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Family Matters

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The cast of Lost in Yonkers (Contributed photo)

In the midst of a busy, predominately impressive fall theater season, the Dayton Theatre Guild has effortlessly produced another hit. One month after the luminous local premiere of “Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,” the Guild offers an outstanding production of Neil Simon’s 1991 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatic comedy “Lost in Yonkers.”

A delightfully authentic staging tenderly helmed by Fran Pesch, “Yonkers,” set in 1942-43, charms and captivates as the Kurnitz clan of Yonkers, New York lovingly squabbles with a domineering, opinionated matriarch known for ruling with an iron fist. The fiercely resolute Grandma (exquisitely portrayed with astute perception by Barbara Jorgensen) particularly failed to show a great deal of love for her children, who often describe her as being made of steel due to her harsh German upbringing. Although no one can erase the hurtful feelings  from years of emotional neglect, there is some sense that family wounds will continue to heal based on Grandma’s credo which values strength and survival. As she fittingly reminds her grandson, “It’s not so important that you hate me… It’s only important that you live.”

Jorgensen, as wonderful as she is, doesn’t have to carry the weight of this production on her shoulders. She is truly a key component within an ensemble, which allows her role to properly remain formidable and imposing without becoming overpowering. Philip Stock and Joel Daniel are equally and respectively terrific as Jay and Arty, whose coming-of-age journey under their grandmother’s guardianship frames the action. Perfectly cast as close-knit brothers trapped in a circumstance beyond their control for 10 months, Stock and Daniel endearingly embrace the bluntness, innocence and vulnerability within their colorful characters. Amy Diederich also shines as the incessantly chatty, childlike Bella, Jay and Arty’s doting aunt. Diederich’s superb delivery of Bella’s heartbreakingly poignant Act 2 monologue, in which she shares her desire to become a wife and have a family of her own, will bring tears to your eyes. Saverio Perugini, slick and shady, brings a cool, tough and intimidating edge to Louie, Jay and Arty’s gangster uncle. Rob Breving is nicely understated as Eddie, Jay and Arty’s father. Rachel Wilson delightfully portrays the audibly odd Gert, who prefers silence whenever possible.

In the Guild’s film hands, it’s a comfort to know “Lost in Yonkers” remains a splendid testament to the importance of legacy, unity and forgiveness as well as the invaluable maturity gained from lessons learned.

Lost in Yonkers continues through Nov. 6 at the Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Ave. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Act One: 60 minutes; Act Two: 60 minutes. Tickets are $11-$18. For tickets or more information, call (937) 278-5993 or visit www.daytontheatreguild.org

Fright Farce

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(L to R) Dean Swann, Jonathan Berry and Darren Brown with Bethany Locklear in Evil Dead: The Musical (Contributed photo)

Just in time for Halloween, Beavercreek Community Theatre’s alternative Edge of the Creek Productions seeks to entertain rather than amaze with its local premiere of the mediocre “Evil Dead: The Musical,” a bloody, naughty, pop culture-friendly spoof based on Sam Raimi’s cult film classics.

Featuring book and lyrics by George Reinblatt and music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris and Reinblatt, “Evil Dead” concerns a spring break getaway gone awry in an abandoned cabin in the woods. Hook-ups, dismemberment, killer trees and Candarian demons factor into the mayhem, but the incredibly silly, envelope-pushing material, hindered by a forgettable score chock full of hokey lyrics and melodies, just isn’t clever or hysterical enough to remain totally engaging. The one-liners are seriously hit and miss, and a lack of heart is particularly problematic. It’s entirely possible for an oddball, risqué show like “Evil Dead” to succeed on broad camp appeal and profane thrills, but an audience must ultimately care about the characters. Reinblatt and Co. should have found a way to humanize the humor and transform the story into a simultaneously outlandish and emotional product akin to “Bat Boy: The Musical,” a wonderful example of BCT’s Edge of the Creek programming in 2006.
Thankfully, director/scenic designer/costumer/co-properties master Chris Harmon, enjoyably aided by choreographer Annette Looper, keeps the thin action brisk and lively with a sufficient amount of sight gags to keep you awake. Harmon’s appropriately over-the-top ensemble particularly grasps the material’s tongue-in-cheek intentions with great skill. The versatile Jonathan Berry delivers another full-fledged performance as Ash, a heroic housewares employee. Berry is romantically linked with the lovely Bethany Locklear, who makes the most of the underwritten Linda. Darren Brown and Lindsay Sherman are equally compatible as Scott and Shelly. The infectiously goofy Angelé Price is a joy as Cheryl, Ash’s sister. As the rustic Jake, Michael Shannon humorously embodies the backwoods stereotype. The reliably comical Dean Swann tackles an assortment of featured roles including a talking moose. Lynn Kesson, sharp and precise, relishes her role as the overbearing Annie, who notably proclaims “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons.”
If that song title made you giggle, “Evil Dead” might be your cup of tea.

Evil Dead: The Musical continues through Oct. 30 at the Lofino Center, 3868 Dayton-Xenia Rd., Beavercreek. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Act One: 52 minutes; Act Two: 40 minutes. The production contains adult language and themes. Tickets are $11-$13. For tickets or more information, call (937) 429-4737 or visit www.bctheatre.org

The Human Race Presents “Caroline, Or Change”

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A STORY ABOUT AMERICA, WITH A WHOLE WORLD OF MUSIC

Cast members Malachi-Phree J. Pate, Yvette Williams, J. Miguel Conrado Rojas (photo credit: Scott J. Kimmins)

(Press Release from Human Race Theatre)

It’s 1963. Martin Luther King has just told the world of his dream. John F. Kennedy is about to be assassinated. And in the basement of a Jewish family’s home in Louisiana, their African-American maid spends her days doing laundry and being the only friend of a boy who has lost his mother.

That’s the setting for Caroline, or Change, a musical with its roots in the life of Tony Kushner (Angels in America), who wrote the book and lyrics, and a cornucopia of music styles used by composer Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie). When it played on Broadway. Time Out New York called Caroline “daring, beautiful and profoundly moving.”

In the production at The Loft Theatre by The Human Race, Dayton’s own professional theatre company, Caroline is played by Tanesha Gary, who was in the Broadway cast as part of a singing radio, one of the show’s many whimsical anthropomorphic characters. She’s often visited in the basement laundry room by Noah, her employers’ young son, played by 11-year old Brendan Plate of Washington Township.

Cast members Tanesha Gary and Brendan Plate (photo credit: Scott J. Kimmins)

“The role of Noah is substantial,” says director Scott Stoney. “Brendan is really good about taking direction. It’s been interesting to watch the relationship of Caroline and Noah build.”

Brendan isn’t the only youngster in the show. Caroline has four children of her own, including two young boys played by 14-year old Malachi-Phree J. Pate of Dayton, a Stivers student, and 9-year old J. Miguel Conrado Rojas, a 4th grader at Cox Elementary in Xenia. “We’re really thrilled that we found these very talented local youngsters,” says Stoney.

Caroline’s oldest son is serving in Vietnam. Her only daughter is played by Julian’s real-life older sister, Yvette Williams, who was recently Homecoming Queen at Wright State. Her best friend, Dotty, is played by Taprena Augustine, a resident of Blacklick, outside Columbus.

Noah’s father is played by Bruce Sabath, who was in the Best Revival Tony-winning production of Company; his stepmother by Adrienne Gibbons Oehlers, who was Kitty in The Human Race production of The Drowsy Chaperone; his grandparents by Resident Artist Kay Bosse and Dayton-area stalwarts Saul Caplan and K.L. Storer.

The anthropomorphic characters include Brittany Campbell (who’s used to non-human parts, since she was once part of a Sesame Street bug choir) as The Washing Machine; Chicago-based Dwelvan David as both The Dryer and The Bus; New Yorker Tonya Thompson as The Moon; and Ashanti J’Aria and Kimberly Shay Hamby of New York and Shawn Storms (Trix in Drowsy Chaperone) as The Radio.

Cast - The Gellman family celebrates Chanukah (photo credit: Scott J. Kimmins)

Behind the scenes, Scot Woolley and Resident Artist Sean Michael Flowers are Music Director and Assistant Music Director/pianist, and Heather Jackson is Stage Manage., Choreographer Teressa Wylie and Scenic Designer Dan Gray are from the Ohio State theatre faculty. Lighting is by Resident Artist John Rensel, costumes by Kristine Kearney, and sound by Nathan D. Dean, with Heather Powell handling props.

Caroline, or Change is the second presentation of The Human Race’s 25th Anniversary Season. It will have a preview performance Thursday, November 3, and officially open November 4, with performances through November 20. Tickets are available via www.humanracetheatre.org, by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630, or at the Schuster Center box office.

Production sponsors for Caroline, or Change are the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, The Harry A. Toulmin, Jr., and Virginia B. Toulmin Fund of the Dayton Foundation, Muse Machine, Tim and Char Scroggins, DP&L Foundation, and Emerson Climate Technologies, with additional support from Mrs. Wallace E. Johnson, Richard and Marni Flagel, The Roberts Foundation, the National Conference of Community & Justice of Greater Dayton, Burhill Leasing, One Lincoln Park, and Bob Ross Buick-GMC & Mercedes-Benz.

Monty Python’s Spamalot – Complete with Beautiful Show Girls and Killer Rabbits

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Nominated in 2005 for fourteen Tony Awards and winner of three (including Best Musical), Monty Python’s Spamalot is coming to Dayton for a one-night show this Sunday at the Schuster Performing Arts Center.  The popular musical was “lovingly ripped off from” the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and follows King Arthur who travels England in search of Knights for his round table who go on a search for the Holy Grail.  While popular with hardcore Monty Python fans, this musical version doesn’t require you to be a “pythonite” to enjoy this crazy brand of British humor that often takes jabs at Broadway itself.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yRlnSgu-bY’]

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MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT

October 30, 2011

Location: Schuster Center

Showtime: Sunday – 7 p.m.

Click here for tickets

Win Tickets

We have FOUR PAIRS of tickets to give away for Sunday’s show!  Simply fill out the form below – we’ll draw winners this Friday morning.  GOOD LUCK!

Contest Closed

And congratulations to our winners – enjoy the show!

Tricia Reynolds

Jamie Werling

Daniel Pfister

Eli Alban

Slasher: A Horrifying Comedy

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“Slasher: A Horrifying Comedy” (presented by University of Dayton Theatre Program at UD’s Boll Theatre) began with a young woman delivering the usual request to silence our electronic devices and refrain from eating in the theater, with an added warning for those in the front seat: they had unwittingly chosen the “splash zone,” and were advised to move back to avoid the spattering of stage blood.

Despite this, the blood kept very nicely on the stage for the preview (maybe a little too nicely, based on the introduction).  A play about the makings of a horror film, or rather the familial controversy behind it, “Slasher” certainly has its moments reminiscent of typical horror movies (most notably the meat hook). However, unlike most horror films, these people can actually act. The character portrayal is what really made this play, and there were some phenomenal scenes that showcased the talent of the students. An easy example is Kiersten Manifold, who plays no less than nine different characters throughout the show, ranging from the Mormon at the door to the skating waitress at Sonic. Another notable example is the interaction between the director of the film, Marc Hunter, and the lead, Sheena McKinney (played by Patrick Lillis and Julia Puscas), is nothing short of astounding. The sexual tension that develops from them is both awkward and chilling as we move throughout the play, especially during the last scene. Hannah Blosser made a stellar debut as an actress, playing the role of Frances McKinney (Sheena’s lazy, feminist, and deranged mother). The supporting roles of Jody and Hildy, played by Jonathan Golab and Jenna Gomes, gave the play a certain charm and realism. Director of the production, Linda Dunlevy, said that this show required intelligent acting, and that she was grateful to have such people to work with. Linda has been with the University of Dayton for the past 18 years, and is also involved with the Human Race Theater Company and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, which are both local organizations.

I was privileged to be a part of the set construction team. Remember when I said the play began with “turn off your cell phones”? I lied. In reality, the play began with auditions on Monday, August 29th. From there, hundreds of hours were spent not only practicing lines, but also designing and building the set, selecting costumes and props, and organizing lighting and sound. The special effects proved to be most difficult. That blood I mentioned? Donna Beran and her team tried about every recipe they could find to figure out which ones to use. Not to mention Kiersten’s constant costume changes. Due to the cinematic nature of the play, the scene changes themselves needed to be quick and fluid. This ruled out a number of set designs, according to Darrell Anderson. Ed Larkin, stage manager, noted that he was pleased with how the lighting turned out, despite all the issues with organization. Because I was completely unfamiliar with the play until I saw it, I have to say seeing how the different sets were used for each scene was rewarding.

The play itself is short, clever, funny, and very well done. However, due to the adult nature of the play, I would suggest a babysitter.

Show times are the 21st and 22nd at 8pm, the 23rd at 7pm, and the 27th, 28th, and 29th at 8pm. Location is the University of Dayton’s Boll Theater in J.F. Kennedy Union. For tickets and information, call the KU box office at 229-2545.

The Monster Needs A Mate!

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DPO’s Halloween Weekend focuses on family and the sheer horror of marital bliss

(see ticket contest details below the article)

Blind dates. Most of us have either been the one fixing someone up or the one being fixed up. Either way, it’s always a scary proposition. Women worry that the guy might turn out to be a nerdy dweeb or a totally insensitive caveman. Guys worry that the woman might look like their old Aunt Brunhilda and have the moral character of Mother Teresa.

As I said, scary.

Almost as if to underscore the validity of my remarks, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will be going out its way to prove the point. It has devoted the entire day, Saturday, October 29, to what frightens us most, both as children and as adults, especially adults of marriageable age.

First, the kids.

The DPO opens its 2011-2012 DP&L Family Series with its annual PhilharMonster concert at 3 pm featuring a musical depiction of the dangers of the wild in Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, a piece Prokofiev wrote (words and music) just for kids. It’s a story, told by a narrator with orchestral accompaniment, about a young boy named Peter (string instruments), who defiantly tells his grandfather (a bassoon) that – simply because he lives in his grandfather’s cottage in a forest full of wild animals – does not mean he is afraid of any old wolf. To scold him, his grandfather takes him back into the cottage and locks the gate.

Soon after, a big wolf (French horns) does come, and Peter enlists a cat (a clarinet), a bird (a flute), and a duck (an oboe) to help him as he ropes the wolf and holds him for local hunters (a woodwind theme, with gunshots on timpani and bass drum) to take to the zoo. Full of himself, Peter leads the entourage in a victory parade. At the end, the narrator tells the audience, “If you listen very carefully, you’d hear the duck quacking inside the wolf’s belly, because the wolf in his hurry had swallowed her alive.”

And the narrator?

Niki Dakota, WYSO’s Music Director and Host of the program Excursions. Not afraid of much herself, Niki spent much of her young life moving around the United States with her archeologist mother. By the time the family settled in Cincinnati, Ms. Dakota found herself in pursuit of professional music-making as she headed-up the Alterna-Folk band, Plow On Boy. In the course of her first live radio interview to promote the band, Niki’s keen excitedness manifested itself in extreme chattiness. At the conclusion of the segment, the DJ closed the mic and said, “You need to be in radio.”  She took his advice. That was in 1990. And since 2002 we in the Miami Valley have been the grateful beneficiaries of that advice.

As usual, Neal Gittleman and the DPO orchestra members will all be in Halloween costume.

Next, the adults.

To tell the story of the blind date from hell, Saturday night at 8 pm, the DPO presents its first Special Event of the season, providing live music to accompany the showing of the 1935 film The Bride of Frankenstein. This timeless horror classic features a score composed by iconic Hollywood composer Franz Waxman. And the story? You think you’ve seen some bad blind dates?

You ain’t seen nothing yet.

The film, the first of three sequels to Frankenstein (1931), starts out as a buddy flick. Henry Frankenstein has given up his plans to make living creatures out of bits and pieces of dead ones. But, you see, if he does that, then his horny old buddy, the Monster, will have to do without.

Always.

So Henry, egged on by Henry’s old adviser Dr. Pretorius and the fact that Pretorius has had the Monster kidnap Henry’s missus to give Henry the proper incentive, starts to build his buddy a mate.

It was a dark and stormy night…

Well, it actually was, when Henry completed the last few steps needed to bring the Bride of Frankenstein to life. What happens next is right out of Ben Franklin’s bio. Her body, wrapped in bandages, rises through the roof where lightning strikes a kite and shoots electricity through her. “She’s alive! Alive!” Henry cries, removing her bandages and helping her to stand.

Now this is the part of this blind date where it gets particularly spooky and way out of hand.

Turned on more than any time since Henry originally brought him to life with similar electro-shock therapy, the excited Monster sees his bride, reaches out to her, and uses the lamest of all pickup lines: “Friend?” Well, what else could any self-respecting Monster-Bride-To-Be do but reject him? Twice. And screaming through it all, no less.

PhilharMonster Halloween Concert
DP&L Family Series
Saturday, Octo­ber 29 ~ 2011 ­
Schuster Center, 3 pm
Click for Tickets

Well, the monster’s not all that dumb. He gets it. “She hate me! Like others.” he says, his erector-set heart broken. As Henry’s wife runs to his side, the Monster starts to demolish the lab. Henry tells Elizabeth that he can’t leave. But the Monster, firmly resolved never to let anyone ever set him up again tells Henry and Elizabeth, “Yes! Go! You live!” To Pretorius and his bride, he says, “You stay. We belong dead.”

Bride of Frankenstein with Orchestra
Saturday, October 29 ~ 2011
Schuster Center, 8pm
Click for Tickets

While Henry and Elizabeth flee, the Monster sheds a tear, and his bride hisses (yes, hisses) at him and pulls a lever that destroys the lab and tower.

And should you happen to take a blind date to the concert, don’t worry. Compared to the bride of Frankenstein, he or she will seem heaven-sent.

As opposed to having come from the other place.

TICKET CONTEST

We have FIVE PAIRS of tickets to see the Bride of Frankenstein with Orchestra (courtesy of The Dayton Philharmonic)! Simply fill out the form below and “like” both the On Stage Dayton and Dayton Philharmonic Facebook pages (make sure you’re logged into Facebook first).  We’ll randomly draw five ticket-pair-voucher winners on Tuesday October 25th at 4pm – check back here to see if you’ve won.  GOOD LUCK!

Contest closed…. And the winners are:

Cher Collins (Dayton)

Jennifer Krohn (Yellow Springs)

Julie Westwood (Centerville)

Christa VanHoesen (Beavercreek)

Liz Hudson (Dayton)

Salem’s Shameful Hysteria

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Allison Husko and Chris Hahn with Angela Dermer (foreground) in The Crucible (Photo by Patti Celek)

Sinclair Community College provides a commendably performed, terrifically designed presentation of “The Crucible,” Arthur Miller’s marvelous 1953 Tony Award-winning parable of 1950s McCarthyism set in Salem, Massachusetts circa 1692.

“The Crucible,” a well-timed season opener for Sinclair considering Wright State University’s production of Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” last month, centers on a God-fearing community grappling with issues of intolerance and morality as accusations of witchcraft by a group of vengeful teenage girls spreads like wildfire. Despite an opening half hour mired in ponderous pacing and off-kilter chemistry, director Stephen Skiles’ staging, neatly confined within Terry Stump’s excellently stark, wooden set expertly lit by Gina Neuerer, ultimately coalesces with gripping results.

As this powerfully relevant tale of betrayal, deceit and hypocrisy unfolds, Chris Hahn’s breakthrough performance as John Proctor firmly remains a towering depiction of a flawed man completely engulfed in rage, bewilderment and regret while circumstances implode beyond his control. Totally grounded and convincing as an earnest, rustic, hard working husband and father reaching his emotional and spiritual breaking point, Hahn wonderfully conveys the disgust and guilt that defines John’s infidelity with vindictive ringleader Abigail Williams (Angela Dermer) and the cold distance fueling his strained marriage to the plain Elizabeth (Allison Husko).

Additional standouts include Kes-lina Luoma as the conflicted Mary Warren, the splendidly sharp, authoritative Patrick Hayes as the unyielding, merciless Deputy-Governor Danforth, John Ray as the inquisitive, eventually distraught Reverend John Hale, and the simply fascinating Tametha Divvleeon as Tituba. Possessing an authentic dialect in her dynamic stage debut, Divvleeon supplies the first theatrical fireworks of the evening during Tituba’s passionate response to claims she conjured the devil in the forest. Embracing the sheer emotional drama of the moment for all its worth, she attacks center stage, arms outstretched and audibly winded, with a strikingly compelling intensity that seems to overtake every fiber of her being. It is an unforgettably riveting highlight within a production that unnervingly and upsettingly provokes just as Miller intended.

The Crucible continues through Oct. 22 in Blair Hall Theatre, Building 2, at Sinclair Community College, 444 W. Third St. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Act One: 68 minutes; Act Two: 68 minutes. Tickets for the Downtown Dayton Thursday performance are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Tickets for Friday and Saturday are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. For additional information, visit www.sinclair.edu/tickets

BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show (TICKET CONTEST)

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Victoria Theatre Association presents the first show of the 2011-2012 PNC Family Series, BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show, November 5 & 6 at 1pm and 3:30pm in the historic Victoria Theatre.

BAM Percussion features three zany characters that will have you and your family rolling – and dancing – in the aisles. Fabulous drumming is mixed with side-splitting humor, and the results are contagious. With audience participation, quick-witted humor and impeccable timing, BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show is an electrifying and deliriously funny show thathas toured Canada, the United States, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, New Zealand and no less than eleven European countries, making everybody laugh in their own language!

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9VesB5wPf0′]

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Tickets for BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show are priced at a family-friendly $18 for adults and $16 for children (ages 12 and under). Tickets are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage, and may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, noon – 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

WIN FREE TICKETS

We have TWO sets of Family Four Packs to give away to see BAM Percussion: The Blue Barrel Show, courtesy of Victoria Theatre Association!  Simply fill out the form below and we’ll announce the two winners here on Friday October 28 at 5pm.  GOOD LUCK!

Contest Closed

And congratulations to our winners – enjoy the show!

Patti Celek

Karri O’Reilly

Evil Dead The Musical – What the F@#k Was That? (TICKET CONTEST)

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“Evil Dead The Musical” is based on Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” films, the series of classic horror B-movies that became a cult sensation in the 1980s.  The play — which sounds like a horror show but really isn’t –, follows the adventures of five college kids who visit an abandoned cabin in the woods and accidentally unleash an evil force that turns them all into demons. It’s all up to Ash (a housewares employee, turned demon killing hero), and his trusty chainsaw to save the day. Blood flies. Limbs are dismembered. Demons are telling bad jokes… and all to music.  The play made its debut in 2003 in Toronto, opened in 2004 in Montreal as a featured attraction at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and, in 2006, made its Off-Broadway debut.

Beavercreek Community Theatre’s Edge of the Creek Productions will present the horror comedy at 8 p.m. on Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29 and at 3 p.m. on Oct. 23 and 30.  Edge of the Creek is the production arm of BCT that specializes in shows for adult audiences and “Evil Dead The Musical” fits into that genre.

The Beavercreek Community Theatre cast, under the direction of Chris Harmon and choreographed by Annette Looper, includes Dean Swann, Lindsay Sherman, Angele Price, Bethany Locklear, Jonathan Berry, Michael Shannon, Lynn Kesson and Darren Brown.

Tickets are $13 for adults and $11 for students, BCT members and seniors, ages 55 and older. A group discount of $1 per ticket is available to groups of 10 or more when the tickets are purchased at the same time for the same performance.

Tickets can be reserved by calling 429-4737 and leaving a message or by emailing [email protected]. For more information, visit the theater’s Web site at www.bctheatre.org, where the tickets can be purchased online with a credit card. Credit cards are not accepted at the theater.

The video below is from the off-Broadway production:

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrDui7xeGv0′]

This is an Edge of the Creek Production containing violence, strong language, sexual references, strobe lighting and fog effects.  Parental discretion is strongly advised.

WE’RE GIVING AWAY FREE TICKETS!

We have six pairs of tickets to give away for this show!  Simply fill out the form below to be entered to win – we’ll announce the winners here on Thursday October 20th at 5pm… GOOD LUCK!

CONTEST CLOSED

Congratulations to our winners!

  • Eric Brockman
  • Janna Ross
  • Steve Strawser
  • Rebecca Monce
  • Shannon Fent
  • Alicia Marshall

Abie’s Irish Rose at The Dayton Playhouse (TICKET CONTEST)

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Dayton Playhouse Cast of "Abie's Irish Rose"

American playwright Anne Nichols wrote several successful Broadway plays in the 1920’s and 30’s, beginning with her first and most famous play called Abie’s Irish Rose.  The story is about an Irish Catholic girl who marries a young Jewish man despite the objections of their families.  The basic story premise was copied several times, and Anne Nichols actually sued one imitator (Universal Pictures) over its movie The Cohens and the Kellys.  The judge in the appeal case found in favor of the defendant, and summarized the plot as follows:

Abie’s Irish Rose presents a Jewish family living in prosperous circumstances in New York. The father, a widower, is in business as a merchant, in which his son and only child helps him. The boy has philandered with young women, who to his father’s great disgust have always been Gentiles, for he is obsessed with a passion that his daughter-in-law shall be an orthodox Jewess. When the play opens the son, who has been courting a young Irish Catholic girl, has already married her secretly before a Protestant minister, and is concerned to soften the blow for his father, by securing a favorable impression of his bride, while concealing her faith and race. To accomplish this he introduces her to his father at his home as a Jewess, and lets it appear that he is interested in her, though he conceals the marriage. The girl somewhat reluctantly falls in with the plan; the father takes the bait, becomes infatuated with the girl, concludes that they must marry, and assumes that of course they will, if he so decides. He calls in a rabbi, and prepares for the wedding according to the Jewish rite.

Meanwhile the girl’s father, also a widower, who lives in California, and is as intense in his own religious antagonism as the Jew, has been called to New York, supposing that his daughter is to marry an Irishman and a Catholic. Accompanied by a priest, he arrives at the house at the moment when the marriage is being celebrated, but too late to prevent it, and the two fathers, each infuriated by the proposed union of his child to a heretic, fall into unseemly and grotesque antics. The priest and the rabbi become friendly, exchange trite sentiments about religion, and agree that the match is good. Apparently out of abundant caution, the priest celebrates the marriage for a third time, while the girl’s father is inveigled away. The second act closes with each father, still outraged, seeking to find some way by which the union, thus trebly insured, may be dissolved.

The last act takes place about a year later, the young couple having meanwhile been abjured by each father, and left to their own resources. They have had twins, a boy and a girl, but their fathers know no more than that a child has been born…

The Dayton Playhouse is presenting this play under the direction of Richard Brock, beginning Friday October 14th through October 23rd.  Click the link for more info and ticket information, or call the box office at 937-424-8477.

Win Tickets!!!

DaytonMostMetro.com and The Dayton Playhouse are giving away THREE PAIRS of tickets to the Saturday October 15th show at 8pm.  Simply fill out the form below to be entered to win (winners will be selected randomly at 3pm on Friday October 14th).  Also, be sure to like our On Stage Dayton Facebook page for up-to-date information, reviews and ticket giveaways in local theatre!  GOOD LUCK!

Ticket Contest Closed

Congratulations to our winners – enjoy the show!

Jacqueline W. (Piqua)
Lindsay S. (Beavercreek)
Lynn K. (Dayton)

Transylvania Mania

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A.J. Holmes and Rory Donovan, Young Frankenstein Touring Company. Photo: Paul Kolnik

“The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein,” presented in its local premiere at the Schuster Center by the Victoria Theatre Association’s Good Samaritan and Miami Valley Hospitals Broadway Series, lacks the comedic ingenuity and melodic strength of Brooks’ historic, lucrative 2001 adaptation of “The Producers,” but it’s still a highly entertaining, impressively designed show that remains faithful to the classic 1974 film.

Adapted in 2007 by Brooks and Thomas Meehan based on Brooks’ Oscar-nominated screenplay co-written by Gene Wilder, “Young Frankenstein” tells the funny if slight story of New York brain surgeon Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronkensteen”) who travels to spooky Transylvania to claim his inheritance. Along the way, with able support from his trusty sidekick Igor, sexy assistant Inga and his legendary grandfather’s ex-lover Frau Blucher, Frederick heeds his ancestors’ advice and creates a monster. Naturally, his monstrous handiwork wreaks havoc across the countryside, eventually kidnapping and falling in love with Frederick’s glamorous fiancée Elizabeth.

The nostalgic appeal that stems from being reunited with the film’s clever jokes and sight gags (such as the gigantic door knockers, revolving bookcase and horse whinnies at the sheer utterance of Blucher’s name) is a huge plus because Brooks and Meehan have difficulty expanding and sustaining the plot’s momentum over two and a half hours. They particularly opted not to spoof musical theater conventions a la “The Producers” or provide a deeper backstory for the characters. In fact, there really isn’t anything fresh that revitalizes this tale besides its original songs, solely composed by Brooks, which are merely serviceable rather than sensational. In turn, as in the film, the finest moment belongs to Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” brilliantly conceived by director/choreographer Susan Stroman and sharply recreated by choreographer James Gray. The imaginatively show-stopping number, worth the price of admission and just as good here as it was on Broadway thanks to a razzle dazzle ensemble, nearly rivals Stroman’s exuberant staging of “Springtime for Hitler” from “The Producers.”

Young Frankenstein Touring Company Photo: Paul Kolnik

Director Jeff Whiting, working with Stroman’s fantastic original design team consisting of scenic artist Robin Wagner, costumer William Ivey Long, lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski and sound designer Jonathan Deans, dutifully recreates her witty, vaudevillian vision and coaxes first-rate performances across the board. A.J. Holmes is a perfectly high strung Frederick with an appropriately astute Gene Wilder sensibility. The scene-stealing Christopher Timson portrays Igor with terrifically impish enthusiasm. The lovely Elizabeth Pawlowski is an adorably sweet Inga. Pat Sibley, an effortless comedienne with great timing, is a delightfully authentic Frau Blucher. The imposing Rory Donovan effectively juggles the Monster’s humorous and threatening characteristics. Lexie Dorsett, suitably swanky and divalicious as Elizabeth, hilariously emphasizes the innuendo within “Deep Love.” Britt Hancock shines in the dual roles of Inspector Kemp and the Hermit. As Victor, Frederick’s grandfather, Wright State University alumnus Jerome Doerger notably leads the jubilant “Join the Family Business.”

Front to back. ElizabethPawlowski, A.J. Holmes and Christopher Timson Photo: Paul Kolnik

“Young Frankenstein” isn’t on par with “The Producers,” but it’s a naughty roll in the hay intended to tickle your funny bone as only Brooks can.

The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein continues through Oct. 9 at the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Act One: 75 minutes; Act Two: 55 minutes. Tickets are $37-$92. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com

Lalah Hathaway comes to Dayton – with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

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(from Victoria Theatre Association)

R&B/jazz artist and “First Daughter of Soul” Lalah Hathaway will kick things off with a special concert on Oct. 2 at the Schuster Center. Hathaway burst onto the soul and jazz scene in 1990 with an auspicious self-titled debut album. The disc displayed a young artist who clearly had the pipes, but was also a developing song stylist, able to interpret both modern R&B and jazz. Her last name gives a lot away. She is the daughter of legendary soul performer Donny Hathaway and his talented wife Eulauhlah. However, while her name may have brought initial attention to some people, it was immediately clear that she is a true–and distinctive–vocal talent. With a style somewhat reminiscent of Patti Austin, but with a deeper, smokier edge, Lalah climbed to the top of the R&B charts with her debut hit “Heaven Knows.” Since those early days, she has had released several cds and partnered with countless talented musicians. Her latest solo effort will be released later in October. This special concert on Oct. 2 will start with a performance from Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, a unique and distinctly Dayton opening act not to be missed.

Who – Lalah Hathaway with DCDC

When – Sunday October 2nd, 2011 at 7:30pm

Where – Schuster Performing Arts Center

Tickets – Click Here

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WIN FREE TICKETS!!!

Fill out the form below to be entered to win a pair of tickets to see Lalah Hathaway and DCDC this Sunday at the Schuster Center – we’ll draw TWO winners tomorrow at noon… GOOD LUCK!

Contest is closed… CONGRATULATIONS to Lisa Scott & Deborah Sanders – each won a pair of tickets to see the show!

Heartache and Pain

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Scott Stoney in Death of a Salesman

Wright State University opens its 37th season with an emotionally compelling production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” the 1949 Pulitzer Prize-winning tragedy about the downward spiral of a hapless breadwinner and his hopelessly dysfunctional family.

Guest artist Scott Stoney of the Human Race Theatre Company – who co-directed and appeared in the fantastic WSU/Human Race regional premiere of “August: Osage County” last season – simply delivers one of his most electrifying performances as the iconic Willy Loman, the terribly flawed patriarch wallowing in the depths of despair whose specific inability to salvage the past and reshape his murky future fuels the gripping potency within this three-hour memory play. From the moment Stoney sluggishly steps into the spotlight with two suitcases and an exasperated weariness in his eyes, Willy’s incredibly multifaceted persona captivates with aplomb. Without resorting to histrionics or detrimentally appearing larger-than-life, Stoney consistently produces visceral shockwaves as Willy’s prickly stubbornness, volatile uproars and heartbreaking regret palpably connect without letting go. However, it’s not just the flashy, intense scenes that are impactful. Late in Act Two, in a sublime, tear-jerking moment conceived by Greg Hellems in his impressive straight play directorial debut, Stoney gently reciprocates a loving embrace that speaks volumes in advance of Willy’s subsequent epiphany. It is a touching hallmark of this production and an image you’ll never forget.

Equally superb guest artist Lee Merrill, a WSU musical theater professor with extensive opera and musical theater credits across the country, marvelously epitomizes the devoted selflessness of Linda Loman, the good housewife willing to stand by her man and embrace his shortcomings even when she’s rudely berated. In Act One, Merrill splendidly heightens the meaningfully profound dialogue encompassing Linda’s legendary assertion that “attention must be paid.” Toward the conclusion, she wonderfully sheds Linda’s coy demeanor with thrilling rage and is completely devastating in the gut-wrenching final minutes that still packs a wallop after all these years.

Stoney and Merrill are winningly and respectively supported by Patrick Ross and Zach Schute as Biff and Happy Loman. Ross, utterly convincing as a star high school athlete ruined by his own immaturity and the earth-shattering horror of his father’s infidelity, dynamically conveys Biff’s fiery temperament and soul-searching insecurity. Schute is an amiable fit as the philandering Happy, who assumes the role of mediator during frequent family arguments that erupt here with strikingly combative, fist-pounding fury.

Hellems’ firm cast, clothed in Mary Beth McLaughlin’s fine period costumes, also includes Mathys Herbert (sharp and endearing as Biff’s childhood friend Bernard), Jenyth Rosati (effectively seductive and aggravating as The Woman), Jason Collins (first-rate as Charley, Bernard’s father and Willy’s financial saving grace), Andrew Quiett, Tyler Edwards, Tess Talbot, Justin King, Chelsey Cavender, Lauren Bernstein and Ben Street. Scenic designer Don David’s angled concept and Nicholas Crumbley’s moody lighting are atmospherically ideal.

Powerfully relevant in the midst of our current economic crisis, WSU’s “Death of a Salesman” splendidly wounds with a brutal honesty that will leave you breathless.

Death of a Salesman continues through Oct. 2 in the Robert and Elaine Stein Auditorium of the Creative Arts Center at Wright State University, 3640 Col. Glenn Hwy., Fairborn. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 70 minutes; Act Two: 83 minutes. Tickets are $17-$19. For tickets or more information, call (937) 775-2500.

Victoria Theatre to present “The Musical with GREAT Knockers” (TICKET CONTEST)

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The New Mel Brooks Musical

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

Victoria Theatre Association

Win Tickets to this hilarious new musical!  Keep reading for details!

The ‘VTA’ will kick-off it’s 2011-12 Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series with The New Mel Brooks Musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, October 4-9 at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, in downtown Dayton.

The classic Mel Brooks movie is ALIVE and making an appearance in Dayton!  Based on the Oscar-nominated smash hit 1974 film, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, is the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Mary Shelley classic from the comic genius of Mel Brooks.  The movie, which Brooks co-wrote with star Gene Wilder, earned various awards and recognition throughout the years.  Most recently the film was selected as #13 on the AFI’s 100 Funniest American Moves of All Time (2000) and, in 2003, was chosen to be preserved in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.

When Frederick Frankenstein (that’s ‘Fronkensteen’), an esteemed New York brain surgeon and professor, inherits a castle and laboratory in Transylvania from his grandfather, deranged genius Victor Von Frankenstein, he faces a dilemma.  Does he continue to run from his family’s tortured past or does he stay in Transylvania to carry on his grandfather’s mad experiments reanimating the dead and, in the process, fall in love with his sexy lab assistant Inga?  Unfolding in the forbidding Castle Frankenstein and the foggy moors of Transylvania Heights, the show’s raucous score includes “The Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend,” and the unforgettable treatment of Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ On the Ritz.”

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN - Victoria Theatre Association - Things To Do In Dayton - October 4-9

Sutton Foster and some other actor in Young Frankenstein

The brains behind the laughter is mad genius and three-time Tony winner Mel Brooks himself – who wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book along with his record-breaking, award-winning team from The Producers (12 Tony Awards). Brooks’ collaborators on the show included Thomas Meehan (book), Susan Stroman (director & choreographer), Glen Kelly (musical supervision), Robin Wagner (set design), William Ivey Long (costume design) and Doug Besterman (orchestrations).

The show opened on Broadway in November of 2007, starring the incomparable Broadway starlet, Ms. Sutton Foster.  It was named the Best Broadway Musical 2008 by the Outer Critics Circle Award and won 5 Broadway.com Audience Awards, including Favorite New Musical.  A national tour launched in September of 2009.

-VTA Press Release

We encourage local theatre companies to submit calendar items HERE, and official press releases to [email protected].

Tickets & Performance Information:

The New Mel Brooks Musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

Tuesday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011 at The Schuster Center’s Mead Theatre – Performance Times Vary

Tickets range from $37 – $92

Please note:  Mel Brooks’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN includes adult situations and language, parents use caution when purchasing tickets.

Tickets are ONLY available through Ticket Center Stage.

Visit the  Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or order by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, noon – 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance.

Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

For more information about Victoria Theatre Association visit www.victoriatheatre.com.

For more information about the show, visit www.YoungFrankensteinTheMusical.com

WE’RE GIVING AWAY FREE TICKETS!!!

On Sunday October 2nd we’ll be drawing THREE winners to win a pair of ticket to see Young Frankenstein The Musical next week!  Just fill out the form below and make sure you select which night you’d like to see the show.  We’ll give away one pair for each of the three nights.  Also, be sure to share this story with your friends on Facebook and Twitter so that they can also enter to win.  Good luck!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS:

Ray Zupp (Vandalia) – Tuesday Show

Ben Douglas (Beavercreek) – Wednesday Show

Brian Anzek (Huber Heights) – Thursday Show

Tweetin’ at the Opera

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Friday Nite Tweet Seats – Tweet from your Seat!

New this season, The Dayton Opera is excited to extend an invitation to local young professionals and their guests to experience an opera-tunity to network and socialize before and after Dayton Opera performances. Friday Nite Tweet Seats — sponsored by DP&L –will allow you to let your Twitter followers know what’s going on at the opera in a reserved seating section. As an exclusive offer only to young professionals, enjoy a pre-performance gathering prior to the show, reserved seating for the performances and an after-party at the Dayton Racquet Club with the cast and crew … all for only $15.

Join the party for the Friday October 21 performances of La Bohème, the Friday, February 24 performance of Romeo and Juliet, and the Thursday May 17 and Friday May 18 performances of The Tragedy of Carmen and tweet and text your thoughts about the opera! Tickets are available online at www.daytonopera.org and, when ordering, enter the code TWEET. You can visit or call Ticket Center Stage in the Schuster Center at 228-3630 and ask for a Friday Nite Tweet Seat.

Please remember…Texting and tweeting during performances is permitted only in designated Friday Nite Tweet Seat areas. Phones must be muted and phone conversations are not permitted.

Delusions of Grandeur

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Charles Larkowski and Reneé Franck-Reed in Souvenir

The bizarre, hilarious and intriguing life of legendary eccentric soprano Florence Foster Jenkins, Manhattan’s most reliable musical laughingstock from 1912-1944, takes center stage in Stephen Temperly’s 2005 two-hander “Souvenir,” an unforgettable play with music receiving an outstanding local premiere courtesy of the Dayton Theatre Guild.

Subtitled “A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,” “Souvenir” inherently fascinates as it warmly if hurriedly chronicles the childlike naïveté, unyielding determination and non-existent talent of its extremely unique leading lady. Jenkins, a wealthy, musically inept socialite, firmly believed she was a remarkable vocalist even though she possessed an embarrassingly awful sound. Mistaking laughs for cheers, she assumed all was well as her popular charity recitals inside the Ritz Carlton ballroom left audiences baffled, delighted and hungry for more. Jenkins’ rise as a phenomenon ultimately led to her 1944 sellout concert at Carnegie Hall, which solidified her spot in the annals of pop culture and particularly left Marlene Dietrich in hysterics.

Personality and psychology factor into the allure of this intimate tale, but musicianship is the key ingredient that binds every element. Temperley smoothly frames the action in flashback from the vantage point of Jenkins’ devoted pianist Cosmé McMoon, a fledgling composer. Struggling to pay his rent, Cosmé agreed to assist and instruct, but remained perplexed and wary of his employer’s mystique. At one point, he admits Jenkins’ folly “was so stupendous you had to admire its scale.” Still, how far was too far? He eventually accepted the reality that she would never be the marvel imagined in her head, but delicate disagreements surfaced regarding their shared love of music. In fact, Cosmé believed notes were “absolute” while Jenkins felt they were merely “guideposts.” In theory, Cosmé is correct, but Jenkins’ view is valid, particularly by today’s debatable standards as pop singers such as Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Jennifer Hudson relish the overuse of melisma, a melodic embellishment in which a series of notes are sung on one syllable.

Under Saul Caplan’s humorous yet tender direction, Reneé Franck-Reed and Charles Larkowski wonderfully and affectionately deliver performances so instinctive you’d think Temperley wrote the play specifically for them. Appealingly costumed by Robin Farinet, Franck-Reed, who has notably appeared with the Dayton Opera, Human Race Theatre Company and Cincinnati’s New Stage Collective, brilliantly tackles the crucial believability of singing off-key with terrible pitch and no sense of rhythm. Hearing a fine soprano like Franck-Reed seamlessly destroy classics by Mozart and Verdi is a thrilling hoot. Still, the chatty charm, oddball delusion and striking innocence that kept Jenkins endearing as a consummate non-professional is not neglected in her marvelously grounded performance, which grows heartbreaking when Jenkins finally grasps the truth at Carnegie Hall. Larkowski, in a very engaging Guild debut, blends perfectly with Franck-Reed. In addition to providing terrific accompaniment and sincere narration, he sharply conveys Cosmé’s deep insecurities while fulfilling his pivotal role as Jenkins’ primary motivator, comforter and protector.

“To abuse my voice would be unthinkable,” Jenkins proudly declares in one of many witty exchanges. Thanks to a beautifully crafted finale that reveals the music inside her mind and the dynamic duo of Franck-Reed and Larkowski, it is certainly unthinkable for you to miss this absolutely captivating production.

Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins will continue through Sept. 25 at the Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Ave. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Act One: 55 minutes; Act Two: 40 minutes. Tickets are $11-$18. For tickets or more information, call (937) 278-5993 or visit www.daytontheatreguild.org

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