Monthly Archives: August 2007

Shakespeare in the Park

Posted by TheatreBear on
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Tuesday, 13 August 2007, 8pm
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William Shakespeare
Director : Daniel Sullivan
The Public Theatre in Central Park
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The Delacorte Theatre is really one of Manhattan’s most wonderful assests. A night of classic theatre in the middle of Central Park is truly a great way to experience a bit of summer in this city.

     This production seemed to be set in the Victorian era, and utilized quite a bit of “slight-of-hand” magic to tell the story. The fairies were clad in dark (and glittering) costumes and the ensemble of faires was comprised of children which gave an eerie “Black Plague” feel to their scenes. One just couldn’t shake the image of the children breaking into “Ring around the Rosie, Pocket full of Posies…”
     The standout performances were both from Martha Plimpton (Helena) and Jay O. Sanders (Nick Bottom). Both actors had impeccable comic timing and created completely believable and sympathetic characters within the world of the play that director, Daniel Sullivan had created. Another actor to note from this production is “…Spelling Bee’s” Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Francis Flute) whose onstage portrayal of Thisbe (from the play within the play) was really something to behold.
     If you have never been exposed to one of the Public Theatre’s productions of “Shakespeare in the Park,” this is an excellent one to go see first. The magic, costumes, acting, and of course the fact that it is a comedy make this production very accessible to a contemporary audience.

OMIGOD YOU GUYS!!!!

Posted by TheatreBear on

Legally Blonde: the Musical
Sunday, 12 August 2007, 7pm
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Director/Choreographer:
Jerry Mitchell
Book:
Heather Hach
Music & Lyrics:
Nell Benjamin &
Laurence O’Keefe
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      Well, what can I say? Coming from an ex-theme park kid, how can this show possibly go wrong? It has it all; great music, great movement, super-speedy transitions between scenes, a story with Heart (which seems to be so lost these days), and an Amazing Cast. I credit a good portion of this show’s success to the Director/Choreographer. He has stayed completely focussed on telling the story, without getting lost. Laura Bell Bundy shows expert skill at creating a truly loveable character while at the same time singing and dancing her way through an extremely difficult and taxing show (from a performer’s standpoint).
As for the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the Tony awards; truly, someone, somewhere had it in for this show. It really is one of the most “FUN” shows on Broadway at the present time, which is, of course, one of main reasons people buy tickets to the Theatre; to have fun.
      Admittedly, I really like this show. This was my 6th time attending this particular musical, and as luck would have it, I finally was able to see an Understudy. Andy Karl was on for Michael Rupert (Prof. Callahan) and really did a great job of it. The ensemble seemed to be sporting a few new faces as well, which was nice, although…. the tall blonde guy is apparently out of the show… too bad….