A very enjoyable show which is more like the Mark Twain show, where you just get to spend a couple of hours with the legendary figure than a biography, although there are biographical elements to the show.Frank Ferrante has been portraying Groucho for many years and does a very excellent job. He was the original portrayer of Groucho in the biographical play written by Arthur Marx, Groucho’s son. Plenty of audience interaction, lots of song and prancing about stage and generally a really great time. Some of the highlights? Sending one of the ushers (whose name happened to be Shirley Temple) to get a cup of coffee for a guy in the front row and getting a Starbucks bottled frappachino. Picking a member of the audience and painting the mustache and eyebrows on him and giving him a cigar. One couple in the audience. You two make a lovely couple? … Continue reading →

Featuring Richard Thomas (who?) as Juror Eight. Fascinating 90 minute courtroom drama with no intermission that takes apart individual beliefs while exposing public schools of thought for their shoddiness and hypocrisy. And it’s only a first degree murder charge. After the performance, a panel featuring 3 professors of law and 3 of the actors was conducted by somebody from the educational department at the OCPA (Yeah, they changed their name by schmooshing Arts and Center into one big, hard-to-say word, Artscenter!). Unfortunately at least 3 questions were wasted by older folk who chose to voice their opinion that yes, it is incorrect form to stab downward with a switchblade knife and that they know because they were trained in the usage of switchblade knifes by their parents or by the military. Oy!

Starring Scott Coutler & Debbie Gravitte accompanied by John Boswell Act 1 Overture (included Morning Glory from Pippin) – John segued into Magic To Do from Pippin – Scott, Debbie and John Summer Night from Rags – Debbie Just Around The Riverbend / Corner of the Sky from Pocahontas / Pippin – Scott In Whatever Time We Have from Children of Eden – Scott and Debbie Extraordinary from Pippin – Scott Colors Of The Wind from Pocahontas – Debbie Out There from The Hunchback Of Notre Dame – Scott It’s An Art from Working – Debbie Act 2 Entracte (including No Time At All from Pippin) – John Turn Back, O Man from Godspell – Debbie Dreamscape from Reluctant Pilgrim (Schwartz’s standalone album) – John with Scott and Debbie God Help The Outcasts from The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Debbie What Is This Feeling? from Wicked – Scott and … Continue reading →

This is a dramatization of a novel that was also a movie. Originally titled “The Caine Mutiny”, the novel details the actual incident as well as the ensuing court martial. After the movie was made starring Humphrey Bogart as Captain Queeg, Broadway came calling. The author decided to dramatize just the court martial, revealing the incident solely through exposition. Thus The Caine Mutiny Court Martial was born. A fascinating courtroom drama, the stars of this production are Lt. Cmdr. Queeg (Michael Turner), Lt. Barney Greenwald (Geoffrey Varga) and Signalman Third Class Junius Urban (the comedic relief, portrayed by Shane Cullum). Everybody else kind of passes in the night and does alright, but these three actors really make the performance worth enduring. I’m really pissed at my audience. About halfway through the 2nd act, Queeg delivers one hell of a monologue that builds and builds and builds and when it finally … Continue reading →

I fell asleep during the first act because I was very tired which is a shame because the show is really cool. The show consists of Hal Holbrook, who has been performing Mark Twain for over 50 years now, coming out on the stage (which is dressed up as a period turn of the 20th century lecture hall stage – chair, podium, table with books, water and combination ashtray/matchbox) and lecturing us for about 3 hours (one 15 minute intermission). It was a little frustrating because his speech was mumbled about a quarter of the time and a little difficult to understand some of the names he pronounced, but other than that, it was a hilarious show and I feel privileged to have seen Hal Holbrook perform Mark Twain at least once in my life. He also said some very poignant things that made me want to go read the … Continue reading →

Enjoyable. Thought provoking. If you’re a midgit and you are unwilling (or view it as degrading) to portray an elf, you must really hate Christmas. Carrie-Anne Seesock (sp?)(an old friend/associate from Orange County Song and Dance) was one of the show choir chorus that accompanies the Rockettes. The Rockette’s were very impressive with their coordination and teamwork…as a member of a swing dancing team that is performance based, it was very impressive and thought-provoking to watch the precision of the Rockettes.