Oh boy I do love Christmas- and even if I didn’t, I sure would have to pretend I did, with the holiday mere days away!   There are so many reasons to be merry, and so many joyful events to be a part of.  With a holiday party around every corner, a holiday show in every playhouse, and a holiday song on every radio station, it is all but impossible to escape the onslaught of “cheer”, even if you wanted to.  It is in the spirit of the forced merriment of the holidays that we all can take delight in The New Repertory Theatre’s production of David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries.  The Santaland Diaries is not unlike A Christmas Carol, where one, world-weary traveler finds new meaning in his life thanks to some unique characters and special circumstances. Only this more modern adaptation of a Christmas journey comes with just a pinch more “bite”.

The firecracker of a one-man-show stars Gary Littman as “Crumpet”, the incarnation of the playwright transformed into an Elf  in New York City’s Macys department store.  The Santaland Diaries plays like a 90 minute dramatic diary, taking the audience through vignettes from the fateful day Sedaris applies for the position found in the Sunday New York Times (it was a dare) through the interview, training, naming (Crumpet!), and actual daily shifts as one of Macy’s elves.  Litmann is charming.  He boldly captures the wit and charm of the original short story, making the audience laugh, cringe, and even, by the end, get a little misty-eyed.  From opening monologue to trippy solo dance number, Litmann’s delivery is spot on.  Director, Christopher Webb should be commended for guiding and shaping an excellent adaptation to what is becoming a holiday classic “for the rest of us”.

The simple yet compelling scenic design (complete with  a clever and terrifying backdrop) was a stroke of genius for Cristina Todesco and was complimented perfectly by Chris Fournier’s thoughtful light design.  The biggest laugh of the night, though, must go to Molly Trainer, whose costume design was the perfect exclamation point to Littman’s sardonic treatment.

This fun show is a great way to share your holiday spirit- or lack thereof, with friends and loved ones this holiday season.

Gary Littman as “Crumpet”

Reminiscence and nostalgia are the catch phrases of Watertown Children’s Theatre,  New Repertory Theatre, and arsenalArts production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.  Set in the eves of an attic with miscellaneous artifacts affixed to the wall, the snow-drifted stage gives the cozy but cold air of Charles Dickens’ mystical tale.  The set suggests memory and the past with a nice mix of suggestive and literal.  Without creating caricatures of the characters of this already supernatural tale, director, Bridget Kathleen O’Leary and adapter Rick Lombardo brought a touch of class to this classic.  A work like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol can feel a bit recycled, reduced, and reused.  By presenting it less in the light of a fairy tale and more so based in reality, this reviewer was quite entertained with out a display of déjà-view.  Lombardo’s adaptation was refreshing in his choice to include shadows of past, present, and yet to come that are often cut for the sake of time. These brief but poignant scenes are not lost in Lombardo’s manifestation of Dickens’ masterpiece and they further articulate the moral of the story, while maintaining a reasonable running time.

As the audience milled about the gallery of art that is the lobby at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, a chorale concert of Christmas carols purveyed the space.  This interruption of illusion, despite my initial resistance to seeing performers in costume and character prior to the curtain, set a specific tone for the performance about to take place.  Once the audience was seated, and house lights were lowered, the frosty fable began.

The ensemble seemed to be the crux of the show, filling multiple of the many roles.  Singing baroque style Christmas tunes, the ensemble moved as one to create a mood and make the scene changes.  Most impressive was the musical talent of these players.  I use the word players to imply a pun, for not only did these artists sing and act, but many of them showed proficiency in playing piccolo, piano, timpani, flute, violin, chimes, tin whistle, etc.   Most impressive was Katrina Shinay.  Scenes were often set due to ethereal tones of her tessitura; floating gently above the action of the scene on soprano pitches with control and finesse at pianissimo.  Shinay tickled the audience by singing a flat final note, until corrected by her accompanist.  Patrick Ryan as Fred was also joy.  Ryan filled the role with such sincerity that his age disparity was almost forgotten.

I will say that there were inconsistencies in dialects used and the usage of them at all.  I am of the philosophy that if one can’t master the dialect well, it is best not to affect one.  This was most prominent in the performance of Edward M. Barker.  Barker’s depiction of Bob Cratchet came off a mite over the top, although I believe this was an effect of the deviations in Barker’s dialect.

The stand out performer of the evening was Paul D. Farwell.  Farwell played the protagonist with nuance that down played the emotional extremes of Scrooge.  Through such down playing of the epic role, Farwell concentrated the evocative power of the Scrooge’s journey toward emotional maturity, making each potent moment of progression more prevalent.  Farwell’s performance is one that negates the audience’s world, and becomes their reality for the duration of the play.

The 5^th Annual Watertown Children’s Theatre, New Repertory Theatre, and arsenalArts Christmas collaboration was quite charming.  This production of a holiday favorite was efficacious.  This evening roused the need for the emotional warmth of love to fend off the cold of the winter, wealth and the world.

Peter E. Haydu (Jacob Marley) and Paul D. Farwell (Scrooge) in CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Photo by Andrew Brilliant/ Brilliant Pictures.

It’s difficult to review something I know so intimately as Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  Besides having been a part of this production myself at Emerson College in 2005, I have seen many regional productions of the piece, from the dance floor at Axis to a small lecture hall at Tufts.  It’s not hard to see why I go out of my way to seek out productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  It’s an exciting show- a small and intimate cast (some smaller than others), a unique, outspoken lead with free reign to improvise dialog and interact with the audience, emotional, loud music- it’s like everything you love about a rock music performance with the added bonus of a heartbreaking- and heartbreakingly funny plot to go with it.  I love Blue Spruce Theatre’s initiative to “come out” for LGBT rights – they have dedicated this season’s productions to GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) and that is something that I can really get behind.  It was a pleasure to get to share in Hedwig’s journey last night.

The Blue Spruce Theatre kept the cast very small, the smallest I have seen in a local production, casting only two “players” in their Hedwig and The Angry Inch.  Hedwig, played with inspiration by Danny Bryck, and Yitzhak, played with beautiful, painful tenderness by A. Tully.   Tully and Bryck play all the manifestations of other characters throughout the life story of Hedwig, from Hedwig’s stern East-German mother, to his ex-husband, Luther, an American GI, to Tommy Gnosis, catalyst and ex-lover.  Often these characters manifest themselves in other ways (from puppets to actual humans in the roles- especially Gnosis) but director Kevin Mark Kline purposely focuses our attention on Hedwig, giving Bryck a wide range of characters to play and develop, which he did, with style.  While I might have initially missed seeing the actual chemistry between Hedwig and Tommy Gnosis on stage, I did enjoy the opportunity Kline gave me to really explore the whole story through Hedwig’s eyes.  In fact, upon further reflection, I think it is a much stronger way to present Hedwig to the audience because it forces us to see him in all of his various gender manifestations.  Bryck was excellent as Hedwig.  Unless you see this show for yourself, there is no accurate way to describe the amount of stamina required of the person in the title roll.  More than just singing a vocally challenging rock concert and entertaining the audience with witty banter, our Hedwig has to make a difficult emotional journey (and do all of it in five-inch-heeled-knee-high combat boots in a German accent).  There was not a breath out of character in Bryck’s portrayal.  His voice was fantastic and he carried himself well, I would have enjoyed him even more if he took the time to interact more with specific audience members in addition to addressing us all in a more general way.  A. Tully was also a treat to watch as Yitzhak.  My heart was breaking for her because it was abundantly clear that she had quite a serious case of laryngitis.  While I did miss the haunting high notes that Yitzhak typically produces (and I know you have them, Tully, you were stupendous on WERS) I thought that Tully did a wonderful job of playing up her lower range.  Her rendition of “The Long Grift” was every bit as good as it would have been full-voiced.  I did miss seeing Yitzhak coming out “transformed” at the end of “Midnight Radio,” that is always one of my favorite moments in the show, and I felt like the audience misses out on a real “wow” moment when it is omitted.  The Angry Inch was played by the Hot Protestants.  I absolutely love seeing an established band take on the character of the Angry Inch rather than assembling individual artists for each instrument.  The Hot Protestants had everything I was looking for when it comes to Hedwig’s band- they looked great, their playing was impeccable and fearless, and they had a good sense of humor.  I would absolutely see them live and not in costume!

The black box theatre at the Arsenal Center for the Performing Arts made a great transition to rock concert hall with fun set and fantastic lighting by the incomparable P.J. Strachman (I’ve worked with her and seen her light countless times and she is a true professional through and through). Shannon Gmyrek’s costumes and Eleni Thompson’s hair and makeup design really brought us into the story as well.  All together it made Blue Spruce Theatre’s production a really professional feeling hit.  The audience was completely engaged- I loved seeing everyone with their hands in the air, singing along, laughing and completely animated.  The production team helped the audience to really feel like part of the show.

I don’t want to try to rank this show against others of it’s kind that I have seen- each add their own special link in a chain of experience that I think most people should have the opportunity to see.  Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a bold, important piece that takes a brave and dedicated company to produce.  Blue Spruce Theatre has done a great job of carrying this touching and important message to the audience, and I had a wonderful time.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch perform live from “Rathskeller”. (photo by Shannon Gmyrek)

What a delight it was to watch an ominous, damp, and creeping sense of dis-ease spread over the audience members of The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company’s premiere offering of the 2009-2010 season, Nevermore. The set is ripe with the essence of decay, eerily lit, and surprisingly striking on the heels of the Company’s saccharine sweet summer production of The Wedding Singer.  Nevermore, a chilling rock-opera style musical, tracks the last few moments of the life of Edgar Allen Poe, a man possessed by his demons and haunted by the ghosts of the most important women in his life- living and dead.

The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company could not have chosen a more tragically beautiful piece.  Scenic Design by James Petty is undoubtedly the best I have ever seen by him (and I am a fan), set with absolutely genius lighting- from the flickering candles to the creepy gobos that cast a menacing forest on the stage.  Lighting Designer, PJ Strachman, has a natural sense of how to set the mood. Costumes are breathtaking.  I have never seen F.U.D.G.E.’s costumes look more cohesive, beautiful, and expertly crafted.  Designer and seamstress Lindsay Hurley should win a prize for these perfectly envisioned masterpieces.   Direction by Joe DeMita was brilliant.  With the perfect combination of stylized movement, natural scene work, unsettling dream sequence, and play with shadow and light, the audience is never quite sure what to expect; its just on the edge of truly frightening without a touch of gore or violence.  The actor’s voices soared under the Music Direction of Jason Whiting.  They were confident and perfectly balanced with the excellent band.  I must also give a tremendously enthusiastic kudos to an under appreciated technical position- Tina Cersosimo as stage manager calls a very light-and-sound intensive show with almost no view of the stage. The level of the finesse required to make this show run so smoothly could not have happened with a less seasoned technician.

While there is no question that this show is technically superior to any I have yet to see in The Arsenal Center’s black box space, true compliments must be given to the superbly talented cast that DeMita assembled to tell us the story.  Ronny Pompeo, as Edgar Allen Poe, is terrifying.  His wan complexion (thumbs up to Kaitlyn MacPherson’s grotesque makeup design!) blended seamlessly into his idiosyncratic gate, and his voice was so pained and wild that I was invested in the story even when he fell off pitch (which he did occasionally thanks to the difficult music).  He was truly masterful at pulling us linearly throughout the time periods of the story without a hint of confusion- his loving and sweet young Edgar was perfectly nuanced, his dark and dying Edgar, delightfully tortured.  Shawna O’Brien, a F.U.D.G.E. veteran, is sad, dark and ethereal as the ghost of Edgar’s mother.  Her raw voice is pure emotion, from disdain to anger to sorrow, it is almost impossible to take your eyes off of her.  Kerry Farrell as Edgar’s Aunt Muddy is Puritan stoic, stern and Good. Her grace and dignity is only embellished by her powerful performance in the second act’s “To My Mother”.   Kira Cowan is delicious as Edgar’s Whore.  Her voice is cool and mellow in “El Dorato” and she is absolutely beautiful to watch.  I wanted to climb into her lap myself.  Without a doubt this is the role I have been waiting to see Cowan portray since her first production with F.U.D.G.E. over a year ago.  Joelle Cross plays Virginia perfectly.  He voice is perfectly in tune, and she floats like a cloud among the cast- it is hard to believe that she is not, in fact, a thirteen year old dead child.  I’ve saved the best for last, as it were, when I mention Ashley Yarnell in her portrayal of Elmira.  She steals the show.  Her voice is hypnotic, lyrical and rich.  She plays Elmira through twenty years of life, giving her wide eyed adoration, and motherly wisdom seemingly at the same time.  I cannot say enough how wonderful she was in this role.  I would want to see the show again just for her alone.  Unfortunately for us all, the show only ran one weekend.

What a triumphant first offering, F.U.D.G.E.  I am newly invigorated for the season ahead, with the world premiere of Ryan Cunningham (of I Love You Because fame) and Charles Antin’s Half Married.

The Whore and Mother “haunt” Edgar’s thoughts.

F.U.D.G.E. stands for Friends United Developing Genuine Entertainment, and by simply walking into the Arsenal Center For The Arts to attend The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company’s recent production of The Wedding Singer, it isn’t hard to see why the acronym rings true.  My companion and I were greeted by a warm and gracious staff that was friendly with one another and with most of the guests.  We were shown to our seats, and you could feel the positive and happy energy emanating from the crowd.

I have had the great pleasure of attending each and every F.U.D.G.E. production since the company’s inception, and watching the company grow from a spastic group of college students to a well-organized crew of sophisticated adults has been a real treat.  I was truly looking forward to attending this summer’s musical, on the heels of their spring production of Neil Simon’s Fools. The stage was simply dressed with clean lines and techno-brite colors.  The band, which was placed live on stage, had an excellent balance, never overpowering the actors and actresses, which I consider a great feat in such an intimate space.
From the first note of the opening number, there was no question in my mind that the ensemble was going to steal the show.  With dance moves that would rival a professional production (expertly choreographed by Trevor Efinger), the eight person ensemble, made up almost exclusively by F.U.D.G.E. regulars, was vibrant, quirky, and full of life.  The principles really had to stay on their toes in order to win the audience’s attention away from a motley crew of 80’s dancers, waitresses, downtrodden wedding guests, and hysterical 80’s artist impersonators (Christopher Smith as Tina Turner was possibly the highlight of the entire production, not to mention Kacee Staiti as Cyndi Lauper and Tom Rimer as Mr. T).  The ensemble transformed themselves dozens of times and never entered the stage looking the least bit winded or rushed.  Each fabulous 80’s inspired costume (the work of Kaitlyn MacPherson) brought back a whirl of nostalgia and the spot-on execution of each ensemble member made it even more acute.

While the strong ensemble work clearly topped the chart for me, the principle players also gave solid, entertaining performances.  Chris Bott, who headlined the production as Robbie Hart, evoked the spirit of Adam Sandler while still making Robbie his own.  Kira Cowan as Julia Sullivan absolutely bloomed in the second act, where her solo in the “If I Told You Reprise” was the most beautiful of the night.  Samuel Moscoso seems to be born to play the role of Glen Guglia, his smooth style and voice adding a level of authenticity he never reached in last season’s production of bare.  I enjoyed every moment he was on stage.  Paige Maclean gave a cameo as Linda that was both terrifying and strangely delightful- it is hard to imagine that someone who only lived one year in the 80’s could capture such a full picture of the debauchery and exhibitionism that defined the decade. Newcomers Katie Presig and Justin Colombo had great chemistry as Holly and Sammy, and were full-body committed to their performance.  Presig’s New Jersey accent was spot on (and her earrings were a trip).  A special shout out must also be given to Sara Brodsky, who played Rosie, Robbie’s grandmother, with style.  Her rap and dance in the second act, “Move That Thang” got the most laughs of the night, and her wide-eyed sweetness was the perfect touch.
While some moments in the show lacked the vocal finesse that I have come to expect from a F.U.D.G.E. production, the movement never looked crowded, and that is quite a feat considering that the cast of seventeen were sometimes all on the stage together.

All in all I considered the show to be solidly entertaining. Acting was fairly good, overall, with the cast doing their job of moving the piece along at a break-neck pace.  And though the content of the show was light-hearted, the commitment level of the majority of the performers to live inside their “world” no matter how far-fetched, was clearly illustrated.

I look forward to the upcoming F.U.D.G.E. season, filled with new works, as they begin their residence at the Arsenal Center.  Hopefully, Director, Joe DeMita, will feature some of this brilliant ensemble in more prominent positions in the season to come, I would really like to see some of them come out of the background.  Bravo, F.U.D.G.E., thanks for giving me a fun, light, summer-vacation musical to end your season- it was just what the doctor ordered.

An 80’s style happy ending.