and skillful vocal stylings by Sarah Kay, is a Princess and the beloved daughter of King Triton, convincingly played by Anand Nagraj. Ariel is captivated by the world above the waves, yearning to experience the sunshine and the joy of walking through green fields. Her fascination with the human world deepens when she falls in love from afar with a human prince.

During a fierce storm, Ariel saves the Prince from drowning, and in that moment, she finds herself falling for him. The Prince, portrayed with sensitivity and earnestness by Patrick Johnson, is captivated by the voice of his rescuer, though he never sees her face as Ariel swiftly returns to the sea, hiding her mermaid identity.

The chemistry between Kay and Johnson enriches their characters, making their blossoming romance both believable and heartfelt. Kay's Ariel exudes innocence and curiosity, while Johnson's Prince captures sincerity and a deep longing to find the mysterious singer who saved his life.

King Triton, wary of humans and deeming them dangerous, has commanded his daughters to stay away from them. This forces Ariel to make a desperate deal with Ursula—her powerful, estranged, octopus-like aunt, who was once banished by King Triton, her brother.

Anand Nagraj as King Titan and Michael Earvin Martin as Sebastian. 

Ursula, portrayed by Sawyer Smith, casts a spell on Ariel, compelling her to give up her extraordinarily beautiful voice in exchange for a chance at love. Ariel must win the heart of the Prince, who must love her so deeply that he is compelled to kiss her. Only True Love's kiss can break Ursula's twisted spell. If Ariel fails to find true love and receive the Prince's kiss, she will be banished to the underworld, and Ursula will claim her soul. Sawyer Smith, as Ursula, is a showstopper! Smith's costumes, makeup and movements are menacing, powerful, yet glamorous all at the same time. Smith’s talent is fully on display during a commanding rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”

The cast delivers uniformly strong performances throughout. Matt Edmonds also stands out with his impeccable comic timing as Chef Louis, eliciting plenty of hearty laughs with his hilarious solo number “Les Poissons.” 

I valued the emphasis placed on the power of a single woman’s voice and the profound impact of a young woman losing her voice, especially in today’s context. It was heartwarming to see so many young girls in the audience, their faces glowing with delight. They were captivated by the show's humor and romance, yet also deeply moved to tears by the poignant theme of Ariel sacrificing her voice to win the love of a man.

This production, under the skillful direction of Scott Weinstein, with choreography by Kasey Alfonso and a vibrant set designed by Tijana Bjelajac, excels in providing delightful musical theater entertainment for both children and adults. It is truly a pleasure to watch.

Patrick Johnson as Prince Eric and Sarah Kay as Ariel.

The puppetry in this production was extraordinary, among the finest I've seen on a Chicago stage. For instance, the two eels, Ursula’s sinister accomplices, glide gracefully through the audience and across the stage with glittering lights encased in sheer black chiffon, creating an absolutely magical effect. The puppet characters were all exceptionally well played and designed. Notable performances include Sebastian (Michael Earvin Martin), Scuttle (Landree Fleming), Flounder (Maya Lou Hlava), Jetsam (Ryan Michael Hamman) and Flotsam (Leah Morrow). The impressive puppet design was crafted by Chicago Puppet Studio, Caitlin McLeod, and Zachary Sun. 

The set design, featuring the imaginative light projections by Anthony Churchill and the atmospheric lighting by Ryan O’Gara, brilliantly conveyed the sensation of being under the ocean. Their work uniquely and creatively transported the audience to an enchanting underwater world, making the experience both magical and mesmerizing.

The Little Mermaid is a fantastic ensemble piece, and the entire cast brings the house down with their rousing, colorful, and energetic group number in “Under The Sea.” This performance beautifully captures the splendor of the mermaid's underwater home and castle, making it a mesmerizing highlight.

I highly recommend this colorful, ingenious, and lively production for audiences of all ages who wish to experience one of their favorite Disney fairytales come to life! 

Disney’s The Little Mermaid is being performed at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook through January 12th. For tickets and/or more show information, visit https://drurylanetheatre.com/the-little-mermaid/.

How well does a three hour Russian science fiction film translate to stage? Surprisingly well. Griffin Theatre gives the North American premiere of David Grieg’s 2019 adaptation of the classic Tarkovsky film. The intimate staging at Raven Theatre gives audiences the same sense of deprivation one might have on a floating space station.

“Solaris” is a water-based planet around which a space station is orbiting. Strange things begin happening to the crew who live in isolation aboard the space station. Dr. Kelvin (Isa Arciniegas) is sent to the space station after the suicide of a crewmember. Once she arrives, she notices the emotional disturbances for herself. Though Solaris remains a mystery to the three doctors aboard the space station, one doctor is convinced of its malevolent intentions. While Dr. Kelvin starts to become enamored with Solaris, Dr. Sartorius (Nicole Laurenzi) warns that the visions Kelvin is experiencing can’t be trusted.

Director Scott Weinstein keeps the pace moving, divesting the show of some of the film’s more laborious elements. The small cast led by Isa Arciniegas and John Drea (as her manifestation), capture the moodiness of planet Solaris. There’s not much melodrama here, but rather a slow and steady unraveling. In order to believe the relationship between Kelvin and Ray, romantic chemistry is essential. Arcinegas and Drea play well off each other and their flirtation, however unsettling, is palpable.

Original reviews of the 1972 film version of “Solaris” praised the advanced set design. Scenic designer Joe Schermoly rises to the task. Futuristic spaceship can be tricky to do on a theatre budget, but this story doesn’t call for a lot of technological achievement. Schermoly’s set is functional and stylish. The stark backdrop lends to the feeling of coldness.

“Solaris” is a modern love story set in space. It’s less an exploration of the far reaches of the galaxy and more of an exploration of the human subconscious. At the time of the novel’s release, the USA and the Soviet Union were engaged in a highly competitive race to put the first person on the moon. What “Solaris” does is examine the space race from a different perspective. It asks what psychological effect space travel has. Science fiction films about aliens were popular in the midcentury, as humans took to space. “Solaris” bucks this popular theme in that the lifeforms in this story seem to come from a place of love. It’s a variation on the classic alien story, but perhaps a more uplifting, or at the very least more mature.

“Solaris” is an essential story in our futuristic world of personalized operating systems and hyper-realistic video games. A play, even an adaptation, must ask a central question in order to be useful to an audience. The themes at the center of “Solaris” are much more Earthly than the scenario might seem. Love is a powerful emotion and it often clouds reason and judgement. Is it a feeling we can rationalize ourselves out of? Author Stanislaw Lem makes a strong case against rationalizing romantic love. In the end, Lem was a romantic and “Solaris” is ultimately an unlikely romance. Through March 27^th at Raven Theatre.  6157 N. Clark Street - 773.338.2177.

The only "rotten" thing about this super funny and colorful production is the title, a line taken from a Shakespeare play. ‘Something Rotten’ is the latest comedy-musical at Marriott Theatre and is full of laughs.

I went to the show not knowing anything about its brief Broadway debut in 2015 and was completely surprised and delighted right out of the gate by the spectacular opening number “Welcome to the Renaissance!" The song is a full-cast extravaganza that makes fun of the conditions people were dealing with in the 1590's (like the black plague), yet also makes the audience realize that at that time the many inventions being brought into humankind awareness seemed really new and miraculous to people of the middle ages.  

Director Scott Weinstein does a fantastic job throughout and has perfectly cast the show with seasoned character actors and actresses who bring it to life with great energy and wit. 

The plot is about two brothers/writers Nick Bottom (KJ Hippensteel) and his brother, Nigel (always another great comedic turn by Alex Goodrich) who, like everyone else at the time, worship The Bard -Shakespeare, played really well  by Adam Jacobs (dressed in sexy  black leather rock star attire to woo the ladies). The brothers ask a soothsayer to give them the plot of a future hit play by Shakespeare. The plot of ‘Something Rotten’ jumps around quite a bit but is superbly funny anyway. 

There are many funny and incisive throwbacks from the past to the present like when Ross Lehman who plays both the soothsayer and a Shylock 0tells the brothers he believes that Shakespeare has made him a character in a play he believes will be titled “Shylock, The Really Nice Jew." Unfortunately, for the brothers, the play the soothsayer predicts that Shakespeare biggest hit will be called ‘Omelet’ not ‘Hamlet’ and the comedy just rolls right on from there. 

Nick Bottom's helpful, hardworking wife, Bea, is a great role for Cassie Slater and she knocks her numbers out of the park every time.  I also really enjoyed Rebecca Hurd as Portia. Portia is the daughter of the only creepy Priest who wants the actors and playwrights of the time to be taken down for crating impure thoughts through theater, which leads people to dancing, which leads to sin, etc.  

Hurd has a wonderful show-stopping number with ‘Bottom’ in which the two lovers discover that they are both really turned on by words! ‘Bottom’ serenades her ears with loving words set to iambic pentameter, and the couple have a hilarious yet heartfelt climactic release together onstage as they find their "word loving" soulmates in each other.  Another showstopper is the full cast blow out of the song "A Musical," which tips it hat to every great musical from ‘Cats’ to ‘Chicago’ to ‘Pippin’ and is jammed packed with spectacular costumes and clever choreography. 

All I can say is I went to the show hoping for the best from a musical I have never seen before and I got it!

I highly recommend this entertaining, delightfully funny musical with eye-popping costumes and really great laughs throughout to audience members of all ages. The director, crew and cast members including a superbly talented dance/singer ensemble of ‘Something Rotten’ have taken this show and revved it up into a fun packed "must see” production from the ever-solid lineup at the intimate Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre.

Through October 20th at Marriott Theatre.

Backstage comedies and dramas are a beloved genre – David Mamet’s Main Street, Ronald Harwood’s The Dresser, Noel Coward’s Present Laughter, Mel Brooks The Producers– known for sending up actors, directors, and show business.

Michael Frayn’s Noises Off – the phrase is basically British for “Quiet on the Set” - is widely regarded as among the best of these. And in its current production at Windy City Playhouse Frayn’s script is given its due. From the opening scene, we see we are witnessing a masterwork of comedy, operating on multiple levels – parody, farce, and pure physical hijinks. (Among Frayn’s works are Copenhagen, After Life, The Two of Us and Clouds.) Director Scott Weinstein and this very high-energy, hard-working cast had the audience roiling with laughter.

And it’s no wonder. It tells of a British troupe that has taken a farce, “Nothing On,” on a long road show with limited time for rehearsal. The cast members are already exhausted before opening night, with little time to learn lines, blocking, or plumb into character motivation. These players are a mixed bag of talent, either past their prime or unlikely to reach it. One example: the towering senior Shakespearean actor, Seldson Mowbray (played wonderfully by Will Casey), an inveterate drunk, and impossibly hard of hearing.

Part of the magic of Frayn’s work is that each actor must play two characters - their role in Noises Off, and their secondary role in the farce, Nothing On. And another part of the magic is that they as they squabble, feud, or fall in and out of love, everything is expressed indirectly, within the language of the plays they are performing.

It gets uproarious when the play is live upfront, and the audience is taken backstage to see the battling conducted “noises off,” through pantomime fighting and fisticuffs. Here Frayn challenges the actors to split-second timing in bumping and crashing into each other, handing off props, etc., and they acquit themselves well (Max Fabian s Fight Choreographer). Two other productions I have seen used a turntable set, rotating to perform the second act. Windy City Players has the audience move to the rear of the house, creating an immersive experience that is even more convincing.

As the show opens we meet the actress Dotty Otley (a delicious performance by Amy J. Carle), who, in “Nothing On,” plays a housekeeper, Mrs. Clackett. Otley struggles to remember her lines, her blocking, and what to do with three props she handles: a plate of sardines, a newspaper, and a telephone receiver – always taking the wrong one off stage at the end of the scene. Otley is oozing self-pity, and the other performers crowd around her in sympathy.

Soon enough, from on high over a speaker, we get the sardonic voice of director Lloyd Dallas, world weary and certainly tired of this group. As the rest of the actors appear on stage, Dallas discovers they do not quite realize it is not a technical or even dress rehearsal, but the final rehearsal before opening night. And they do not nearly have their lines down.

“I’m starting to know what God felt like when he sat out there in the darkness creating the world,” says Lloyd as the dress rehearsal implodes. “What did he feel like, Lloyd,” an actor asks. “Very pleased he’d taken his Valium.”

Frayn also seems to be working a bit of an author’s enmity toward actors – largely bringing us venal people who are filled with inchoate emotion, but have no lines of their own to express themselves. When they are “Noises Off,” they don’t even have the lines. To press it even further Frayn shows us how ineptly the actors contend with the rising chaos on stage, adlibbing pathetically – at one point following a missed entrance by her Frederick Fellows (Scott Duff), his wife finds Belinda Blair (Amy Rubenstein is very funny) using a mop as his stand-in.

There is so much excellence in this show, including a pretty successful adoption of British accents (Kathy Logelin is dialect coach), but I particularly enjoyed Ryan McBride as matinee idol Garry Lejeune (and Roger Tramplemaine in Nothing On) – a character who emotes, but doesn’t seem to have any nouns at his disposal. Also charming was his floozy paramour, Brooke Ashton (Rochelle Therrien) playing an impossibly bad actress who is unable to deviate from her memorized positioning and blocking – even if it means she faces away from Lejeune when speaking to him.

Noise Off comes highly recommended. It runs through March 31 at the Windy City Playhouse on Irving Park Road in Chicago. #noisesoffchi

*Extended through ay 12th

When we think of traditional whodunits, we think of a carefully plotted murder, a list of suspects, and an inquisitive detective who gradually pieces new clues together until the crime is solved. Marriott Theatre’s “Murder for Two” is just that, albeit a musical-comedy that stars just two actors taking on 13 roles. How is that done exactly? With a lot of precision, spot on timing and with a special actor named Jason Grimm who bravely takes on the roles the twelve party goers (all suspects) as well as the victim.

When a surprise birthday party goes bad and Great American Novelist Arthur Whitney is murdered, small town cop Marcus Moscowicz decides to use his sleuthing skills to find the killer since the nearest detective is an hour away. Everyone in attendance of Whitney’s birthday party are suspects including Arthur’s wife, Dahlia, who relishes in the thought of being a “murderess”, prima ballerina, Barrette Lewis, renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Griff, Whitney’s niece, Stef, who is studying criminology in college, an elderly couple that bickers every chance they get and a handful of other interesting characters. Moscowicz wants badly to make detective and the clock is ticking, giving him less than an hour to solve the crime before he must turn the case over.

Noel Carey stars as Marcus and does a bang-up job as the eager detective-wannabe, perfectly complimenting Grimm as he goes from suspect to suspect – and back again. Both Carey and Grimm take turns playing the piano whether it be for a musical number or just ambience music.

Directed by Jeff Award Winner Scott Weinstein, “Murder for Two” is a fast-moving, suspenseful ride that offers big laughs in rapid-fire succession.

“This production provides a fantastic evening of murder mystery, zany comedy, and true virtuoso performances. There are only two performers that take on 13 roles throughout the entire 90 minutes, “says Weinstein. “They not only remain on the stage for the entire show, but one or both of them are also playing the piano throughout. Whether you are a fan of comedy, mystery, or anything in between, this production will have you begging for more.”

Weinstein couldn’t be more correct. Grimm’s ability to go from personality to personality without pause is nothing less than astonishing. The script is rich with humor and holds the perfect amount of suspense. The set's impressive revolving stage keeps all the action moving - literally.

“It is 90 minutes of nothing but silly,” Grimm says. “One character accidentally incriminates himself. One character, for attention, loves the idea that she is a suspect and basks in it.”

Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair are the writers behind this exciting comedy and Carey and Grimm couldn’t be better cast (Carey has starred as Marcus in the musical’s national tour).

Highly recommended.

“Murder for Two is being performed at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire through August 26th. For tickets and/or more information visit www.MarriottTheatre.com.

I was blown away by how great the score, acting and singing were in Griffin Theatre’s new show, Violet. I didn’t have time to learn about it before opening night, so maybe I came away with a completely unbiased assessment: “Boffo!” as the trade rags say for this over the top, top-notch production.

As a recipe for a great musical, Violet can’t miss. It follows a 1964 pilgrimage of Violet (Nicole Laurenzi is excellent) from Spruce Pine, South Carolina to Memphis, where she hopes to be healed of a facial disfigurement in person by a TV Preacher. (Anthony Kayer is so good in this role!). With that geography, and the characters that board and depart the bus along the way, we have a setting that is rife with musical possibilities. And the show exploits them beautifully.

Violet taps deeply into country, gospel, bluegrass, honky tonk, and Memphis blues at towns along the way. As their vintage Greyhound bus breaks in Kingsport, Tennessee, Violet meets a pair of soldiers – Monty and Flick (Will Lidtke and Stephen Allen are terrific), enroute to Fort Smith, Arkansas. Violet has lived a sheltered life, and with her father gone, she is on a quest, and ready to meet the world for the first time.

An what a great score! What hidden talent has been lurking in Chicago, I wondered? Well, after the performance (90 minutes with no intermission) I was straightened out (duh!): this is a revival of a 2014 Broadway Tony-nominated production, itself a reboot of a 1997 Off-Broadway winner of the Drama Critic’s Circle for Best New Musical and an OBIE award for best music. Music is buy Jeanine Tesori, and book and lyrics are by Brian Crawley. 

Having great material to work with, the Griffin Theatre has a delivered a wonderful show. The story line and character development are unusually rich for a musical, and the cast measures right up. Matt W. Miles is a true standout as Violet’s father, with a rich voice and emotive performance. The Young Violet (Maya Lou Hlava) is a very good.

Director Scott Weinstein has navigated pretty well through a complex script, which taps flashbacks and memories. The somewhat spartan staging maximizes the Den Theatre’s intimate space, but it is probably challenging to convey the shifts in time and place – it works well overall.

The music by Jeanine Tesori (she also wrote Fun Home and Caroline, or Change) is loaded with harmonies and counterpoint. The band under John Cockerill is hidden behind a screen, but looms large rich sound, and is revealed when it plays the role of the house band for the Memphis church.

One quibble as a spectator: much of the plot revolves around Violet’s suffering with her disfigurement, a factor that has diminished her self-esteem. It is this emotional constraint that Violet sheds in the course of the play. But that moment of truth did not ring out on stage. And Violet’s makeup does not show a person disfigured – at least from the back row.

This blowout production of Violet is being done also to honor Griffin Theatre’s 30^th Anniversary. What a great way to celebrate! Violet runs through January 13 at The Den Theatre

“Sometimes lying is the most humane thing you can do,” declares Gina Gionfriddo’s character Suzanna Slater in her play ‘Becky Shaw.’ Gionfriddo’s script was shortlisted for the 2009 Pulitzer and enjoyed a successful Off-Broadway run in 2008. ‘Becky Shaw’ makes its Chicago premiere at Windy City Playhouse in Irving Park.

Scott Weinstein directs this sleek production at the even sleeker Windy City Playhouse space. With only 25 seats, the performance space asks its audience to swivel in remarkably comfortable club chairs between scenes as there are three stages in the theater. Something about the orientation of the theater makes this telling more active than a typical play. A really unique experience that may be as memorable as the play itself.

‘Becky Shaw’ is a story about two non-biological siblings Suzanna (Amy Rubenstein) and Max (Michael Doonan) caught in a ‘Cruel Intentions’ style love affair until Suzanna marries someone else. They come from a splintery family and are brutal with one another, but not brutally honest. When Suzanna and her husband attempt to set up cold and cruel Max with delicate Becky Shaw, the play takes a dark direction.

This play is nothing if not well acted. The titular role, drawn as an allusion to the Victorian novel ‘Vanity Fair’ by Thackery, is played by Carley Cornelius. Her version of a clever woman trying to claw her way out of circumstances is haunting and weird. At no point do you ever feel that you’ve got her figured out. At times she’s vulnerable and soft but then turns deliberate and forceful. Cornelius brings a very relatable quality to this mysterious character. Gionfriddo has created such a fascinating character in Becky Shaw, that it’s almost disappointing that there’s not more of her here.

Gionfriddo’s play is funny and provocative. There are quote-worthy snippets of dialogue that, offer glimmers into the playwright’s opinions. She seems very concerned with equality of sexes. Several times the script calls a relationship a meeting of equals. Some may remember Gionfriddo’s play ‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’ which premiered at the Goodman in 2015. While nowhere near as good, ‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’ continued the playwright’s probe into the complexities of long term romantic love between men and women.

The scene jumping quality of the script lends itself well to the multi-staged set-up of Windy City Playhouse. It helps establish the passage of time between scenes and gets you close enough to the actors to feel directly involved. The female ensemble is works really well together in this production. Chicago stage veteran Suzanne Petri gives a standout performance as the mother of Max and Suzanna, and walks away with some of the most insightful lines of the evening. ‘Becky Shaw’ is a play about what happens when you bring a new person into your life, whether you want it or not. (John Accrocco)

Through November 12 at Windy City Playhouse 3014 W Irving Park. 773-891-8985

In 1996 Ragtime made its stage debut in Toronto and a year later it found itself making waves on Broadway. Based on the 1975 novel by E.L. Dotorow, the musical, with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, kept gaining momentum winning thirteen Tony Awards in 1998. Now, to close out its 2016-2017 season, Griffin Theatre Company reimagines the modern classic, thanks to the creative minds of director Scott Weinstein and Matt Deitchman, who adds new music orchestrations to the mix.

Taking place in New York City, Ragtime takes us back to the turn of the century, beginning in 1906, where three families who couldn’t be more different are followed – a young African American couple, a recently immigrated Jewish father and daughter and a privileged white family. As the story unfolds, the families come across one another, but in doing so, and along the way, we see the vast difference in treatment each receives as Ragtime touches on social justice, race relations and immigration. With plenty of parallels in today’s America, Ragtime serves as not just an entertaining musical, but also as a lesson to which we can all learn from.

Throughout the story we also meet a handful of influential historic figures including Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, J.P. Morgan and Booker T. Washington and are reminded of the impact each had made in a rapidly changing America.

Filled with many lively characters such as Coalhouse Walker JR (admirably played by Denzel Tsopnang) who brings "ragtime music" alive with his jazzy Harlem-styled piano playing and Tateh (played with great zest and sentiment by Jason Richards), the colorful Jewish immigrant who just wants to build a life for his daughter, this is a musical that constantly keeps one engaged.

Katherine Thomas makes quite an impression in her debut for Griffin Theatre as Coalhouse Walker’s love interest Sarah particularly shining in numbers “Your Daddy’s Son” and “President”. Laura McClain as Mother also impresses and moves the house during her rendition of “Back to Before”. Other standouts performances include Joe Capstick who undertakes a handful of roles including Houdini, Frederick Harris as Booker T. Washington, a very funny Caitlin Collins as Eveyln Nesbit and an ensemble that truly delivers in every way.

Imaginatively staged at Den Theatre’s Main Theatre, the venue holds a new look as it is transformed into a theatre in the round, the audience surrounding the action. A ragtime band is present throughout the show, two pianos, a clarinet (Dan Hickey) and an occasional flute to giving us a newly-orchestrated chamber version behind the music direction of Jermaine Hill and Ellen Morris, each of whom mans a piano throughout.

There is a reason that Ragtime has won so many awards and has been revived so often by numerous theatre companies. Simply put, the music is outstanding, it’s story is educational as it is entertaining and its message is timeless. Griffin Theatre does justice to this definitive production putting forth a commendable cast, an inviting set, polished music production and lighting and spot on costumes that throw the audience back in time to 1906.

Recommended.

Ragtime is being performed at Den Theatre’s Main Stage and has been extended through July 22nd. For this quality production tickets are a bargain at just $39. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.griffintheatre.com.

In the early 90’s, the now defunct supermarket tabloid Weekly World News, published a story about a creature - half boy half bat - found in a West Virginia cave. That story became the inspiration for Bat Boy: The Musical written by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe.  The first production opened in 1997 and the show made its off-Broadway premier in 2001 quickly becoming a cult hit.

The show opens as a few residents of Hope Falls happen upon the Bat Boy while spelunking. Surprised by the visitors to his cave, Bat Boy attacks Ruthie and is then captured by her brothers Ron and Rick. They turn him over to the local sheriff, who drops him off at the home of the town veterinarian, Dr. Parker, hoping he will be able to put him down humanely. The vet’s wife and teenage daughter Shelley have different plans however, somewhat to the chagrin of Dr. Parker. They feed him, get to know him and eventually come to care for him, teaching him and helping him grow into a “normal” member of society. The folks of Hope Falls however, are scared of Bat Boy but Mrs. Parker and Shelley work hard to win them over, until things start to fall apart and truths start to be revealed that shed a whole new light on Bat Boy and his family.

Falling into the genre of horror/comedy musical, this show is unique from the start. It touches on some heavier themes such as racism, bias, revenge, understanding and forgiveness but with well-timed comedic moments and campy songs it keeps things from getting too dark. The story continues to throw curveballs right up until the end, keeping the audience entertained, surprised and even touched. It challenges the audience to think about their own biases while making light of some very heavy topics with some hilarious moments that have everyone laughing out loud.

The performance was polished and well put together under the direction of Scott Weinstein. The cast of 10 actors, representing twenty-two different roles, were spectacular. They shifted from character to character perfectly, often portraying female characters in drag which felt like a perfect fit for this show.  Everyone played a huge role in the show and brought both strong acting, good timing and strong vocal performances together to create an overall excellent show.

Staged in The Den Theatre, it made the most of an intimate space. The set was well designed by Jeff Kmiec and Greg Pinsoneault and the set transitions appeared seamless. With some of the seating practically on stage, and set pieces allowing for lots of movement and levels on the stage it created a very unique experience. In some scenes, the entire audience seemed to become part of the show, as the actors broke the 4th wall and interacted directly with them.

Bat Boy: The Musical is certainly a one of a kind musical. It may not be for everyone’s taste as it does include some rude humor and pretty twisted storylines but it is a hilarious and excellently executed show so if you are looking for something a bit unique to break up the monotony of cookie cutter musicals, this is it! Get your tickets and check it out before the run ends on July 24th!

Griffin Theatre Company has taken on the feat of recreating the Tony Award-winning musical Titanic. Launching this production in a much more intimate space at Theater Wit, the audience gets a real close up feel to the action and is able to capture the bevy of emotions delivered first hand. Scott Weinstein directs Griffin’s Titanic with intensity, giving this production a true feel of tragedy and humankind.

We are all familiar with Titanic’s maiden voyage that where the luxury passenger liner launched from Southampton, UK and sank in the Atlantic on April 15^th 1912 after hitting an iceberg on its way to New York City. In Peter Stone’s Titanic, we join the excitement prior to the ships fateful launch where the ship is boasted as the largest and fastest passenger sea vessel that also comes with the tag “indestructible”. Families, friends and crew members are giddy with enthusiasm and anticipation as projected so well in the show’s magnificent opening number “In Every Age”. After Titanic’s triumphant departure, we are taken to both the luxurious world of the ship as well as that of the lesser class. In its five day voyage, we are taken to ballroom extravaganzas, fine dining and also to the far less glamorous galleys and crew quarters.

All the while the good Captain Edward Smith and First Officer William Murdoch look to steady the course but do so under the pressure of ship owner White Star Line to increase its speed in order to break the speed record to cross the Atlantic. Finally, on a dark and quiet night, lookout Frederick Fleet notified Murdoch of an iceberg due ahead, but it was too late to maneuver, the ship receiving a 300-foot gash in its side, doomed to sink in the frigid waters. In all the panic and commotion we learn that there are only enough lifeboats to save a third of the ship’s passengers. Ultimately only 700 or so of the Titanic’s 2224 passengers would survive, the rest condemned to a watery grave.

In Griffin’s Titanic, we get a real sense of devastation after what is at first denial (after all they are on an indestructible ship). We see the blame game shifted between architect, White Star Line and the Captain. It is an interesting dynamic as we see both unbridled selfishness and unselfishness between the passengers as some are intent on saving themselves while some are more interested in trying to help others.

The set, though simple, converts well from ship deck, to dining hall and living quarters, to ship exterior. The music is strong and heartfelt (also newly reworked). Many numbers are memorable, seizing the essence of the situation so very well such as “I Give You My Hand”, “To Be a Captain”, “I Have Danced” and “God Lift Me Up”. We also get a number of excellent acting performances in the large cast of twenty, making this a very solid production that has everything you would want in a musical tragedy.

Griffin Theatre Company’s Titanic is a high seas adventure you will not soon forget. It’s a big show in a smaller theatre. This warm and stunning production is being performed at Theater Wit (1229 W Belmont) through December 7^th and tickets are priced at a very worthwhile $39. For more information, you can visit www.griffintheatre.com.