Hank Kimmel's Shorts

What a fun evening! This show has all the makings of a Broadway hit! A couple of things, of course, to shape up to that kind of crowd, but wow - they will love it! Props to Travis George on the set design. What a wonderful concept with the turning of the sets to change scenes. Props to the director, Mira Hirsch, for the concept of knocking on the walls to change the set. There was one change where one side was not in sync with the other side: the stage-left side seemed to be "catching up" with the other and it was just too fast. Another wonderful concept to the show was the idea of the actors changing the set in a black/grey-out wearing orange hats. The audience got it: they understood that if there are orange hats, then the set was changing. Brilliant! Love that! On a Broadway stage, it would be nice to have more actors to change the set or less to change, because the tech crew coming out to change some things later in Act I and then again in Act II ruined that concept. Keep it consistent. They caught the audience with something familiar and it works: don't change it.

Jewish Theatre of the South presented a fabulous show regarding relationships, parenting, friendship and just plain fun. This show definitely needs to come back again later this year. Things to make noteworthy:

The End - You know, it was funny, but unnecessary. To see this on a Broadway stage, this would bore the audience quickly as the narrator "Man" doesn't explain who he is or why he's there. Later on in Act I the audience gets that he might be the playwright himself. There has to be a better way to do that. And the warnings of cell phones and how long the show is, etc. - an announcement along with the advertising for the Center would have sufficed.

Love, Marriage & Parenting - What a wonderful little skit! Loved it, loved it, loved it! An excellent set-up!

Winners Never Quit - very sweet between a father and son. The jokes could have been more.

Soccer Moms - God Bless Marcie Millard's parents! That woman is hilarious! She's spot-on with the emotion, the jokes, the reality of being a soccer mom - excellent, excellent, excellent! Megan was devine as the "debutante" soccer mom. Very fashionable, very funny.

Redemption of a Football Widow - Again, props to Marcie Millard as the wife who doesn't need to be ignored. Props also to Andrew Benator for being the stereotypical straight man on Super Bowl Sunday. The short lacked a good ending - was waiting to see more resolve or a joke or something. But it was nice to see Marcie come out with a rose in her mouth again: the first time was in "The Santaland Diaries" over at Horizon.

Neighborhood Dance - Nice concept. Very, very nice concept.

Early Morning Appointment - Props to Ms. Megan Hayes for being the stereotypical busy mom trying to have any repair man get things done on time. And yes, Enoch King, very much the service man not really planning to be on-time and the excuses were - well - spot-on!

The Name Game - What a wonderful skit for high school theaters! This one skit would be so appropriate and welcome in any theater competition. It was simple, it had a plot, it had a climax, and a very funny ending. Well done to Jeffrey Zwartjes, Megan Hayes and especially, the ever-talented, Enoch King.

Your Local Neighborhood Pharmacy - Oh my God - the audience roared. Not only because Enoch and Jeffrey lost it near the end of the skit to giggles and forgetting lines, but the portrayal of old busy-body people in a pharmacy like CVS - brilliant. Marcie just cracks up the audience. And the symptoms that these characters were trying to get medication for - priceless.

Very well done on the introduction for the intermission. And even on a Broadway stage, it should stay.

The Welcome Back was very cute with Megan leaning out of the window. It was subtle and got everyone to their seats. Well-done.

Career Day - There should have been more. It was just...the boy, Benjamin Appley-Epstein was there to do a report and Enoch and Jeffrey were there to supply what was wrong with their jobs and it ended well with Benjamin's one-line, but...the whole piece lacked "meat."

Summary Judgement - What a delight! Megan and Marcie both portraying attorneys with different lifestyles, different job demands, different ideas on life. Loved it! This is another excellent one-scene skit that would do well anywhere with any age.

Lunch-Time Panelist - Um....well....it was ok. It wasn't the best and was kinda boring, but it was ok.

Small Talk - A man who works at a copy store, loves his job and doesn't get out much. Enoch, the customer who works at home all day and the employee is the first person he's had face to face contact with all day. Brilliant little short.

My Little Trip to the Airport - I think everyone fell out of their chairs with laughter. Marcie is hiliarious! She should always do this character, especially on Broadway! The whole situation is just....amazing. Airport security has gotten kind of ridiculous since 2001 and this puts a funny spin on the over-seriousness of it all.

Welcome to Our Holiday Show - It was good to see Enoch in an Elf hat again (he was also an Elf in Horizon's "Santaland Diaries.")

The Day Santa Ignored Us - The brillance of Hank Kimmel never ceases to amaze people. This was brilliantly written, delightfully executed and the points hit home. A Jewish Mother, her son, and Santa. "Never judge a book by its cover" - very old cliche but it fits well here.

Saved on the Day of Atonement - Very cute. It lacked something, but over-all very cute.

The Dilemma of a Standing Ovation - And yes, it kept everyone in their seats as they applauded, not knowing whether to stand or not. On a Broadway stage, it would be interesting to see the different reactions.

Well done, Hank! Well done, JTS. Smooth show, excellent set, brilliant actors and an over-all amazing evening.

Southern Baptist Sissies

Lord, help me now! This is the first review in first person. I just have to say, that was truly an eye-opening experience! But wow - congrats to The Process Theatre for being sold out continuously! Whole World Theater and The Process Theatre presented "Southern Baptist Sissies", the tale of a young man and his friends living in a wonderfully religious society but having to deal with their homosexual feelings, loves, cravings and desires. And really, the whole thing comes down to "love." Love of two men, love of one's self, love of your friends and just love in general. There are some scenes in here that, well, if the Jews, the Catholics, the Pentacostals and the non-Southern Baptists can't take a joke and look at themselves ligthly - they'd just walk out of the show. The references to the huge cross mounted up-stage center, whether these references were verbal or physical. The wonderous drag queen who comes on every so often to entertain and to drive a point home. The male stripper who - well....we all know what he's carrying. The ignorance of the Southern Baptist church towards other religions. The molding of young minds and the constant reminder of "hell." The kissing of males to males on stage. Now, really, it's the 21st century, I know, but stay with me here on the things that might offend the older no-fun-set. The touching and showing of what a male can do with another male on stage. But we'll reference that one under "love."

If the audience can see past what is normally offensive to the "squares" in the city, there is a story that needs to be told. There is a story that, I found out, is all too familiar to a lot of people. Whether they are boys, girls, blacks, whites, Jews, gentiles...being taught one thing, then growing up and facing reality. That, and, let me try to quote Topher Payne on this - "She taught me to love daddy, love mommy, love Elvis - but she never taught me to love myself." The cast is spectacular - not a faker in the bunch! Topher Payne, Marcelo Banderas, George Deavours, Matt Sutter, Greg Morris, Joel Kay, Jo Howarth, another young lady playing the mother whose name I can not remember, and the ever talented Director and Actor, DeWayne Morgan. It's a very powerful piece and one that needs to show up this time every year.

Major props to the Process!

Crowns

There aren't many plays and musicals out there that can take the black community back to a place and time where things were a tad bit more innocent than they are now. Nor are there many to empower black women and remind them of who they are, what they were, and how they need to dress. IKAM and director Andrea Frye have done a magnificent job in bringing these elements together. Being a preview, there were a few technical things that needed to shape up. But over-all, no production could beat the lively talents of Mrs. Marguerite Hannah-Middleton, the powerful and mesmerizing vocals of the songstress Miss Bernardine Mitchell or the youthful and ever-changing character of Yolanda played by Miss Naima J. Carter. The story, itself, is hard to see in Act I as the songs will take you away from the focus of Yolanda, the young girl from New York who has come to live with her grandmother. But everything wraps up in Act II for the audience as Yolanda finally "hears" what her grandmother and the congregation is trying to say in song...and in hats. With the delightful set and wonderful lights, this show is a "must see." With the roaring gospel music and foot-stomping spirituals, this is a "must hear."

9 Parts of Desire

It's true: Horizon Theatre doesn't guarantee you a "happy ending" in this one. But wow...the power, the truthfulness, the ... vivid stories that unfold for these 9 women. Perfected on stage by Carolyn Cook, Suehyla El-Attar and Marianne Fraulo, "9 Parts of Desire" takes the audience to Iraq, to London and to New York. All these stories surround Iraq, the war, the history and their loved ones. The set was amazingly done by Tamara McElhannon. The women on stage worked their costumes well to create the several parts they had to play. The brutal honesty of some of the stories was hard to swallow: I mean, women there, without the freedoms that the women in America have? The things they had to do, to put up with, to trade, in order to survive? And then there were the similarities: dealing with the death of family or not knowing if family is alive or not. Special props especially go out to Ms. Suehyla El-Attar for showing her versatility not only as a brilliant writer ("The Perfect Prayer") but also as a convincing and emotionally stimulating actress.

Many kudos to Horizon for another wonderful tale - or 9.

Cuttin' Up

The world was introduced to a "woman's world" in Steel Magnolias. Now, the men have their turn on stage, and yes: men need time to be "men" and a place to be "men." Cuttin' Up is a wonderful story about Andre, a drifter, who comes into town, gets hired by Howard, the barber, and their bond becomes one that makes the audience smile in spite of itself. The youngster at the barbershop, Rudy, played by the wonderfully talented Eugene H.Russell, adds such a lively touch and a realism that relates to so many GenXers and the younger generation alike. The set was astonishing, the lights, the timing, the story, and the characters: all beautifully put, well told and excellently acted. This show will bring tears to your eyes in both laughter and in memories. God bless the actors for playing multiple characters: their schizophrenia adds such flavor to the entire production. All told, the story hits home to everyone who has ever treasured their "place" in the world: A place where "everybody knows your name."

Well done, Alliance! Well done!

All Shook Up

Wonderful fun from the start to the finish, this magnificent story of an outsider, a mechanic, a museum manager, a mayor, and a dead town looking for excitement kept everyone clapping and toe-tapping the entire night. A few things I noticed, since it was opening night over at the Fox Theater:

1. Dear SM - please tell your actors not to run past the scrim in the back during a serious scene. The big wave that ripples across is not a part of the show.

2. Dear Sound Guy - when people are on stage talking, you might wanna turn their mics on.

3. Choreography - I wanted more. There just wasn't enough in the movements and such to keep an audience engrossed or impressed. Really, Ricardo Aponte could have taken this show to a higher level with it's choreography.

4. Noticed a lot of applauding for the prominent black star, Sylvia, whenever she held a note, sang, moved, etc. Really - I've seen just as good if not better. Don't get me wrong: she deserved it. But it wasn't as big of a deal as the audience made it to be. But hey - that's the audience.

5. The show was very "Footloose" in its story, but it wasn't bad.

6. Totally love Dennis!! What a wonderful character and Mr. Dennis Moench did it justice!

7. Josh Franklin stood in for the lead male, Chad. Nicely done - very well displayed on stage. And nice, tight jeans.

All in all, an enjoyable evening at the Fox.

Love's Labour's Lost

Gotta hand it to the Shakespeare Tavern for making everyone forget about the horrible parking situation, the homeless people asking for money on the streets, and the traffic in Atlanta that never stops. Nestled in between the two busiest areas in town, Downtown and Midtown, The New American Shakespeare Tavern brings its guests below the surface and makes them forget their cares, forget the outside world, and indulge in some good comedy. Mary Russell is outstandingly stunning as the Princess of France. Her facial expressions were dead-on with the lyrical poetry of her words. Jeff McKerely did it again: comedy is definitely his forte. But unlike "The Thing About Men", we get to see more serious sides to this comedian. He can definitely work both sides of his character and the hard work he puts into his craft certainly shows. Props to the ever amazing Amee Vyas as she protrays a character of innocence that makes every woman in the theater wish they were of her youth and beauty again. There aren't words to describe Ms. Heidi Cline - other than "wow"! What a match for the every-comedic Jeff McKerely! The whole ensemble enticed the audience and kept everyone eager to hear the outcome of each individual on stage. Well done, Tavern! Well done!

Almost, Maine

What a cute show! It was definitely a wonderful read and cast superbly by Horizon Theatre. John Cariani took the worlds of "Northern Exposure" and "Men in Trees" and made such a delightful little town into a romantic comedy. Props to the very talented Chad Martin, Shelby Hofer, Jason MacDonald and Lala Cochran on their hilarious performances that touched everyone's hearts. "Almost, Maine" is a lovely little city with not a lot going on in it - until one night the Northern Lights lead everyone to their "destiny." It's a great show and it was a welcomed run!

February 23-March 25, 2007

The Most Massive Woman Wins and Barbie's Dream House

What a night! The Process Theatre did it again with Madeleine George's "The Most Massive Woman Wins" and Marki Shalloe's "Barbie Dream House." The first was a lesson for us all: women are beautiful, no matter what they look like. The harsh words that these characters heard growing up, being in relationships, and just walking on the street - harsh. Mean. Taking self-esteem early. And it's just hard to hear it, but it needs to be heard: women going to a lyposuction center to remove pieces of themselves that society hadn't gotten to yet. Very well done by the outstanding Stacia Kingston, the divine Mrs. Kara Cantrell, the ever-talented Amy Cain and the fabulous Fracena Byrd.

Barbie's Dream House was a shock - complete and necessary. Seeing the "real women" confront Barbie in her world and then for Barbie to experience "real world" problems ...amazing. What a slap in the face and a reality check! Nicely done, Marki!