BAAY steals The Grinch
by Christopher Key

How can you not love a show that makes Larry King look like even more of a fool than he manages to do on his own? Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth has taken Dr. Seuss’ classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas, refreshed it a bit with updated pop-cultural references, and made it a complete holiday treat.

Much of the credit goes to first-time director Lisa Markowitz, who obviously buys the BAAY philosophy that handing challenging material to young actors is a good thing. BAAY has proved repeatedly that this approach evokes performances far beyond what would be expected of eight- to ten-year-olds. That’s the age range of this fabulous all-female cast and they demonstrate the stage presence of far more mature performers. Markowitz also created the dazzling choreography that makes this show rock.

Since Larry King is probably the only person on earth who might not be familiar with the story, I’ll use the space to pass out some well-deserved kudos. As The Grinch, Ellie Baader mugs and grimaces her way through the role with obvious glee and her portrayal is a total delight.

The character of Cindy Lou embodies all of the negative connotations that have come to be associated with the word “princess.” Olivia Ferguson plays the older incarnation of Cindy Lou with an eye-rolling snottiness that is a joy to behold. The younger version of the character is portrayed by Linnea DeVange with equal verve and charm.

This production features two narrators that are played with Grinchy geekiness by Marina Purdie and Raynie Perona. Both those names will be familiar to BAAY audiences who have witnessed performances by their gifted older siblings. The younger ones only add more luster to those theatrical traditions.

Isabel Davies, Olivia Ferguson and Ellie Baader star in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, now playing at the BAAY Actors Studio.

Isabel Davies delivers a hysterically funny portrayal of the aforementioned TV personality and does Larry King better than Larry King does. As Max the Dog, Nina Walsh is totally endearing and had the audience wagging their tails in approval. Allison Kaneshige nearly steals the show with an amazingly subtle performance as the slightly sleazy showbiz promoter Tim Gunn. She spouts celebrity clichés with complete aplomb and a perfectly deadpan delivery.

As the Christmas Fairy Who, Zoe Taylor prances about the stage with great energy, strewing literal and figurative glitter in her wake. Olivia Hampton portrays the Camera Man as though born to the role and makes the most of a relatively minor part.

The Whoville Whos all sing and dance like far more mature actors while still retaining their childlike charm. They are Annika Reiss, Callis Christante, Lily Gould, Olivia Hampton and Indigo Bruno-Hopps.

Two of the things about young actors that often drive me up the wall are their tendencies to speak far too fast and not project their voices. I rarely see this at BAAY and that’s a tribute to the professionalism of the instructors. All the actors in Grinch can not only be heard, but understood. I’ve seen college-level productions that didn’t do as well.

I’ve run out of superlatives for Musical Director Steve Barnes, so you’ll have to come up with your own. BAAY CEO David Post filled in for him as pianist at the dress rehearsal and did a remarkable job reading the score in the dark. Krystyn Bitner gets a huge shout-out as both Assistant Director and Stage Manager. The very Suessian set design was done by George Pine. Yoni Marker assembled the costumes, which couldn’t be more perfect. Tina Perona is credited as the Princess of Hair and epitomizes the good things about a princess. Marina Purdie’s older sisters are the hard-working stagehands.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas plays at the BAAY Actors Studio, 1059 North State Street, at 7:00 p.m. December 3, 4, and 5, with 2:00 p.m. matinees on December 5 and 6. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved at www.brownpapertickets.com. Don’t make the mistake of assuming they’ll be available at the door. BAAY shows often sell out and deservedly so.

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Badass bunny at the BTG
by Christopher Key

How do you create a story for children about vampires without scaring the little ankle-biters out of their wits? Try making the vampire a bunny. That’s what James Howe and his late wife Deborah did with their popular series of tales about Bunnicula. Seattle Children’s Theatre commissioned Jon Klein to adapt it for the stage and added music by Chris Jeffries and lyrics by Klein. The result is a show that appeals to kids of all ages opening this week at the Bellingham Theatre Guild.

Yes, it’s a children’s show, but there is enough snappy dialogue and atrocious puns to keep the big kids chuckling and groaning throughout. Director Shelley Jefferson has recruited a stellar cast and crew to make it happen. Set designer Russ Nelson has created an evocative environment that envisions things from the point of view of family pets. Those pets are the stars of the show. The superb makeup was created by Julie Zavala-Marantette and equally wonderful costumes by Bryan Harthorne.

Harold, the dog, and Chester, the cat, rule the Monroe family home like (mostly) benign tyrants and are not entirely pleased by the addition of a rather suspicious bunny. Katherine Roos perfectly characterizes the dog as one who is pathetically anxious to please. As the intellectually snobbish cat, Cassidy Young is charmingly cynical. Both of these actors have strong voices and use them to great effect in the musical numbers.

The title role is very challenging because Bunnicula doesn’t speak. Jasmine Chang, who plays the part, has to convey her character entirely through body language, with the exception of an occasional hiss. Beautifully done.

Those of us who have been around for a while will find the humans in the Monroe household to be perfect TV sitcom archetypes. Mr. and Mrs. Monroe make Ozzie and Harriet look like hipsters. Dale Sharp is delightfully geeky as the father, a college professor who couldn’t pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel. Emily Lester is absolutely smashing as the ditzy mother who makes Edith Bunker look like a towering intellectual. Yeah, I know, the references are dated. So sue me.

Any sitcom family worthy of the name needs a couple of bratty kids. In the Monroe family, they are Pete and Toby, played by Aaron Helms and Ashlyn Cearns. Both young actors demonstrate amazing stage presence and prodigious acting skills. These two will be worth keeping an eye on to see what worlds they will conquer next.

There is one rather ominous personage in the play and that is the Puppeteer, whose skeletal presence makes Bunnicula move. Frankly, I feel the character is extraneous and rather distracting, but that’s a flaw in the script and not the fault of Grace Pyles who acquits herself gracefully in a somewhat thankless role. Fortunately, she gets to throw off the dark duds and play the Veterinarian at the end.

The BTG has wisely stuck by their policy, initiated last year, of earlier curtain times and added matinees for children’s shows. 7:00 p.m. shows are on November 27, December 4, 5, 11 and 12. 2:00 p.m. matinees are on November 28 and 29, December 5, 6, 12 and 13. Tickets are $11 for adults, $9 for students and seniors (62+), and $7 for children age 12 and younger. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling the BTG box office at (360) 733-1811 Tuesdays through Saturdays from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

For further information, see the BTG Web site: http://www.bellinghamtheatreguild.com/.

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Squalicum tackles a tough one
by Christopher Key

When I was in high school, back during the administration of Millard Fillmore, the plays that were chosen for us were carefully screened to exclude anything that might be considered an acting challenge. Fortunately for all of us, high schools are made of somewhat sterner stuff these days.

Case in point: The Curious Savage at Squalicum High School. John Patrick’s 1950 play was rather daring in those days because it dared to question the societal definitions of insanity. It does this with a velvet glove rather than an iron fist, with enormous sensitivity and with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

The story revolves around Ethel P. Savage, a wealthy widow whose greedy step-children commit her to a private mental institution in order to get their hands on her money. Her only mental illness is that she is a free spirit and wants to do something worthwhile with her money. She leads the step-kids on a merry, and ultimately unsuccessful, chase after the money with the help of the friends she makes at The Cloisters.

Those friends are the residents of the mental institution whose main problem is that they are too kind, loving and sensitive to handle the dog-eat-dog world that exists outside the walls of The Cloisters. For that, they are judged to be insane and that is the genius of Patrick’s script. It dares to ask if the real loonies are the ones outside the walls. Don’t get me wrong. This is a wildly funny comedy and that makes its message devastatingly effective.

The acting challenges are enormous because the residents of The Cloisters have to be a bit off-center while still conveying that they are ultimately sane. Director Elizabeth Lathrop is to be congratulated for tackling a script this difficult and for guiding her students through this emotional roller-coaster.

Mady Gold plays Ethel P. Savage with a wonderful verve and a twinkle in her eye. This is her show to win or lose as the central character. She wins convincingly. Her fellow inmates are all well-portrayed, but one of the more minor characters stands out in my mind. Mrs. Paddy, as played by Courtney Blatz, nearly steals the show with her dead-on delivery of some very difficult lines and an amazing physicality. This is an actor to watch for.

Another stellar performance is delivered by Katy Witherington as Fairy May, whose geeky appearance and desperate need for love are totally endearing. Hannibal, a would-be violinist, is played with amazing subtlety by Aidan Woods. I once played this role and know how difficult it is. He’s a far better violinist than I am.

Mrs. Savage gives a lesson in current events to the residents of The Cloisters in Squalicum High School's production of The Curious Savage.

Jeffrey, a scarred veteran of World War II, is given vibrant life by Monroe Freeman. Kaitlyn Turner is totally sympathetic as the nurse who protects her patients with fierce resolve. Florence lost her child and invests a rag doll with his presence. Josephine Vorenkamp makes that character completely believable. Dr. Emmet, the director of The Cloisters, has to be professionally objective, but still compassionate. Taylor Blatz conveys that dichotomy beautifully.

Those sleazy Savage step-children don’t get much stage time, but they make the most of it. Andrew Ponder portrays Sen. Titus Savage with true political sleaziness. His sister Lily Belle is played with gold-digger sluttiness by Celestia Gonzales. Their brother Samuel, a judge who is on sale to the highest bidder, is played by Korey Tiderington, the only freshman in the cast and a talent that has great potential.

The Curious Savage plays November 21 at 7:30 p.m. and November 22 at 2:00 p.m. at the Squalicum High School Forum on McLeod Road. Admission is $8 at the door.

It’s a bargain to see the play that inspired One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

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Comedy has perfect pitch
by Christopher Key

Several years ago, I had the privilege of performing in a wonderfully wacky murder mystery called The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. I think it was my second show at the Bellingham Theatre Guild and it was directed by Teri Grimes. As a result of that experience, I decided to follow her anywhere, whether she blew in my ear or not.

Grimes has brought the show back with her students at Bellingham High School and it’s just as wildly funny as the BTG version. Despite the title, there is very little music involved. John Bishop’s 1987 script is about a group of people gathered for a backer’s audition, trying to convince a wealthy “angel” to provide financial support for a Broadway musical. True to the genre, they come together in a spooky old house during a blizzard. Guess what happens next.

Part of the charm of the show is a set that features secret passages, murderous books and a magic closet. This is quite a challenge for any theatre, but Grimes and her technical students bring it off with grand style. While I’m passing out technical kudos, the spooky lighting design is also a winner.

The show opens with the mysterious, black-hooded slasher perforating Helsa, the maid. Only Helsa won’t stay dead. Olivia Shrum portrays Helsa (and several sausage-selling siblings) with manic energy and truly understands how to make a dramatic exit. Repeatedly and hilariously. Helsa’s employer and the host of the gathering is Elsa von Grossenkneuten, played to ditzy perfection by Devon Younger.

The cast of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 tries to determine who did what to whom and in what key.

Andreas Hewitt has the unenviable task of playing O’Reilly, an Irish tenor who is also an Italian or perhaps a German spy. The changing accents are an enormous challenge and Hewitt brings them all convincingly. As Hollywood director Ken de la Maize, Adam Bigelow is delightfully sleazy, dropping B-movie names that no one under the age of 60 will remember.

Jamie DuBois plays undercover cop Michael Kelly with a deadpan delivery that is dead-on, if not always audible. Nikki, a chorus girl who is a lot more than she seems, is charmingly portrayed by Lizzie Overstreet. Andrew Ibach, who recently blew everybody away in Brighton Beach Memoirs, is perfectly cast as Eddie, a cornball comedian whose most appreciative audience is himself.

There’s a music and lyrics team trying to avoid yet another flop. Roger, the musician, is slightly light in his loafers and played with obvious delight by Kell Brauer. Bernice is his lyricist and derives much of her inspiration from the spirits. Bottled ones. Hannah Lierman brings boozy gusto to her portrayal.

Ashley Hanson is simply “divoon” as Marjorie, the wealthy backer everyone is trying to impress. Her face-plant in the footstool when she is offed is a thing of beauty. Hanson also co-directed the show along with Grimes.
In order to get more students onstage, there are two separate casts for this show. If the “Bluebird” cast is as solid as the “Robin” cast I saw, you’ll want to catch both. As always with a Teri Grimes show, there is a lot of sly and occasionally raunchy humor. Nothing I wouldn’t take my grandkids to see.

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 plays November 19 – 29 at the Bellingham High School Theatre. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for evening performances, 2:00 p.m. for matinees on November 22 and 29. Admission is $8 across the board.

Yes, we’re all familiar with the plot, but this version is brilliantly…umm…executed.

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WCC shows sizzle
by Christopher Key

It is always a treat for me to review shows at Whatcom Community College, partly because I get exposed to playwrights I’d never see elsewhere and because the level of talent is extraordinary. This theatre program is a local treasure and you owe it to yourself to see every production.

Director Gerry Large has a gift for choosing plays that not only work well in the wonderful Black Box space, but for casting the right actors in the right parts. This time, he showcases two plays by Will Eno, a Brooklyn artist who has been described as “…a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation.” Director Large amends that by calling him “…the Eugene Ionesco of the Will Ferrell generation.” Both descriptions are apt.

Eno has an uncanny ear for dialogue. Not stage dialogue, but the discourse of real people in real situations. It makes the real people in the audience squirm with uncomfortable recognition and that’s art, baby.

The first offering is called Intermission and is perfectly titled, being a conversation among four members of a theatrical audience at halftime. If you attend theatrical performances, you have heard this conversation and know these people. Maybe you have been one of them and that’s what delivers the squirm factor.

Gerent Gerrity plays the intellectual husband, analyzing the play for everyone’s benefit and completely dismissive of everything except his own fulminations. Gerrity is magnetic and I want to see more of him. His long-suffering wife is portrayed perfectly by the bizarrely bewigged Erika Almskar. She alternates between trying to compete with her insufferably pompous spouse and apologizing to the young couple in the adjacent seats for his pretensions.

That young couple, played by Colleen Ames and Rodney Dejager, are just out for an evening of entertainment and can’t quite understand why anyone would want to spoil the whole thing by deconstructing it. Strong performances all around.

There is no intermission after Intermission and perhaps there should be. You may need to relieve yourself before the second play makes you wet your pants. That play is called Tragedy: a tragedy and deals with that ultimate oxymoron called television journalism. The timing of this show couldn’t be better with the “Balloon Boy” media circus in our short-term memories.

The versatile Riley Penaluna plays a television anchorman trying desperately to convince his audience that the coming of night is something other than a non-story. It may happen every 24 hours, but it’s a slow news day and Channel 3 is covering it from every non-existent angle.

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Penaluna’s live on-the-scene reporters are instantly recognizable ego-driven archetypes of the media age. John Gonzales shines as the correspondent dressed in Banana Republic chic who sees himself as a war correspondent regardless of whether there is an actual war to cover. The brainless beauty queen who tries to unearth human interest where there is none is played brilliantly by Emily Lester.

Legal expert Michael is portrayed by Tim Greger with deadly accuracy and an embarrassing willingness to suck up to whatever politician decides to comment on the non-story. The only member of the general public willing to comment on the non-story is played by Jake Martin with an honesty that belies the hunger of a populace consumed with the desire to have their own reality show.

With no viable story to cover, the correspondents descend into predictable solipsism and the poor anchorman has to maintain the pretense that this is journalism. It’s a marvelous ensemble performance by gifted actors and you’ll think you’ve seen them all on the nightly news. And you have.

Two Plays by Will Eno performs at the Whatcom Community College Black Box Theatre November 18-21 at 7:30 p.m. and November 21 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $7 or $5 with a student ID.

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Bulletproof cast highlights Arcadia
by Christopher Key

Even Tom Stoppard’s most entertaining scripts tend to have some pretty serious thoughts scattered among the dazzling wordplay. When he decides to take on Life, the Universe and Everything, the result is a play called Arcadia and you might want to see it twice just to pick up on what you missed the first time around. Stoppard tosses ideas around the way Pike Market vendors fling fish and demands close attention from the audience to catch them all.

Director Donald Drummond is a Stoppard aficionado and it shows clearly in this Skagit Valley College production. A major factor in his successful direction of the show is his rock-solid casting. Stoppard’s verbal pyrotechnics demand both prodigious memory and the ability to sell every word from the actors. If there is an overarching theme, it is about chaos theory, entropy and the fact that we will all end up waltzing at room temperature in an English manor house. Getting there is half the fun.

The deceptively simple set acts as one of the characters in the show. Simplicity of design doesn’t mean it didn’t require a lot of work and set designer/builder Mark O’Brien deserves enormous credit. His work is complemented beautifully by Taylor Stein’s flawless lighting design. Costumer Marijo Henning has obviously had a field day with costumes that range from early 19th century to modern.

Now, back to those actors. Cail Musick-Slater delivers a star turn as the tutor of a precocious young princess played delightfully by Stephanie Brisky. The brash tutor conducts extracurricular anatomy lessons in the gazebo and his young pupil is itching to take those classes.

To my mind, the most riveting interplay takes place between a pretentious professor of literature, played to pompous perfection by Lucas Naylor, and a cynical author and researcher icily portrayed by Lacy Tianna. Their battle of wits (and of the sexes) is both wildly funny and intellectually riveting as Romanticism and Classicism go mano a mano.
When the professor gets his comeuppance at the behest of a dahlia, it is Stoppard at his finest. As is Tianna’s line referring to Naylor’s verbosity: “Rhetoric was their talk show.”

Lacy Tianna deflates Lucas Naylor's pedagogical balloon in Skagit Valley College's production of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia.

Carolyn Travis is magnificently matronly as the mother of the prodigy and the tutor’s enthusiastic colleague in the gazebo goings-on. Travis’ hubby Trey Hatch defines upperclass British twitdom to a tea in his role as an unfortunately prosaic poet.

The voice of scientific reason is the author’s fiancée, a geek of Gatesian proportions played with great subtlety by Kelly Sohultz. Mark Peterson is sensationally subservient as a landscape architect trying desperately to please the demanding lady of the manor. Cail Musick-Slater’s father, Rob, defines ramrod straight as a Naval officer and Joe Wilson is the soul of dignity as the butler (who didn’t do it). Taylor Goldstein plays the older sister of the prodigy with a verve that proves randiness runs in the family. Last, but far from least, Mason Eger has a mostly silent role that he turns into a show-stopper with a magnetic stage presence.

Together, this ensemble takes what could be a snoozer and makes it rock. When you’ve got nothing but words to work with, you’d better have a cast that can keep the audience’s attention and this group closes the sale professionally.

Arcadia plays November 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Sunday, November 22. The production takes place at the wonderful Phillip Tarro Theatre at Skagit Valley College in Mt. Vernon. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and SVC students get in free. Call (360) 416-7723 for reservations. Strong language and adult themes make this show inappropriate for young children.

Watch for a stellar crawl-on part by a turtle named Lightning.

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Nearly Stellar show to die for
by Christopher Key

Every time you think one of Agatha Christie’s classic themes has been done to…umm…death, someone manages to take another stab at it. This time it’s called A Party to Murder, by Marcia Kash and Douglas E. Hughes. Nearly Stellar Entertainment has brought us a number of these dark and stormy nights and has become rather good at it.

It’s based on Christie’s And Then There Were None, aka Ten Little Indians. Just in case there is anyone on the planet unfamiliar with the genre, it involves stranding a group of oddball characters in a spooky old house while one of their number offs the rest of them in suitably clever and gruesome ways. This version begins with a séance, has lots of things that go bump in the night, and gives the audience a delightful challenge trying to figure out who did what to whom and why.

Director Earl Reid has become something of a master at staging these variations on a theme and makes it look easier than it is. Reid has a core group of actors who appear regularly in Nearly Stellar shows, but also recruits actors who have rarely, if ever, been seen on Whatcom County stages. Turning a diverse cast into an ensemble is another thing Reid does very well.

Reid himself plays only a small role in this production since his is the first character that is done in. He plays Elwood with a characteristic twinkle in the eye that lets you know he loves every minute in the spotlight. Even when he’s dead. His partner in the Nearly Stellar universe is Sally Lubetich, who has been in all but one of the company’s productions. As she says, “Why be greedy?” She never fails to tickle audiences with her slightly askew approach to characters like the mysterious Valerie.

The cast of A Party to Murder offers a toast to the Mistress of Mayhem.

The wonderfully goony Alan Birdsall has become something of a regular with Nearly Stellar and gets to show off his chops as a loud and obnoxious former football star. Is that redundant? Never mind. Birdsall has a field day with this role. Beth Tyne, whom I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing onstage before, plays Henri, Valerie’s sister, with a truly charming cluelessness reminiscent of the late Gracie Allen. That’s not a comparison I would toss off lightly.

Josh Henry has played a number of roles at Claire vg Thomas Theatre in Lynden. He specializes, intentionally or not, in playing Brits who seem to have a 2×4 implanted in a certain nether orifice. His character, Charles, doesn’t get many laugh lines, but his deadpan delivery makes the most of what he gets. Katherine Roos may be a newcomer to Nearly Stellar, but she’s done a lot of acting in high school. Her snarky take on McKenzie, the golddigging former employee of an…ahem…escort service, is a thing of beauty.

You have only two chances to see this murderously entertaining confection. Saturday night at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 2:00. Performances take place at the Quality Inn, just behind the Olive Garden on Meridian. Tickets are $10 at the door and include some rather deadly desserts at intermission.

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Theatre has Faith
by Christopher Key

Having performed in one of Mark Landon Smith’s shows about the fictional Faith County, I have to assume he’s trying to be funny when he notes, “The characters in the play are real people, not caricatures, who should be played with sincerity.” Since they are all written as caricatures, it’s something of an odd note to append to the scripts.

Fortunately, first-time director Stephanie Maksin has given that note the credibility it deserves in her production of Faith County opening this week at the Claire vg Thomas Theatre in Lynden. She allows her actors to inhabit the community of Farceville, which is where this play belongs. Her actors respond with wonderful verve and take this script to Overthetoptown.

Laura Nelson owns the show as Mildred Carson, the town busybody who will cheerfully run over anyone who happens to get crosswise with her. Her theatrical chops are such that she provided the sound effects for ambulance sirens when they were not forthcoming from the tech booth. The moment was classic and should be kept in rather than correcting the sound cues.

I suppose I should provide a disclaimer and admit that Olivia Shrum is a relative. She has apparently inherited a lot of theatrical talent from somewhere and far be it from me to suggest where. She is delightfully ditzy as Fay McFaye, the town tramp and would-be poet. See the play before you accuse me of nepotism.

Theatrical newcomer Jamie Crenshaw astonishes with her polished performance as Naomi Farkle, a hairdresser who thinks teased hair and beehives are the only options. She is a perfect match for veteran Chris Jones, whose “Aww, shucks” performance as her fiancée is dead-on.

One of the constant delights of seeing a show at Lynden is the presence of Lorin Weidenaar, whose portrayal of Bubba Bedford seems to stem from his theatrical training at the University of Mars. Kay West is another theatrical newcomer who belies that inexperience as the Bible-quoting Ruthann Barns.

The citizens of Faith County try to keep a straight face as Bubba marries Naomi to Luther.

Carole May is a female Foster Brooks and delivers a hilariously hammered performance as the drunken Gladys Pimbleton, who passes away rather than out with a face-plant in the piano. Playing the enormously pregnant Violet Farkle is no easy task for one who has not been there, but Ashley Hanson makes it look very authentic with outstanding physicality.

Rossner Gideon gets only brief moments onstage, but makes the most of them as Fay McFaye’s object of affection who is more enamored of spark plugs than of sparking.

Set designers Jeanne Crabtree and Steve Orfanos seem to have imported the whole thing from the county fair that we all remember and their use of a Porta-pottie is ingenious. The multi-talented Heather Storey stage manages and gets credit for the props along with Laura Nelson. A special shout-out goes to sound designer Diana Powell, a Tennessee girl who knows her country music.

Faith County plays September 30 through October 18 at the Claire vg Thomas Theatre, 655 Front Street in Lynden. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $8 for children ages 3 – 8. Call the box office at (360) 354-4425 for reservations. For more information, see www.clairevgtheatre.org.

This show will put a lot of yeeee in your hawwww.

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Just another masterpiece
by Christopher Key

There are a lot of professional theatre companies that would kill to come up to the standards of the Bellingham Theatre Guild. When you’ve seen as many BTG performances as I have, it’s easy to become jaded and forget what a gift it is to have a community theatre of this caliber. I’ve worked with some pretty high-powered amateur groups in my time, but the BTG blows them all off the stage. Teri Grimes’ production of Brighton Beach Memoirs is not only a smashing opener for the Guild’s 81st season, but a vivid reminder of just how phenomenally good this theatre is.

Legendary playwright Neil Simon has been called the master of the one-liner. I can’t quarrel with that, but it’s unfair because some of his scripts reveal a sensitivity that goes beyond the laugh lines. That’s why he’s a legend and it’s nowhere more evident that in the first of his three semi-autographical plays, sometimes known as The Eugene Trilogy. Brighton is the most often performed of the three, probably because of the family interrelationships and the coming-of-age story that is identifiable even to us goyim.

I’ve sung director Teri Grimes praises so often that it’s becoming something akin to a litany. But she continues to paint theatrical masterpieces that should be hung in a museum. BTG audiences have come to expect this and won’t be disappointed in the least by this show.

It begins with a stunning set designed by Russ Nelson and made real by Joe Super and his Backstage Bandidos. It’s a multi-level marvel that must have been hellish to light. Ryan Goelzenleuchter once again demonstrates his ability to master hellish lighting challenges and light operator Ed Marantette nailed every cue.

Having given the knuckedraggers their due, it’s time to admit that the actors are no less brilliant. Simon’s script demands a truly cohesive ensemble performance, not an easy thing to bring off. Grimes has assembled a cast that makes it look easy, while still delivering stellar individual performances.

Liver as an entree seems to be a problem for the cast of Brighton Beach Memoirs, playing at the Bellingham Theatre Guild through October 11.

Andrew Ibach plays Eugene Jerome, Neil Simon’s alter ego, with an amazing stage presence and charming brashness. Since he’s one of Grimes’ students in her renowned Bellingham High School drama program, it comes as no surprise. Marla Bronstein plays the Jewish mother as if she was born to the role and she really should get in front of the lights more often.

It has become somewhat of a cliché in my reviews to refer to Les Campbell as Les-is-more. He has earned that cliché by proving it true repeatedly. His performance as Jack Jerome is letter-perfect. If this were a letter-perfect world, Susan Shreve would be in a lot more shows. Her performance as Blanche is devastating and adds to her reputation for versatility.

Matt Goodwin could have taken the character of Stanley too far by giving in to the raw emotionalism of the part. Instead, he delivers an understated performance that is more powerful for that restraint. Blanche’s two daughters couldn’t be more different. Nora, played by Jana Gueck, has Broadway stars in her eyes. Gueck gives us the star-struck teenager, but is equally believable as the repentant daughter.

As the overprotected snowflake who may or may not have real health problems, Clarice Cohn doesn’t get much stage time. She makes the most of what she has by coming on as a bit bipolar, not an easy thing to do.

Brighton Beach Memoirs plays September 25 – October 11 at the Bellingham Theatre Guild, 1600 H Street. Evening performances at 8:00, Sunday matinees at 2:00. Tickets are $11 for adults, $9.00 for seniors (62+) and students, and $7.00 for children. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by calling the BTG Box Office at 733-1811. There are some adult themes and language that may not be suitable for younger children.

Teri Grimes knows how to make an entrance.

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BAAY rides again
by Christopher Key

Oklahoma! is the most frequently produced show in American musical theatre. The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic has become so familiar that you can often hear audiences singing along with the cast word for word. That’s not always a good thing. I’ve performed in and seen the show more times than is really fair for one human being and have thereby become a bit jaded to its charms. The only thing that might revive my enthusiasm is to see the wildly talented young actors at the Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth take it on. They have and, as usual, blew me away.

Director David Post, Choreographer Mary Simler Evans and Musical Director Steve Barnes have once again teamed up to work magic at the BAAY Actors Studio at 1059 North State Street. Most theatres employing young actors tend to cut dialogue and musical numbers from their shows in order to make it easier on the players. BAAY is made of much sterner stuff. This is a full production of the musical and the actors rise to the occasion. There are two separate casts for the show and if the second cast is as talented as the first, you’ll want to catch both of them.

The cast I saw at preview night included BAAY veteran Brad Anderson as Curly, looking right at home on the range. He projects a confident stage presence and has a perfect voice for the part. As his somewhat reluctant paramour Laurie, Ann Marie Barenchi is all blushes and shy glances. Her singing is totally delightful.

Ann Marie Barenchi and Brad Anderson play Laurie and Curly in BAAY's production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma!

There aren’t many young actors who could portray Aunt Eller and make you believe she’s an older character. Melanie Cahill does it with style and seeming ease. Ado Annie is one of the most charming characters in musical theatre. Katy Herbrandsen, with her Betty Boop voice, delivers a definitive performance of “I Cain’t Say No.” Andrew Hansen, as Ado Annie’s suitor, Will, has an “Aw, Shucks” presence that is dead-on.

Another major challenge for any young actor is portraying the menacing villain Jud Fry and making it believable. Candice Lundy not only does that, but also brings out the pathos of the character in a stunning performance. One of the things BAAY teaches very well is how to do accents. Miki Evans has learned her lessons well and uses them to great effect in her portrayal of the slightly shady peddler Ali Hakim.

In every BAAY show I’ve seen, there is an actor in a smaller part who stands out. In this show, it’s Elena Siamas as Gertie. She has an amazing voice and unbelievable stage presence. I expect to see her in starring roles before long.

There are a lot of older kids who help make these amazing productions happen. In this show, costumer Yoni Market deserves a bow, along with her able assistants Tina Perona and Lindsay Hodgson. The multi-talented Shu-Ling Zhao serves as stage manager and keeps the set changes from becoming too vaudevillean.

As usual, I don’t have room to mention everyone involved and, as usual, I apologize abjectly. You know who you are and so do I.

Oklahoma! Plays August 27-30 and September 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on Saturday, September 5 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, go to www.baay.org.

And, yes, I sang along. But very quietly.

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