Enchanting Eleanor at the BTG
by Christopher Key

Combine the ambition of Hillary Clinton, the wit of Dorothy Parker and the irreverence of Lady Gaga and you might have something close to Eleanor of Aquitaine. John Gonzales, the director of Becoming Eleanor at the Bellingham Theatre Guild, admits to having developed a crush on this fascinating woman in college. We are all richer for his having shared his crush with a wider audience. If playwright Marsha Lee Sheiness had been teaching us history, we not only might have stayed awake in class, but we might actually have learned something.

Don’t let the fact that Becoming Eleanor is a history lesson deter you from seeing this production. It is loud, brash and wildly funny. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time and that is a very healthy thing.

As Gonzales points out in his terrific director’s notes, “…this highly educated, tenacious, vibrant and amazing woman inherited the one of the largest feudal holdings in the western world at age 15, went toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful men in the world while managing to live out much of her 82 years on her own terms in an era when few women were able to exercise any autonomy at all.” No wonder he has a crush.

BTG newcomer Kendra Pasma delivers nothing short of a tour-de-force performance in the title role. She is onstage throughout the two-hour production and handles a massive line load with complete aplomb. Pasma brings an elegant and confident stage presence along with a subtle sexiness that makes the role sing.

Kendra Pasma delivers a definitive performance as Eleanor of Aquitaine in the Bellingham Theatre Guild production of Becoming Eleanor. Photo credit - David Cohn

Most of the other actors in the show play multiple roles and serve as a delightfully goony Greek Chorus while managing multiple onstage costume changes and manipulating the clever set.

Canny stage veteran Joan Prinz may play relatively minor roles, but she manages to steal the show as everybody from Louis the Fat to Pope Innocent. M. Tristan McDaniel, another BTG newcomer, is perfectly pious as Louis Capet, who is carnally challenged. He makes Eleanor Queen of France, but is unable to warm the marriage bed. To put it as discreetly as possible.

Tony Gallina graduated from Western with a degree in psychology and brings that insight to his roles ranging from a troubadour to an abbott. The dependably wonderful Zoe Schackel gets to strut her stuff as both Eleanor’s sister and the forbiddingly Germanic Empress Irene.

David Bolden last delighted audiences as the demented vice-principal in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee earlier this season at the BTG. He brings that same slightly unhinged energy to his multiple roles in this show. I last reviewed Brad McArtor in the smashing Days of Future Passed at the iDiOM last year. He is very busy in this show as everybody from a Pope to Henry Plantagenet and displays both a gift for physicality and wicked comic timing.

Yet another BTG newcomer, McKenna Vallee, is gifted with a wonderfully expressive face that she uses to great effect in her multiple roles. Christy Ham deliciously deadpans her way through her roles while juggling multiple props for the other actors. A not inconsiderable achievement.

Becoming Eleanor plays January 27 through February 12 at the BTG Playhouse, 1600 H Street. Consult the site, www.bellinghamtheatreguild.com for precise dates and times. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, $8 for children under 12. Call the box office at (360) 733-1811 to make reservations.

I promise that you will also develop a crush on this remarkable woman while having a rollicking good time.

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Holiday nuts are back
by Christopher Key

Wut would the holiday season be like without Drue Robinson and the Bellingham Childrens Theatre? It would be totally sub, dude! If you think that’s a groaner, just wait until you hear some of the horrendous puns strewn about the stage like rats in the second annual production of The Wutcraker.

After several years fermenting in Robinson’s mental wine cellar, The Wutcraker made an astonishing comeback last year and ‘Hamsters couldn’t get enough. Many who didn’t get their tickets early found that there was no room at the inn and had to rely on my review to find out wut went down. No false modesty here, but my review comes in a distant second compared to seeing this bit of Bedlam brought to life.

Political Correctness demands that I note newcomers to Bellingham won’t get a lot of the inside jokes that make this show rock. If you want to get hip to this small town with delusions of grandeur, this is a good place to start. You’ll want to find out about the Bikmans’ legendary New Year’s parties with The Walrus and what happened in the recent elections.

The whole thing, of course, is an inspired takeoff on The Nutcracker. Having performed in the original this year gives me a new appreciation for what Robinson has done. She has written fiendishly clever lyrics to Tchaikovsky’s familiar themes and has recruited actors who truly understand satire.

One of the things Robinson does better than almost anyone is teaching young actors how to enunciate and project. When the jokes fly as thick and fast as they do in this show, it is vital. It’s also refreshing if you’re as frustrated as I am when you can’t understand what the kids are saying in lesser shows.

There are dozens of young actors in this cast and they all perform above and beyond expectations. Several of them deserve special mention. Lauren Valenti is both bratty and beautiful as Clara. Oskar Sjostrom demonstrates outstanding physicality as The Dummy. Genevieve Dunn channels Betty Boop to perfection. Lauren Pittis is delightfully dumb as Duhwhera.

As the Prince Formerly Known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, Aaron Helms delivers another confident performance that adds to his already solid stage cred. All of the Snowflakes give meltingly hot performances in their rap number.

There are also some adults in this show and they acquit themselves remarkably well given the young talent that they’re competing with. Vicky Reardon truly gets her Lady Gaga on as Ice. Robert Muzzy reprises his role as the supremely snotty Sugah, King of the Booger Flung Scaries. Deb Currier is devastating as Mrs. Middlecamp.

As both Mr. Middlecamp and The Rat King, Brian Watson owns the stage. Michael Spinale is both endearing and perfectly befuddled as the occasionally magical Uncle Doppelganger.

As usual in The Wutcraker, certain Bellebrities are involved. In this production, they are The Politician Formerly Known as Mayor (Dan Pike) and The Politician Formerly Known as County Executive (Pete Kremen). Only in Bellingham would such characters be willing to humiliate themselves onstage by trying to dance and remember lines.

The three narrators couldn’t have been more perfectly cast. Leon Charbonneau as Grandpa Sheridan, Judith Owens-Lancaster as Grandma Grace, and Miska Marker as Annabelle tie the whole performance together with exquisite style.

I wasn’t given a crew list, but the lighting, set and costume designers all deserve a standing ovation. You know who you are.

A word to the wise: a lot of people got turned away last year because they didn’t score their tickets in time. The Wutcraker performs December 15, 16 and 17 at 7:00 p.m. and December 18 at 2:00 p.m. The venue is the wonderful second stage at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available at Village Books, the Community Food Co-ops and the WWU box office. Call 360-650-6146 or order online at http://www.tickets.wwu.edu.

Good luck trying to score $15 tickets at the door.

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Perfect present from Claire vg
by Christopher Key

Sometimes the sheer sentimentality of Christmas theatre productions can be a bit overwhelming. Claire vg Thomas Theatre director Shelley Jefferson has done us all a favor by finding a show with some edgy humor and gentle social commentary that helps avoid the diabetic shock that usually endangers us this time of year. It’s called The Christmas Toy Shop and it’s a delight.

The script was written by Michelle Vacca and the themes are timeless. The humor could have been derived from today’s headlines. Or at least Black Friday’s headlines. That gentle social commentary I mentioned could well be applied to the competitive shoppers who threaten to pepper spray what’s left of the Christmas spirit. There are a pair of orphans, toys that come alive, crazed elves, spoiled brats, Christmas carolers and enough energy to light the National Christmas Tree.

One of the highlights of the production actually occurs during the pre-show as the audience waits to be admitted to the theatre. Suddenly, an excess of elves transforms the Dutch Village Mall into a scene reminiscent of one of legendary cartoonist Rube Goldberg’s wacky contraptions. Scores of presents are dropped off balconies, tossed seven ways from Sunday and delivered back to the start only to repeat the frantic daisy-chain. There are also hints here of the production line insanity depicted in Modern Times. Yes, I know my references are dated. Look ‘em up, kiddies.

Photo credit - Christopher Key

If you think that things will settle down a bit once you enter the theatre, think again. This shop is filled with toys who, when they come to life, are serious anarchists. Trying to impose some order on this Bedlamic scene is Nix, the CEO (Chief Elf Officer) of the shop. Corey Anderson is perfectly stuffy as the anal-retentive, clipboard-carrying supervisor.

Carole May is typically over-the-top as Mrs. Wellington, a charter member of the one percent. Her offspring, two of the snottiest snowflakes you hope never to meet, are played to perfection by Maia Jensen and Samantha Nokes. Two of those subversive animated toys are particularly notable. Kristin Hoekema inhabits the toybox with an angelic smile that belies a nasty sense of humor. As the dancing doll, Kennedy Rainer demonstrates outstanding physicality with her robotic movement.

Presiding over the chaos is Ed Marantette as shop owner Nicholas S. Claus. He is gloriously goofy as the guy who will go to any lengths to keep the whole thing on schedule and avoid harshing his mellow.

Some of the toys who arrive later in the show include some serious scene-stealers. Chief among these is Alex Gardipe as the neurotic jack-in-the-box who is afraid of everything, especially the idea of commitment to Trudi. Played by Lisa Litchfield, Trudi proves that “Ya sure, ya betcha” isn’t confined to Ballard.

Evan Duncan, whose theatrical genes are impeccable, delivers a fine French accent and sneeringly superior Gallic sensibility as General Lafitte. His nemesis is the gypsy doll Esmerelda, played by Corinne Charbonneau with pointed patooey.

The relatively unsung hero of the plot is Mr. Thompkins, manically portrayed by Dave Duncan. He inherits the toy shop, the orphans and everybody lives happily ever after.

Director Jefferson and several of her talented technical compatriots from Western Washington University are responsible for the set, lighting and sound. They are submitting this production as their senior project and I’m giving it an A-plus.

The Christmas Toy Shop plays November 30 through December 17 at the Claire vg Thomas Theatre, 655 Front Street, in Lynden. November 30 and December 1 performances are dinner theatre shows at 6:30 p.m. with the show starting at 7:30. For the complete schedule, see http://sites.google.com/site/lyndenperformingartsguild/. The box office is open Tuesday – Saturday 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. For reservations, call (360) 354-4425.

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Plaid Tidings rocks the BTG
by Christopher Key

Having endured more lame theatrical sequels that any mortal should be subject to, I have a rather jaundiced view of the genre. Occasionally, however, someone brings forth a reprise that is as good as the original. Such is the case with Plaid Tidings, sequel to last year’s hands-down Bellingham Theatre Guild favorite, Forever Plaid. Playwright Stuart Ross makes it work by being unashamed to apply high schmaltz and sly humor to those holiday specials we used to watch year after year on TV.

Teri Grimes and Mish Kriz direct this production with an obvious love for all those cheesy guy groups that made us swoon in a in a kinder, gentler era. The cast from last year’s wildly funny production returns with one exception. That exception, Jinx, is played by the amazing Brad Anderson, who obviously groks the whole guy group scene and fits in as though he played in the original.

Plaid Tidings, like its predecessor, relies on close vocal harmonies that are a challenge for any group. Brad Anderson’s voice fits in perfectly with those of Colin Weiss, Andy Reinhardt and TJ Anderson. Helping to make that happen is the inevitable Steve Barnes, who returns as both Music Director and himself. Marcel Ardans also reprises his role as the slightly sleazy Uncle Chester, who happens to play a rockin’ acoustic bass.

I have reviewed Weiss, Reinhardt and TJ Anderson so many times that I am at something of a loss to come up with adequate adjectives to describe their talent. Not only do they have superb voices, but they have the acting chops that would frighten performers with far more experience.

Photo credit - David Cohn

The guy groups of that time usually just sang. The thing that makes Ross’ productions stand out is that he incorporates dance moves from the Motown era. Plaid Tidings goes a step or two further by adding tap dancing, among other things. When the four go into one of their tap numbers, it makes you realize just how multi-talented these actors are. Weiss does a Moonwalk that would make MJ envious. Choreographer Michelle Vanleeuwen deserves enormous credit.

Since this is a holiday show, the Plaids incorporate some Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa influences that are both politically correct and hysterically funny. For those of us who view certain Christmas standards as akin to waterboarding, these twisted arrangements are very refreshing.

Perry Como is the icon that the Plaids worship above all others. Not only did he bequeath them a Como Cardigan, he is present onstage in a nifty bit of special effects that allows the Plaids to sing backup to one of his Christmas performances. Our fave mad scientists Steve Barnes and Andy Backus are responsible for that bit of theatrical magic.

One of the scenes repeated almost intact from the original is the three-minute-and-eleven-second reenactment of The Ed Sullivan Show. Deservedly so. This is one of those theatrical moments that will make liquid come out of your nose if you take a sip at the wrong time. Provided, of course, that you are old enough to remember the original.

Plaid Tidings is a holiday show that will ease the pain of suffering through the multitudinous incarnations of A Christmas Carol. It plays November 25 through December 11 at the BTG Playhouse at 1600 H Street. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $8 for children. The box office is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Call (360) 733-1811 to make reservations and do it soon because this is a sure sellout. For more information on specific times and dates, see http://bellinghamtheatreguild.com/playbill/.

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Stirring season opener at WCC
by Christopher Key

St. Augustine is perhaps most famous for his (possibly apocryphal) prayer, “God grant me celibacy…but not yet.” Those warring instincts inform Augustine’s Confessions: Scenes from American Life, the opening production of the season at Whatcom Community College. It’s a series of fourteen short plays by New York actor and playwright John Augustine that focus on the agony and ecstasy of Generation X.

As one of the actors points out, X represents the unknown factor. Struggling to resolve that unknown in the equation of life is what drives the characters in these vignettes. Generation X got stuck with one of those labels that society, or at least the media, insists on imposing in order to pigeonhole people. Part of the genius of this production lies in exploding the myth that labeling a generation leads us to some kind of understanding when all it leads us to is simplistic stereotypes. I should know. I’m a Boomer.

Augustine (the playwright, not the saint), makes his point by recognizing the archetypal angst that every generation, regardless of label, experiences in the eternal search for identity. It transcends generations and labels.

WCC drama guru Gerry Large has a proven gift for recognizing and developing young talent. He directs with a sure hand and gives his actors room to be creative. That is a precious gift and the actors in this production respond with élan.

Sandi Coughlin, as Rebecca Ruth, ties the production together as one of the Temporary People. In this case, she is both a worker who can find employment only as a temp and as the eternal bridesmaid. Coughlin, who is seen mostly in projected videos, can do more with her expressive eyes than many actors can do with their entire bodies.

Two of the female actors in this production deliver nothing short of tour-de-force performances. Erika Olson and Emily Dickson play multiple characters ranging from over-the-top comedy to heart-wrenching poignancy and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. I have reviewed Selena Flannery before and continue to be impressed by her gifts for subtlety and understatement, something rare in young actors.

Selena Flannery and Emily Dickson are among the many stars of Augustine's Confessions opening this weekend at Whatcom Community College. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Cecilee Beck gets only one shot at the spotlight, but makes the most of it as a dementedly self-centered yuppie whose overweening insensitivity also transcends generational labels. Quite frankly, the women dominate this show, partly because the script focuses on their struggles to choose between emergent feminism and more traditional values.

That’s not say that the male actors are any less talented. Michael Grab and Kyle J. Musilek demonstrate this with sensitive performances as a pair of gay playwrights trying to express their love for each other by putting their words into the mouths of heterosexual characters. Marc Broyles demonstrates impressive range as both a stereotypically victimized Vietnam vet and an immensely insecure geek.

As usual, space and time limitations interfere with giving credit to all the actors who make this production live up to the standards I have come to expect from the WCC program. My apologies to Amanda Thorton, Viet Ha, Katie Dec, Khandsuren, Amanda Molsee and Phillip Kaltenbach for not giving you the kudos you deserve.

The technological Einstein of local theatre, Russ Nelson, delivers a simple and imaginative set and lighting design that contribute enormously to the effectiveness of this production. Not to mention the dynamic projected videos.

Augustine’s Confessions will make you laugh and make you cry and make you realize that our struggles to define ourselves are universal, regardless of our generational identities. The show runs for only three performances, November 17 – 19, 7:30 p.m., at the Syre Student Center Theatre. Tickets are $6 across the board. Call (360) 383-3532 or take your chances at the door.

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TAG’s timing terrific
by Christopher Key

Given the parlous economic times and the viral “occupations” that have spread from the Wall Street epicenter, Skagit’s Theatre Arts Group could hardly have chosen a more propitious time to bring the rock musical Rent to the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon. Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning music and lyrics give life to the eternal struggle of starving artists to hit the big time. I use the word eternal advisedly, since Rent is based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Boheme, which documented the same artistic struggles more than a century ago.

Director Jane Skinner has an authentic rock ‘n roll soul and that is evident in every moment of this sizzling production. She has recruited a bulletproof cast that sells this show the way Steve Jobs sold technology. It’s all about belief and commitment.

Mikel Armstrong leads the way as Angel, the drag queen who is dying of AIDS. His gender-bending performance shines with an authenticity that will leave you limp. He is paired with Troy Johnson, whose portrayal of Tom Collins is both joyous and wrenching.

Roger and Mark, the aspiring songwriter and filmmaker respectively, are played by fraternal twins Brett and Brock Madden. They share a gift for intensity that is often overwhelming. Leisha Madden, who is married to Brett, plays heroin junkie Mimi with frightening power. The truly magical chemistry between the two reflects that offstage relationship.

All of the cast members have outstanding voices, but Korey Foss, as Maureen, is a genuine giver of goosebumps. Combine Janis Joplin with Tina Turner and that may give you some idea of what she can do. Her paramour Joanne is the definition of anal-retentive and Lauren Leer gives it a 2×4 up the rectum ride that is pitch-perfect.

Photo credit - Ricardo Cook

Benny, the formerly bohemian roommate of Roger and Mark, married into money and lost his soul in the bargain. Tim Brown plays the role to yuppified perfection. Brown also provided the sensational choreography that will leave you gasping. With that smooth segue, let’s give credit to the techies who put the rock in the roll.

Dave Lyon, who seems to be on and offstage in more productions than should be humanly possible, leads a band that could rock any venue in the Northwest. The set is a marvelously detailed evocation of the mean streets of New York. Thank designer Steve Craig for that. Cathy Pfahl’s costuming is as good as it gets.

Director Skinner obviously has a feel for the grittiness and grinding poverty that informs Rent. She pulls no punches in this production and that gives it a power that will move you to laughter and tears. It also means that the production is not appropriate for children or the easily offended.

Since I rarely review theatre in Mt. Vernon, I must give credit to my lovely date, Shelly Lyon, for providing some of the backstories without which this review would be seriously impoverished.

If there is any justice in this world, Rent should sell out beginning to end. Order your tickets now by calling (360) 336-8955. Rent performs October 7 – 22 at Mt. Vernon’s lovely Lincoln Theatre. See the site, http://www.lincolntheatre.org, for precise dates and times.

The word rent can also mean torn apart. This production honors that meaning, but then heals the rent with exquisite compassion.

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Into the Woods is spectacular
by Christopher Key

Chutzpah is a wonderful Yiddish word that can be loosely translated as having brass…well, you know. Ubiquitous director Mark Kuntz has ‘em. Producing a Stephen Sondheim musical is a challenge under any circumstances, but doing it at the Mount Baker Theatre where you need to fill 1500 seats requires some belief in magic. Magic is just what our resident theatrical wizard specializes in and he has cast his most serious spell to date. Of course, there is a lot of wizardry that can be accomplished when you have the resources of the MBT behind you.

First of all, Into the Woods is a visual and aural spectacular. Kuntz has recruited some terrific young talent from Seattle, but the local actors in this production more than hold their own with the pros. And they’re the ones who will help fill all those seats. The story, an amalgamation of familiar Grimm fairy tales set to Sondheim’s enchanting music and dazzling lyrics, is also a spellbinder.

The role of The Witch was pretty well defined by Bernadette Peters in the Broadway production, but Danielle Barnum gives Peters a serious run for the money. Her serious acting chops are vividly demonstrated when she proves to be just as scary without the witch mask as with it. Heather Dudenbostel is a Bellingham favorite, having played several roles in Kuntz’s Summer Rep series. She is delightfully ditzy as Rapunzel, the girl with a truly cosmic case of split ends.

Heather Dudenbostel and Danielle Barnum are literally and figuratively fantastic in Into the Woods opening today at the Mount Baker Theatre. Photo credit - Mount Baker Theatre

Those two would own the show under most circumstances, but there are two young actors who commit grand theatrical larceny. I have not had the pleasure of seeing Catherine McCool before, but she delivers a Red Riding Hood that would put the Fear of God into any self-respecting wolf. Kaleb Van Rijswijck, on the other hand, has been drawing raves from me since his days at Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth. His performance as Jack is nothing short of breathtaking. Beth Wallace plays his overprotective mother with total commitment.

The men in this show, as may have become obvious, are defined by their women. Cinderella’s Prince is played to melodramatic perfection by Jordan Melin. Rapunzel’s Prince is portrayed with mucho macho by Quinn Wiebe. Both actors have superb voices. Molli Corcoran, another Summer Rep star, brings a whole new dimension to Cinderella when she gets disenchanted with her prince. Her incompetently evil step-sisters are portrayed by another pair of stellar BAAY graduates, Abrah Friburg and Candice Lundy. Sara Mountjoy-Pepka is delicious as Cinderella’s step-mom.

Bob Simmons has created a new adage in the Bellingham theatrical community: life begins at 80. He is totally endearing as The Narrator. One of the best voices in the show is owned by Tristan Carruthers as The Baker and his acting skills are defined by the word sensitive. He and his wife have infertility issues that drive the plot. Katherine Strohmaier delivers a powerhouse performance as The Baker’s Wife.

The supporting roles are just as strong as the leads, but I need to save some space for the magic that is created by the techies. Chief Wizard Kuntz is responsible for a set design that is simply stunning. He uses a raked stage that gives a wonderful dimensional depth but must be challenging for the actors. The MBT techies, who are aces in my book, come through with some back-projection magic that will blow you away. Bob Monniol and Travis Mouffe are the mad geniuses responsible for that.

Costuming queen Shannon Murray has outdone herself with a dazzling display that may be hard for her to top given her tender years. Hair, of which there was an excess, and makeup, of which there was perfection, are the responsibility of Kelsey Bujacich. Evan Ritter’s lighting design perfectly complements the set.

Music? Well, Music Director Ryan Dudenbostel has assembled an astounding group of players, ably assisted by associates Michael Nutting and John French.

So the cast and crew of Into the Woods have performed astounding feats of magic to bring you into those 1500 seats. I’ve done my bit, so now it’s up to you. This production deserves to be sold out wall-to-wall. There are only six performances: October 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m.; October 7 at 8:00 p.m.; October 8 at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and October 9 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $45 and can be reserved by calling the MBT box office at (360) 734-6080 or by reserving online at www.mountbakertheatre.com.

Did I mention that everybody lives happily ever after? Oh, except for the second act.

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Claire vg completes hat trick
by Christopher Key

There was a time when Bellinghamsters who needed a Shakespeare fix were forced to travel to Vancouver, BC, or Mount Vernon to satisfy their jones. No more. Three superb productions in the past year have laid to rest the notion that Whatcom audiences won’t turn out for The Bard. Bellingham Theatre Guild led the way with MacBeth, Stone Town Theatre Works followed with The Tempest, and Lynden’s Clare vg Thomas Theatre finishes off the hat trick in fine style with Much Ado About Nothing.

I am told that Much Ado is the first Shakespearean production in that theatre’s rather impressive history and, if there is any justice at all, there will be many to follow. Director John Gonzales knows his Bard and it is evident in every aspect of this show. He not only has a gift for casting the right people in the right roles, but understands how to evoke top-notch performances from actors who have varied experience with Elizabethan English. The cast of Much Ado handles that challenge with aplomb and that makes the audience, which may also have varied experience with Elizabethan, much more receptive.

Of course, Much Ado is such a universally appealing comedy that even Bardophobics are quickly won over. Good choices, all around.

The centerpiece of Much Ado is the iconic battle of wits between the acerbic Benedick and the astringent Beatrice. It demands a level of commitment and versatility from the actors that is truly daunting. Ben Williamson, as Benedick, and Angela Mills-Watson, as Beatrice, bring a chemistry to their roles that is like unto nitric acid and glycerine. Explosive is the operative word.

Angela Mills-Watson and Ben Williamson, as Beatrice and Benedick shine in the Claire vg Thomas Theatre production of Much Ado About Nothing. Photo credit - Christopher Key

That epic confrontation is set against the more traditionally romantic relationship between Hero and Claudio. Sarah Miller brings both a lovely stage presence and a luminous innocence to her Heroic role. In Shakespeare’s time, male actors played women. Director Gonzales neatly reverses that tradition by casting Gillian Dodson as Claudio. Dodson obviously groks male physicality and infuses the role with mucho macho.

Much Ado offers some truly delicious roles for villains. Leon Charbonneau emphasizes the buffoonish nature of criminality with his wildly funny take on Don John. His henchmen are Borachio and Conrade. Brian Watson is a wonder to behold as the alternately greedy and remorseful Borachio. Conrade, the character with no discernable redemptive qualities, is given a glowering ride by Riley Penaluma.

It’s hard to imagine Claire vg without the ubiquitous presence of Chris Jones. I’ve long since lost count of the roles he’s played and he is perfectly curmudgeonly as Hero’s constantly outraged Dad, Leonato. The imposing Mark Miller demonstrates an unusual subtlety as Don Pedro.

Dogberry is probably the least subtle of Shakespeare’s clowns and who better to take that role over the top than Alan Birdsall? The man has no fear. The supporting cast is rock-solid and deserves a mention before I run out of time and space. In no particular order, they are Sandy Brewer, Jen Clevenger, Sue Dodson, Laurel Johnson, Dorothy Hopkins, Tom Weinheimer, Elizabeth Russell, Laura Williams and Kit Vonnegut.

Costumer Michael Watters has burst on the local theatrical scene like a supernova and provides another noisy and delightful demonstration of his extraordinary talents. The enchanting set owes much of its charm to painters Kamarie Chapman and Riley Penaluna. Music is an intrinsic part of any Shakespearean comedy. Elizabeth Russell, Laura Williams and director Gonzales are responsible for an evocative score. Choreographer Gayle Staker makes the movement magical.

Much Ado About Nothing performs September 28 – October 16 at the Claire vg Thomas Theatre, 655 Front Street in Lynden. Dinner Theatre performances September 28 and 29, catered by Jake’s Western Grill are $30. Regular performance tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, $8 for children ages 3-8 and can be reserved by calling (360) 354-4425. For precise information on dates and times, see http://sites.google.com/site/lyndenperformingartsguild/theatre-information/tickets.

Much Ado is a rollicking good time and if you want to hear how our public discourse could be improved, enjoy a couple of hours of English as she is spoke.

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There is no question
by Christopher Key

Those of us who had the good news/bad news situation of being brought up by teachers won a few spelling bees in school. Then we grew up to be writers, editors and Grammar Nazis who irritate the hell out of normal people and have difficulty finding gainful employment. If you want to see how this sort of thing comes to pass, you must see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee opening this week at the Bellingham Theatre Guild.

Putnam County is a rollicking evening of fun and music directed by Marla Bronstein, who clearly understands how spelling bees can warp young minds. She has assembled a gifted cast of misfits who are instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever been to school. I not only recognized them, I was most of them.

This show demands an ensemble performance, meaning it should be synergetic: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Given that the parts are pretty sensational to start with, the whole is a thing of beauty. When reviewing an ensemble like this, the only fair way to do it is to take the cast in alphabetical order.

The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee delivers a rockin' performance at the Bellingham Theatre Guild. Photo credit - David Cohn

David Bolden is totally cubic. That means he’s a square any way you look at him and he gives Vice Principal Doug Panch a slightly demented twist that is delicious. Pay particular attention to his definition of the word “fandango.” One of the continuing delights on local stages is the marvelously expressive face of Alec Chunn. He plays Eagle Scout Chip Tarantino with his usual verve and a small hormonal challenge.

We have seen far too little of Evan Crane lately. He plays William Barfée with a geekiness that makes Bill Gates look like a matinee idol and winning the bee takes second place to finally having his name pronounced correctly. Adam Drake continues to expand his already impressive range with a loony portrayal of Leaf Honeybear. Drake brings a physicality to the role that will blow you away.

One of the reasons Paul Henderson seems to be everywhere on the local theatre scene is because he is astonishingly versatile and always makes it look easy. He plays the slightly freaky Mitch Mahoney and triples a couple of small roles with panache. Hey, aren’t there any women in this show? Yes, but their names fall later in the alphabet.

Angela Lee is genuinely frightening as Marcy Park, a charter member of Future Tiger Moms of America. Her moment of triumph comes when she chooses not to live up to expectations. Along with the laughs, there are some truly poignant moments of adolescent angst in the show. Megann Schmidt, as Olive Ostrovsky, delivers the best of these in “The I Love You Song.”

As Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, Leigh Toltz is charmingly lispy. The child of two gay Dads, Logainne brings a bit of consciousness-raising to the ensemble. Toltz pulls it off with a velvet glove. Last only by virtue of her surname, Jenny Woods demonstrates what winning spelling bees does to former students: they become real estate agents. Her rich voice gives life to an otherwise strait-laced role as Rona Lisa Peretti.

TJ Anderson has lighted up the stage in several roles and now brings his multifarious talents to the task of Music Director. Is there anything TJ can’t do? His bandmates, Marcel Ardans and Josh Grantham, deliver stellar backing to the vocal shenanigans of the cast. Director Bronstein collaborated with Amy Lee Brewster on the set design, which perfectly captures a high school gym. Except, perhaps, for the smell.

The devious Russ Nelson is responsible for the sound design, which includes such gems as G-L-O-R-I-A and B-I-N-G-O in the pre-show music. Costumer Michael Watters takes it perfectly over-the-top.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee performs September 23 through October 9 at the Bellingham Theatre Guild Playhouse, 1600 H Street. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors (over 62) and $8 for children (under 12). That said, there is some strong language and sexual innuendo that may be inappropriate for younger children. The BTG box office is open Tuesdays – Saturdays 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Call (360) 733-1811 to make your reservations and do it soon. BTG’s season opener is a sure sellout. For more information: www.bellinghamtheatreguild.com.

My favorite word: logodaedalian.

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Leave your preconceptions by the door
by Judith Owens-Lancaster

Directed by Pam Kuntz, Leave My Shoes by the Door is the tenth in a series of pieces exploring a wide range of social and personal issues regarding death and dying. Engaging community members, Kuntz uses dance as a vehicle for their stories. This evening is truly poetry in movement and visual art which takes us on an interesting and provocative journey exploring death as a part of life and our struggles to come to terms with its inevitability.

Kuntz’s imaginative rendering takes us through a door where we end up witnessing death, dying and grieving; by dreaming of it, dancing with it, going kicking and screaming toward it, and sometimes welcoming it by surrendering to it. Take comfort, for in all these possible scenarios, we are not left in fear. Rather, death is seen as a seductive shadow, partnering us, promising our eventual rendezvous, sometimes sneaking up on us, taking us unaware, but despite that, never becoming our enemy.

You could see more than one performance and come away with entirely different emotions than the first time. One feels the commitment of the ensemble and they draw us into their vignettes. Their honesty is so engaging, we want to see more.

This talented ensemble of performers not only dance, but sing and play various instruments. The visual artist Ruthie V. has used a very simple set to enhance the performances. There is a white backdrop upon which we see projected drawings much like finger paintings and there is one large white drop which covers the entire stage. Sometimes this drop is a curtain, a cloud, a shroud, a blanket, a robe, but always part of the drama. Further support to the montage is the music of Spencer Thun and lighting design by Mark Kuntz.

The ensemble is Alona Christman, Angela Kiser, Ella Mahler, Nathan Scarborough, Brooke Friswold, Ben Scholtz, Linda Allen, Spencer Thun, Brittaney Schunzel and Marie Eaton.

Leave Your Shoes by the Door can be seen at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1214 Harris Avenue. Performances are Friday – Sunday, September 16-18, 23-15, and September 30-October 2. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday performances at 5:00 p.m. Saturday nights, there will be a post-show discussion where the audience will be invited to ask questions and share thoughts. Tickets are $15 and available at the Food Co-op downtown, Village Books, www.brownpapertickets.com, and at the door. Donations to Whatcom Hospice are welcomed.

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