Tag Archives: musical

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

30 Rock‘s Weinerslav is in Guys & Dolls at 5th Avenue

todd buonopane as jeffrey weinerslavActor Todd Buonopane is the face of one of 30 Rock‘s deeply awesome recurring characters with funny names, HR functionary Jeffrey Weinerslav. “It’s pronounced ‘weener-slave,'” he asserts matter-of-factly in one of that series’ most memorable moments.

Buonopane will also be the face of Nicely Nicely Johnson in The 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of Guys & Dolls, playing May 12 through June 19. (Note: All shows before May 19 are previews and therefore are not to be discussed in public, on pain of aggrieved emails from 5th Avenue staff!)

You’ll recall that Nicely Nicely is pretty much the most awesome role in the show, because he leads the showstopping number “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” which, as showstopping musical numbers go, may be the show-stoppingest of all-time. Nicely Nicely is traditionally played by a–how do I put this–horizontally-advantaged person, and the portly Buonopane definitely “fits” that description. (“Fits.” That’s funny, and I don’t care who you are.)

The leads, who despite their lithe bodies and gorgeous faces will be simmering with resentment when Buonopane sets the house aflame with “Sit Down,” are:

  • Daniel C. Levine as Nathan Detroit (that’s who Sinatra played in the movie version)
  • Katherine Strohmaier as temperance advocate Sarah Brown (Strohmaier is a “rising starlet” according to the press release I got).
  • Brandon O’Neill as Sky Masterson (the Marlon Brando role)
  • The versatile Billie Wildrick as Adelaide (she will be fantastic)

Now, as celebrity appearances in musicals go, the guy who plays Jeffrey Weinerslav is no Hugh Jackman. But we must, in the immortal words of Don Henley, want what we have and take what we’re given. Tickets!

 

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

An Untaxing ‘King’s Proposal’ at Seattle Musical Theatre (Review)

Aryn Nemiroff, Jacob Hutchison and Brennan Buhl in The King's Proposal (Photo: George Govier)

Seattle Music Theatre presents the world premiere of The King’s Proposal (or the Marriage of Princess Guido) (tickets available now through April 10) at the Magnuson Park Community Center Building. This is a fun little comedy that doesn’t tax your brain all that much (or really at all) and has some nice catchy tunes.

So you know how there is “smart silly,” like, say, MST3K…Python, Victor Borge, or even Phineas and Ferb? And then there is just “silly,” like, say, America’s Funniest Home Videos…Python (yes, I’m aware of that)…or Jerry Lewis (WTF, France?)?  The King’s Proposal would probably be a bit closer to AFHV. But that’s okay, especially if you like that sort of thing.

Although it nods to Into the Woods, The King’s Proposal has more in common with commedia dell’arte than Sondheim. The show is billed as “a Monty Python-like comedic musical that tells the story of an evil king who tries to marry his daughter to an unwanted suitor.” Evil King Edgar wants to marry his daughter Sylvia to Prince Basil who would would rather marry Roger. The marriage is a means to consolidated kingdoms and wealth for the evil King should anything, say, “happen,” to his daughter, her new husband, and his mother the queen. Yup, that’s evil. The princess is in love with an actor, and you see where all of this is going.

In the middle of it all, but way under-used is the King’s servant, Guido, played by Chicago actor Brennan Buhl in the classic “Arlecchino” role. While he doesn’t have much to do in the play that has his name in the title, you do appreciate it when he’s on the stage. Buhl is so effortlessly likable and at ease…you just want him to have a more meaningful role. His one big song, “Singing a Song,” is entertaining because Buhl is entertaining. I got the sense that it would be more tedious in less-skilled hands.

Some of the songs are witty (I guess there is some smart silly in here too), starting with the opening “Prologue Slash Back Story,” which of course gives you the context for play. Prince Basil’s “Two Good Newses” is charming, thanks to Nicholas Brownson’s spot-on timing. I could have done without “Execution Time” (“It’s exxxx-e-cution time…it’s execution time…there doesn’t have to be any reason or rhyme…”), the Act II opening song from King Edgar. Director Michael Govier (and author of the book and lyrics, with music by Curtis Williams) might have done better by not going for the whole top hat, tails and cane “putting on the ritz” thing. Sometimes, you just don’t have to go for cliche.

Vocally, some of the actors were stronger than others. Standouts were Aryn Nemiroff’s Princess Sylvia and Jonathan Wright’s Daniel–who had a great rock voice that I’d like to hear more of. Jessica Hendrickson as Bruce stood out for her Weekend at Bernie’s physicality.

Chicago-based playwright Govier chose Seattle as the place to premiere his new musical in part because Seattle is known as “a hot spot for musical debuts—just look at Hairspray, Young Frankenstein, Next to Normal… there are dozens of big guns that have started here.” It’s true; Seattle is getting quite experienced at musical theatre midwifery. While this play might not be the smartest kid in the nursery, it will likely grow up to be the lovable class clown.

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Billy Elliot’s Pliés Warm the Wounded Hearts of Organized Labor


The travails of organized labor in the face of changing economies and political opposition is universal; the particularities, though, are all local. So as Wisconsin’s (losing?) battle cycles down, it’s worth considering how it will be represented later. Gallant workers standing up for their rights. Callous politicians and business leaders slagging them down. And surely, somewhere among the public workers walking the square in Madison, is a father–a social worker? engineer? city planner?–struggling to come to terms with the fact that his teenage son is disappointing him by skipping football practice to study biochemistry or computer engineering or pottery. And soon, the father, like so many before him, will have to come to terms.

Or at least this is what I understand from the movies. In October Sky, based on the memoir by Hiram Hickam, a young boy from a gritty West Virginia mining town is inspired by his teacher to pursue rocket science, a decidedly unwelcome turn of events in a town in which the only suitable route to college is football. But a hard-edged father trying to bring up his son in tough circumstances will eventually have to relent in the midst of a labor strike to help his kid get his rocket built. And thank God, because Hickam went on to work on the Apollo Program and sent a man to the moon.

Billy Elliot skips forward twenty years and across the pond, from Kennedy’s America to Thatcher’s England, where the Iron Lady for some reason decided that state controlled businesses should be privatized, turning the once respectably blue-collar middle-class north of England into the permanently depressed shit hole of boozing, male-stripping fathers we know and love from the Full Monty. (BTW, what the hell’s a “monty”?) As coal miners strike (I guess it’s always coal miners, isn’t it?) to try to save their careers, a young boy starts skipping out on his boxing lessons to study ballet.

And no, he’s not even gay.

If I seem like I’m making light of these stories, I’m not. In fact, as the child of a blue-collar, union family turned white collar office worker and performing arts writer, I get a little teary-eyed whenever I watch some burly dad come to terms with his son’s seemingly odd choice, not least because I hope it speaks well for my future. Anyway, however good the movie was, Billy Elliot just screams musical, and indeed, six years ago it hit the West End with music by Elton John, before a successful Broadway run where young Billy’s jazzy pliés and entrechats moved audiences. And now, the stirring tale is coming to Seattle, where it plays the Paramount Theatre through April 3 (tickets available online).