Displaying items by tag: Melanie Loren

You got trouble, my friends, if you’re going to put on Meredith Willson’s The Music Man.

If you’re going to stage a show that’s been staged ten thousand times since its 1957 Broadway debut—from Hugh Jackman on the stage to Matthew Broderick on the screen to every doggone high school from Clear Lake to Mason City.

A show lovingly recreating an era (Willson was born in turn-of-the-century Iowa) and themes (Willson’s virtuosity on the piccolo found him playing in John Phillip Sousa’s band and Toscanini’s New York Philharmonic) that aren’t quite old enough to be ancient but aren’t familiar enough not to seem dated.

To try and recreate those songs.

“Trouble”

“Till There Was You”

“Seventy-Six Trombones”

To try and attempt to touch the hem of the salesman’s trousers worn by Robert Preston’s Professor Harold Hill—Preston not only originated Hill and played him for much of the original production’s 1,375-show run and the beloved 1962 Hollywood adaptation, he is Professor Harold Hill. Nobody—not any one of those ten thousand (or more) high school or professional actors, not even Hugh Jackman—can be the band instrument-peddling flim-flam man like Preston was and is and always will be.

My friends, if you’re going to attempt all of that… well, you’ve got trouble.

Unless you’re Katie Spelman, who is directing and choreographing Marriott Theatre’s current production of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. Spelman’s production lovingly embraces and focuses on some aspects of Willson’s original, while avoiding the pitfalls such an iconic show presents. But what this production does best is it knows its strengths, and it leans into them, giving Spelman’s show its own unique flair.

We see the sort of Harold Hill we’re going to spend the evening with right away aboard the train from Rock Island. In most productions I’ve seen, me and the rest of the audience know the first scene’s big reveal, and our eyes remain glued to a particular passenger despite the cast’s best efforts at the syncopated opening number, “Rock Island.” But even though we spot KJ Hippensteel at the back of the train car, we don’t focus on him. Instead, we focus on the enthusiastic ensemble that everyone—Marriott’s in-the-round setup means it’s always the best seat in the house—sees up close and personal and from all angles. Ron E. Rains, all dolled up like a turn-of-the-country fellow, leads the charge, while his fellow passengers run through Spelman’s clockwork choreography. Right away, I was glad to see a familiar face, Michael Mahler, who brought the same charm to each role in this play as he has in many past.

After Hippensteel’s Professor Harold Hill disembarks from the train to River City, Iowa, this closeness and intimacy we felt aboard the train transfers right into town. This production doesn’t try to recreate River City on a Hollywood scale. But it really focuses on certain things and gives us a good, close look at them, which we might not have gotten on the Broadway stage or the silver screen.

The citizens of River City are each and every one unique. And, as they move around the round, allowing us to see each and every one of them, we appreciate the details of each of their costumes (by Raquel Adorno), we appreciate that each one is someone. Particularly charming are youngsters Emily Ann Brooks and Sam Linda, Janet Ulrich Brooks’ Widow Paroo, Elin Joy Seiler’s Amaryllis, Alex Goodrich’s Mayor Shinn, Melanie Loren’s hilarious Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn, and the spot-on barbershop harmonies of the school board quartet (Matt Edmonds, Quinn Rigg, Michael Potsic, and the afore-mentioned Mahler).

Besides the ensemble’s vocal strengths, the singer who really shines is Alexandra Silber as Marian Paroo, the town librarian. No shrinking violet, no old-maid-against-her-will, and not even Mrs. Partridge (although I do love Shirley Jones’ Marian the Librarian), Silber brings her Grammy-nominated vocals to the fore. This production’s brought Julie Andrews-caliber pipes to the party—Silber’s soprano as she sang of “My White Knight” gave me chills.

But while all of these strengths—the ensemble’s skill, the cast’s charm, the performers’ pipes, the theater’s—are recognized and utilized and add up to a unique and charming take on an old favorite, I’ve not yet addressed KJ Hippensteel as Professor Harold Hill. And that’s because, like the production itself, Hippensteel’s Hill reads the room and knows what the room needs, or he knows how to sell the room what the room thinks it needs.

Hippensteel’s Hill doesn’t try to go toe-to-toe with Preston’s over-the-top traveling salesman—he’d have failed like every other Hill since Preston caught his last train ride. But Hippensteel’s Hill knows his own strengths.

He’s city pretty and, while out of place in a place like River City, he’s a curiosity. He’s slippery, slinking around with an easy physicality that sometimes seems to be at twice the speed of the Iowans moving around him. And Hippensteel’s Hill seems like he might just be a nice enough fellow—while Preston’s Hill, played by an actor who up until then had usually played screen villains, is a bad guy you hope could see the light, Hippensteel’s Hill is a good guy who you hope can right the ship after some bad life choices.

But, because this is The Music Man, a show we music theater folks know and love, Hippensteel’s Hill does give us the flourishes, the hand gestures, the hops, the dips, all the pizazz we came into the theater expecting from the professor. However, Hippensteel does it on his own terms, as his own Harold Hill. Just like the entire charming and unique production of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man does, playing now through June 2 at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.

It was 1982 in America when “Pump Boys and Dinettes” first premiered on Broadway. Developed by a band whose members worked at the nearby Cattleman Restaurant, the show is based on their experiences working there, but trasposed to a setting recalling the "good ole days" of the South (for some), through the lens of the staff working at the Double Cupp Diner. 

It doesn’t have much of a plot. But if you enjoy escapist theatre with a country western feel, this is the show for you. It was nominated for a Tony award for Best Musical, right along with “Dreamgirls," “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Nine." "Dreamgirls" won most of the Tony's and Pump Boys finished after 573 performances before disappearing into obscurity.

But in Chicago, it the musical has had a very different history. After opening in November 1984 at the Apollo Theatre on Lincoln Ave., it closed in July, 1989 after 1,976 performances and selling more than 600,000 tickets. So locally, its a known crowd-pleaser. 

But to be staged 30 years later, it was too much a product of its times. The Double Cupp Diner in its previous versions would never have made it into the famous Negro Motorist Green Book—a guide published by Victor Hugo Green to steer African American travelers to motels, restaurants and filling stations that would serve them in the South. As a Black man, I have admit a bias against the heart of the original “Pump Boys & Dinettes.” (How’s that for critical race theory?)

But Porchlight has updated the production significantly, with the people of color running the production and included in the starring roles. And the music 

The set for Porchlight’s production of “Pump Boys & Dinettes” is gorgeous. Going out on a limb, it’s probably the best set you’re going to see this season. Sydney Lynne’s 1950’s retro art deco diner and filling station is worth the price of admission. This set was so fully realized, I could smell the coffee coming from the kitchen. It is an explosion of color and neon lights. It’s all beautifully lit by Denise Karczewski, whose lighting design changes from song to song creating a different effect depending on the tempo and subject of the song. If you’re like me and you peek into a diner before going in, you would have noticed a picture of that country western star Lil Nas X hanging on the wall. I immediately knew this wasn’t my Grand-daddy’s “Pump Boys and Dinettes” – this was gonna be something different.
Under the direction Daryl Brooks, a name you may know from The Black Ensemble Theater, this cast gives a lively energetic jolt of life lessons, foibles and desires by way of country western songs. The genius of Brooks was casting an inter-racial group of people to play the pump boy and dinettes, thereby making it an American Musical .
Shantel Cribbs (Prudie) and Melanie Loren (Rhetta) are cast as The Cupp sisters proud owners of the Double Cupp Diner. Prudie, the more sentimental of the two sisters sings a torch song “The Best man” while Rhetta lays down the law with her firery “Be Good or Be Gone,” The two create a melancholy moment with the surprisingly tender song “Sister,” but not before explaining what it is a waitress want, “Tips.” These women have phenomenal voices and acting abilities. Th Cupp Sisters also provided percussion by way of salt boxes, washboards, pie tins, basically anything that is handy and could make a sound.
Not only does the boys pump gas and fix cars, but they are also accomplished instrumentalist. Ian Paul Custer on rhythm guitar as Jim, is our tour guide and leader of the Pump Boys. He engages the audience with his down-home charm whether he’s singing about “Taking it Slow” or reminiscing about childhood memories with his "Mamaw." On lead guitar is the handsome heartthrob Jackson played by the equally handsome Billy Rude. His “Mona “is a hilarious but sweet crush on a Walmart clerk. His energy is infectious as is his comedic timing. Rafe Bradford is pump boy Eddie. What makes Eddie such a fun character is he seldom speaks but says a great deal with his facial expressions while playing his bass guitar. L.M (Ladies Man) is the co-owner of the filling station played for everything it’s worth by Frederick Harris, a first-rate musical comedy actor. One of the funniest songs is done by LM. I won’t spoil it by giving it away.
“Pump Boys and Dinettes” is at its best when the entire company is working together. Thanks to Music Director Robert Reddrick , choreographer/Costume & Wig Designer Rueben Echoles and Director Daryl Brooks they work together beautifully. As a gift to the original creators, I suggest a brand new 40th anniversary cast album. This deserves to be heard more than once.
The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn
Created by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, Jim Wann Directed by Daryl Brooks
Music direction by Robert Reddrick
Choreographed by Rueben D. Echoles
Thursdays at 7pm
Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm
Sundays at 2pm
Thru December 12th

Catchy songs, hilarious characters and a man-eating plant. Little Shop of Horrors now playing at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook has it all. With music by Alan Menken that fall in the style of 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and Motown, we get a soundtrack that helps deliver this humorous story, perfectly enhancing writer Howard Ahsman’s vision into what became a stage and film sensation in the 1980s. Songs like "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Somewhere That's Green", and "Suddenly, Seymour" are as kitschy as they come as are the characters in this far-fetched, but seriously funny story.

We find ourselves in a local plant and flower shop – “Mushnik’s”. Business is bad and owner Mr. Mushnik is not sure how he can hold on for very much longer. His two employees, Seymour and Audrey, stand around all day with nothing to do since there is – nothing to do. But Seymour has a secret. He has been experimenting in the shop’s basement on a plant that resembles a Venus Fly Trap. But it is no ordinary fly-eating plant, it is much larger and quite unusual looking. He finally brings the plant upstairs and suggests it be placed in the store window to possibly attract passersby’s. Mushnik scoffs at the notion but figures he has nothing to lose – and wouldn’t you know it, a man enters the store within minutes to purchase a hundred dollars’ worth of roses. The plant becomes a sensation as it gets larger and larger by the day, business is off the charts and everything seems rosy for the once struggling shop. But what makes the plant grow so quickly? We soon find out and a whole world of absurdity and suspense is opened. Twists and turns ahead, folks.

At the same time, Audrey seems to show up to work each day with a new injury. It is suspected that her boyfriend, a sadistic dentist, is to blame – and Seymour won’t have that. He has a crush on Audrey and has in fact named the plant Audrey Two. As the story progresses, it becomes crazier and crazier – silly but engaging. A trio of talented singers (Melanie Brezill, Candace C. Edwards and Melanie Loren) help narrate the story, also switching back and forth between roles.

Will Lidke is terrific as Seymour and is as nerdy as one could get in the role while Kelly Felthous as Audrey nails the squeaky-voiced, ditzy blonde stereotype, ala many a Marylin Monroe role. Both deliver great comedic moments and are truly fun to watch. Ron E. Rains is well cast as Mushnik and has plenty of key moments, as well. But it is Chicago acting veteran Steven Stafford who steals many of the scenes as the abusive dentist (also playing many other roles), displaying epic comedic line delivery and perfectly timed physical humor. The voice of the plant (yes, it talks – and sings) is beautifully done by Lorenzo Rush Jr. while Matthew Sitz takes on the tough task of bringing the plant to life.

A light, though twisted, story with a slew of laughs and one likeable song after another is the prefect way to kick off the Fall season. Together with brilliant direction and choreography by Scott Calcagno and musical direction by Roberta Duchak, the musical’s superb performances and an amazing set design do this funny classic the way it should be done.

Highly recommended.

Little Shop of Horrors is being performed at Drury Lane Theatre through October 28th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.drurylanetheatre.com.