Bright Star at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

Even though I have now seen the musical Bright Star many times, I was still really excited when SCERA announced that it would be part of their fall season because it is such a beautiful story about love, loss, forgiveness, and redemption. I was able to see their production last night and it is amazing! Alice Murphy (Kelsey Mariner Thompson) is a young and rebellious teenager living in the small town of Zebulon, North Carolina in the 1920s and she regularly exasperates her mother (Shawnda Moss) and father (Mike Ramsey) with her wild behavior. She begins a romance with Jimmy Ray Dobbs (Christian Wawro) but his father, the Mayor (Ben Henderson), wants him to make a more advantageous match and conspires to separate them. Twenty-two years later, just after World War II, Billy Cane (Bryson Smellie) returns to his hometown of Hayes Creek, North Carolina to visit his father (Brian Tanner) and his childhood friend Margo (McKenna Thomas). He soon decides to try writing for a magazine in Asheville and meets Alice, now an uptight editor who mentors him. The narrative alternates between both timelines as Alice discovers a unique connection to Billy. I pretty much love every song in this show (the folk and bluegrass music is written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell) and everyone in the incredibly talented cast performs them beautifully. Thompson and Wawro, especially, give highly emotional renditions of "Please, Don't Take Him" and "Heartbreaker," respectively, which alternate between anger and pain and then the two of them reduced me to tears with their touching version of "I Had a Vision." I also loved Thompson's powerful performance of "At Long Last" and I was not alone because the crowd went wild at its conclusion! Shoutouts go to Jared Wilkinson and Colie Lemon as Alice's assistants Daryl and Lucy, respectively, because they provide a lot of comic relief and they are hilarious in "Another Round." The set features weathered doors and window frames suspended over the stage upon which various images are projected (my favorites were the stars during the song "What Could Be Better" and the moving train tracks during a climactic scene) and a wooden structure that is rotated to become the Murphy cabin, the Cane cabin, and Margo's bookshop. The staging is very clever because the ensemble is used to move props (the lanterns are particularly effective) on and off stage with choreography and bits of business that enhance the scene. I especially loved how they move in slow motion around Margo during the song "Asheville" because it emphasizes her longing for Billy and how they freeze around Mayor Dobbs on the train during "A Man's Gotta Do (Reprise)" to show how furtive his actions are. This is one of the best productions of this show that I've seen (on par with the Broadway cast) and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through October 5.

Next to Normal at OPPA

When I walked into the theater to see PTC's production of Next to Normal several years ago I had no idea what to expect because I didn't know anything about the show and was only there because I was a season subscriber. I walked out of the theater a huge fan because I loved both the music (I have listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording more times than I can count) and the powerful depiction of mental illness. I haven't had the opportunity to see this show since then so I was thrilled to learn that it was being produced by On Pitch Performing Arts this season! I saw it on opening night and it is outstanding in every way! The Goodmans seem like the perfect suburban family but, in reality, Diana (Mindi Hansen) suffers from a worsening bipolar depressive disorder, her husband Dan (Nathan Sachs) struggles with how best to help her while trying to keep the family together, her sixteen-year-old daughter Natalie (Heather Jackson) tries to be perfect in order to compensate, and her eighteen-year-old son Gabe (Jacob Ericksen) is not really there because he died as a baby.  She, along with Dr. Fine and then Dr. Madden (both played by Jake Oaklyn), attempts to treat her delusional episodes with medication, psychotherapy, hypnosis, and, eventually, electroconvulsive therapy with varying results.  Ultimately, Diana must find a way to let Gabe go, Dan must finally acknowledge him, and Natalie must make peace with the fact that her family will never be normal with the help of her boyfriend Henry (Logan Kelly). I find the story to be incredibly moving because it is a very realistic portrayal of how mental illness affects both the individual and the people who love them and the rock opera score is brilliant because, even though it might seem incongruous with the subject matter, I think it really heightens the multitude of emotions felt by the characters. The entire cast give incredible vocal performances but I especially loved all of the nuances in their portrayals. I was particularly impressed by Ericksen's passionate renditions of "I'm Alive," because you can really feel his despair at the possibility of being forgotten by his mother, and "There's a World" because his interaction with Diana is so visibly manipulative. I also loved Jackson's performance of "Superboy and the Invisible Girl" (my favorite song in the show), because it is extremely raw and perfectly expresses how she feels about being neglected by her mother, and Hansen's performance of "You Don't Know," because her frustration is palpable. One of the things that really struck me when I saw PTC's production was the elaborate set featuring the metal outline of a multi-story house that appears to be made of glass. The set for this production is obviously more minimal, with open areas representing the house, metal outlines of doors, and an LED screen that mimics glass windows (I loved how the images through the windows change in response to Diana's inner turmoil), but I think it is even more effective because it provides a greater intimacy with the characters. The staging is also very clever with set pieces that perform multiple functions. I love this show so much and this production did not disappoint! It runs at OPPA on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through October 5 (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it!

Mrs. Doubtfire at the Eccles

It is no secret that I am not a fan of turning a popular movie into a stage musical so, when the Broadway at the Eccles 2024-2025 season was announced, Mrs. Doubtfire (based on the 1993 movie of the same name) was the show that I was the least excited about.  I saw it last night and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  Daniel Hillard (Rob McClure) is an unemployed voice actor who loses custody of his children, Lydia (Giselle Gutierrez), Christopher (Sam Bird), and Natalie (Sunny Lauren Holder), after a messy divorce from his wife Miranda (Catherine Brunell).  When he learns that Miranda is hiring a nanny, Daniel creates the character of a Scottish nanny named Euphegenia Doubtfire and applies for the position so that he can spend time with his children.  However, the character begins to take on a life of her own but she ultimately teaches Daniel how to be a better father and that love is what makes a family.  The show is absolutely hilarious (I was laughing out loud all night) because it recreates most of the really memorable moments from the movie including when Mrs. Doubtfire tries to cook.  It is also quite heartwarming with some poignant messages about divorce from the POV of the children involved and I especially loved the songs "Just Pretend" and "As Long as There Is Love" (the woman sitting in front of me was sobbing during this number).  McClure, who originated the role on Broadway, had big shoes to fill in taking on a character played by Robin Williams but he absolutely kills it!  I loved all of his different voice impersonations (one of Donald Trump and an ad libbed joke about it got the biggest laugh all night) and his physical comedy is brilliant, particularly in scenes where Daniel changes in and out of the Mrs. Doubtfire disguise quickly.  One of the biggest criticisms that I have about turning movies into musicals is that the songs are often contrived and forgettable but I actually loved many of the songs (as well as the choreography and staging) in this show.  In addition to the aforementioned "Just Pretend" and "As Long as There Is Love," I especially loved the disco anthem "Make Me a Woman" where Daniel asks his brother Frank (Aaron Kaburick) and his brother-in-law Andre (Marquez Linder) to help him disguise himself as a nanny and they model his transformation on Jackie O, Princess Diana, Cher, Madonna, and Donna Summer (who appear on stage) until Daniel mentions that his character is an old woman and then Eleanor Roosevelt, Julia Child, Margaret Thatcher, and Janet Reno join them for a hilarious dance number.  I was not expecting to love this but I did and I highly recommend it!  Go here for tickets to one of the five remaining performances through September 15.

His Three Daughters

Last night I returned to the Broadway to see His Three Daughters because I had heard so many good things about it.  It definitely hit a nerve (there were a few tears for obvious reasons) but it is also one of the best movies I've seen this year.  When cancer patient Vincent (Jay O. Sanders) is placed on hospice, his two daughters, Katie (Carrie Coon) and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen), return to their childhood home where he lives with Rachel (Natasha Lyonne), the daughter of his second wife.  Katie is uptight and judgmental, Christina is a mediator who suppresses her own feelings to keep the peace (until she doesn't), and Rachel is withdrawn and misunderstood despite carrying the heavy burden of caring for Vincent alone during his illness.  They must individually deal with their own grief over losing a father but also reconcile years of resentments and recriminations between them in order to heal.  Almost all of the action takes place inside a New York apartment and I loved the use of a long hallway for many conversations because it really emphasizes the tension between the women.  I also liked that Vincent doesn't appear until the final act, even though he is an imposing figure throughout the narrative, because the impact is incredibly powerful. The dialogue is very authentic, full of both pathos and humor, and all three actresses deliver brilliant performances.  I had a very visceral reaction to the message of this movie after recently going though a similar experience with my two sisters as we cared for our dad because, even though we were never estranged and were always on the same page about what was best for him, we had to support each other to get through it.  I highly recommend this touching portrait of grief (it begins streaming on Netflix on September 20).

Fiddler on the Roof at the Empress Theatre

Last night I went to the Empress Theatre for the third production of Fiddler on the Roof that I've seen this year. I obviously love the show but this version is full of so much heart it put a huge smile on my face. Tevye (Don Smith) is a poor Jewish dairyman living in the small Russian village of Anatevka with his wife Golde (Marie Roe) and his five daughters. He clings to his traditional way of life as a protection from the harsh realities of life but his three oldest daughters, Tzeitel (Makayla Porter), Hodel (Kieryn Crawford), and Chava (Abby Shelley), push against tradition when it comes time to find a match. This features one of the largest ensemble casts I've seen at this venue and the staging is done very well for such a small space. I enjoyed all of the different patterns created in the choreography for "Tradition," "To Life," "Tevye's Dream" (I always judge every production by this number because I once played Fruma Sarah and this one is a lot of fun), "The Wedding," and "Anatevka." One of the things I love most about community theatre is that the ensemble, especially those featuring young children, often includes family members and that is the case with this show. The children are absolutely adorable and I often found myself watching them because they were concentrating so hard on the songs, blocking, and choreography! I especially loved a young boy who sweeps during "To Life" because he definitely takes it very seriously and another boy who sings at the top of his lungs during "Sunrise, Sunset." The main cast is outstanding and many of the characters have little moments that are really poignant, particularly the scene between Tevye and Tzeitel when she begs him not to make her marry Lazar Wolf (Joel Clark), the scene between Tevye and Hodel when she leaves Anatevka, the scene when Golde learns that Chava has married Fyedka (Blake Nelson), and all of the interactions between Tevye and the Fiddler (Aimee Pike). My very favorites from the main cast were Ricardo Ramirez as Motel, because his nervous reactions to Tevye are hilarious, and Diana Sorenson as Yente, because she absolutely looks the part. The minimal sets for Tevye's house, Motel's tailor shop, and the village along with the simple rustic costumes are very effective at portraying the reality of life in pre-revolutionary Russia. I just loved this and I definitely recommend getting a ticket for one of the four remaining performances (go here for tickets).

Note:  I don't think I can pick a favorite Fiddler on the Roof from the three I saw this year. While HCT's production was probably the best I've ever seen, this one and the one at Terrace Plaza Playhouse were delightful!