Center for the Performing Arts

ATI shines with story of faded star

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By John Lyle Belden

Actors Theatre of Indiana gives us a “new way to dream” in an old story, the musical “Sunset Boulevard” by Andrew Lloyd Webber with Don Black and Christopher Hampton, based on the 1950 classic noir film co-written and directed by Billy Wilder.

The movie, which the book of the musical closely follows, starred former silent film star Gloria Swanson (who, unlike her character Norma Desmond, did manage a transition to “talkies”) and William Holden, giving them, Wilder and the film Oscar nominations. It’s also notable for ending with one of the most famous lines in the history of film.

Our Norma is played splendidly by Judy Fitzgerald, joined by the return of fellow ATI co-founder Don Farrell as her butler Max. Being a film noir story, someone will die violently; struggling script writer Joe Gillis (Luke Weber) tells us what leads up to that moment.

After a couple of numbers about the high-pressure hassle of getting a movie produced and made, Joe leaves the Paramount studios – dodging husky repo men after his car – and ends up in the driveway of a large old mansion on Sunset, where he finds an aging movie star about to hold a funeral for her pet chimpanzee.

Promised ample pay, Joe agrees to edit the script Norma has written for her cinematic return (not a “comeback,” she insists). He quickly sees that she is delusional and the pages unfilmable, but he gets to stay at the mansion, so he does. Meanwhile, at Paramount, he works with his friend Artie Green’s (Calvin Bernardo) fiancé Betty Schaefer (Deborah Mae Hill) on an actually promising script for a “Girl Meets Boy” romance.

We also meet various Hollywood folks played by Scot Greenwell, Keith Potts, Megan Arrington-Marks, Brooklyn Stewart, Corey Rudell, Peter Scharbrough, and Eric Olson, who also charmingly portrays legendary director Cecil B. DeMille.

Being set in 1949-50, there are a lot of stage cigarettes. The mood is also set by black-and-white film projections of the era, designed by Joey Mervis. Director Michael Blatt has this typically larger than life musical adapt to the intimate space of The Studio Theater with the help of a flexible set design by Jay Ganz. It hints at the artificiality of Hollywood with pieces at times folding shut like they are part of a backlot studio, other times revealing the worn splendor of Norma’s home.

Musical director is Ginger Stoltz and choreographer is Carol Worcel. Fitzgerald and Weber provide appropriately big bold voices for this big musical, with Farrell’s practically operatic.

There is also a fair amount of humor, mainly directed at the foibles of the movie biz. Norma’s mental decline, meanwhile, is taken more seriously, a contrast that aids the slow-boil suspense.  And it will all lead to that iconic spoken line.

For a look at the dark side of the movie biz, where even “the Greatest Star” can become left behind, see the beautifully tragic “Sunset Boulevard,” Wednesdays through Sundays through May 10 at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. For tickets, visit atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Civic mounts sturdy ‘Roof’

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By John Lyle Belden

The classic musical, “Fiddler on the Roof,” presented by Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, is long familiar to theatregoers, while also important today.

Over a century after its setting (as well as 60-plus years after its Broadway debut, and 55 since the movie), we still find “Tradition!” giving way to a changing world. Current events have included an increase in attacks on Jewish people. Also, we can see examples in many cultures of people living with the fear of oppression and being forced to find new places to reside, even after years in what had felt like home.

This production, directed by Executive Artistic Director Michael J. Lasley, is a splendid experience, whether this your first time seeing it live, or it’s an old favorite.  

Tobin Strader, no stranger to the role, plays Tevye the Milkman, the central character and narrator (speaking to us when he’s not commiserating with G_d). Among his worries are finding good husbands for his five daughters – Tzeitel (Gretta Hambrook), Hodel (Mackenzie Foulks), Chava (Sadie Cohen or Lily Carlstedt), Shprintze (Evelyn Giesting), and Bielke (Greta Schaefer). Yente, the Matchmaker (Adrienne Reiswerg) stands by ready to help, but fate (and the girls) have other plans.

Melissa Cohen delivers a strong and faithful Golde, Tevy’s wife. For suitors, shy tailor Motel (Jacob Schilling) already has Tzeitel’s heart; idealist student Perchik (Austin Stodghill) wins over quick-witted Hodel; and kind-hearted Russian Fyedka (Dylan Aquaviva) bonds with Chava over their love of books.

Other notable characters in this large ensemble include Dennis Wimer as Lazar Wolf, the Butcher; Brandon Barkley as Mordcha, the Innkeeper; David Maxwell as the old Rabbi; and Matt Anderson as the local Russian Constable with guarded empathy for these people he has come to respect.

In impressive moments, we have Michael Krauter as the Russian who hits that long high note in “To Life;” Jennifer Hasty as the ghost of Fruma-Sarah; and Kennedy Whisner dancing as young “Chavaleh” in Tevye’s memory.

One of the best aspects of this production is that the Fiddler (Alex Avila-Hernandez) actually plays his instrument, and very well, frequently appearing as a living metaphor.

Brent E. Marty is music director, Sydnie Blair is stage manager, and Kasey Walker Lewellyn is choreographer – Is it me, or does the “bottle dance” at the wedding get more intricate every time I see one of these productions?

The village of Anatevka awaits your visit, that is, until the last carts roll out on May 9. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays at The Tarkington theatre in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

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P.S. An interesting note, unrelated to this production: There is now an actual Anatevka in Ukraine, near Kiev. It is, as Wikipedia states, “a refugee settlement that provides food, housing, education, and medical support for refugees” from the 2014 and 2022 Russian invasions. Established by local Jewish leaders, it is named after the shtetl in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

GHDT taking on epic stories

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By John Lyle Belden

Just in time for Passover, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre revived an excellent work of visual storytelling, “Exodus,” at the Tarkington in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel at the end of March.

Inspired by the Biblical story, the central character is not a particular person but The Chosen, represented stunningly by Olivia Payton. Her grace and strength are on glorious display here. She communicates her apprehension at her high position, being adopted by royalty, which gives way to anger in an incident that banishes her to the slave class. The others in bondage include Nathalie Boyle, Sophie Jones, Josie Moody, Vivien Michels, Audrey Springer, and Abigail Lessaris, who also earlier plays the Chosen’s mother, with Lucille Harris as the child.

The ruler over this land is simply known as The Persecutor, a performance of menacing strength by Thomas Mason. As Gregory Glade Hancock wrote this (including choreography and costumes) with emphasis on feminine strength being oppressed, he made the army of Oppressors more androgynous in masks and dark, loose clothing. The sigil on their chests resembles a computer Power button, hinting at their control.

Oppressors are danced by Mary Kate Burks, Maura Burks, Gwyneth Conner, Fay Dale, Renata Felice, Riah Gerwels, Katie Gretschmann, Lucy Grontkowski, Lauren Harrison, Natalie Huff, Grace King, Kelly Kubinski, Jilli Myers, Lucy Nevins, Reese Palmateer, Caitlyn Pingel, Serena Roe, Kingsley Southard, Josephine Steinmetz, and Claire Vreeke.

Children in this production are Harris, Eva Abakunova, Valerie Bussell, Addie Dibner, Valeria Griffis, Vivienne Maresh, and Anya Willis.

From the original narrative, we get one of Hancock’s most stunning pieces of movement, a representation of The Burning Bush with several dancers gathered at center stage, each with their own eccentric motion so that together we get the mesmerizing effect of flickering flames. This, as well as the eventual Parting of the Sea, are aided by skilled lighting and clever set design by Ryan Koharchik.

As with the old story, the land also suffers Plagues; however, Hancock wished these to be more relatable to modern audiences. The representation of pollution – “Desecration of the Earth” – is particularly startling. Other ills including Gun Violence, Racism, and indifference brought on by Social Media also reveal our destructive nature.

Regarding this production as a whole, one impressive aspect is how the music – from various sources – was assembled to provide the the perfect palette for the dancers to present every scene.

“Exodus” had just one weekend of performances, but is likely to return in a future season. GHDT’s next full production is “Antony and Cleopatra,” inspired by the Shakespeare play based on these historical figures, June 5-6 at The Tarkington. Original music will be by frequent collaborator Cory Gabel. (Get tickets at thecenterpresents.org.)

In the meantime, The Florence stage at The Academy of GHDT (329 Gradle Drive, Carmel) will host the Melange series. At each performance, a vocalist will perform, joined by a dancer and visual artist who each improvise in their own way. Thus, every session is unique, and the artwork that is created during the hour is immediately auctioned to a generous audience member, with funds going to GHDT.

  • On April 18-19, Evelyn Rai is vocalist; Cody Miley, who has performed with GHDT and Dance Kaleidoscope, is the dancer; and Christina Hollering will create visual art.
  • On May 16-17, Angela Nichols Manlove is the vocalist; with dancing by Olivia Payton; and visual art by Debbie Slack.

For more information and Melange tickets, visit gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.

Civic’s bold ‘Letter’ centers strong heroine

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By Wendy Carson

I have been writing a lot about strong women these days, and Hester Prynne is undoubtably one of the strongest examples of such in American literature.

She first entered my consciousness when I was seven, watching a silent film version of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, “The Scarlet Letter.” While she is vastly flawed, her courage and resolve make her an icon of female empowerment and a character to be further explored. With Kate Hamill’s imaginative script, we are presented with a new look at Hester and her situations in the current production by Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre.

As in the book, in 1640s Massachusetts we meet Prynne enduring punishment for a child born out of wedlock. She refuses to name the father and is therefore ordered by Puritan authorities to wear a red “A” (for Adultery) on her chest for the rest of her life.

Directed by Emily Rogge Tzucker, the biggest difference with this staging is the use of a life-sized puppet portraying Hester’s daughter, Pearl. Designed and built by Evangeline Bouw, and voiced and operated by Emily Bohannon, the character takes on a far more ephemeral role. The lone child in a world of strange rules, she highlights the hellion nature of children who provoke and tease others for their own amusement.

Brittany Magee brings forth not only Prynne’s self-sufficiency, but also her unwavering pride and devotion to her precious Pearl. Renee Whiten Lopez as Goody Hibbins channels some of the hysteria of the time by falsely accusing Prynne of witchcraft to justify her own personal shortcomings and try to rectify the unjustness of it all.

Doug Powers’ interpretation of Governor Hibbins keeps him sympathetic in trying to uphold the law in this wild, new land yet not satisfied by doing so. Matt Anderson excellently shows the inner turmoil of Reverend Dimmesdale, the unnamed yet horribly guilty father of Pearl. Daniel Wilke brings a malevolent force to bear as Roger Chillingworth, who carries the darkest secret amongst the group.

While the show’s staging is extremely simple, with limited cast and efficient set and lighting design by Ryan Koharchik, it helps keep the focus on the actors and their stories. The costuming by Adrienne Conces perfectly accents the various needs of narrative in many unexpected ways.

I was greatly impressed by this amazing interpretation of a story for the ages and would have been more than happy to have had it be my introduction to this powerful woman and her story.

Meet Hester and Pearl, and see their world at The Studio Theater of the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel through March 28. Get tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

ATI gets ‘Lucky’ with unusual comic musical

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By Wendy Carson

Actors Theatre of Indiana presents the musical comedy, “Lucky Stiff,” with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Steven Flaherty.

I dare say that at least 90 percent of our readers may never have heard of this stage musical. Probably fewer have seen the heavily panned 2015 film. That is for good reason, it does not possess a strong book which could use some major revisions. However, the songs are decent and although the premise is over-the-top and problematic (think “Weekend at Bernie’s” meets “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”), a very talented cast can make this flawed stone shine like a diamond. Luckily, director Lysa Fox has compiled an exemplary ensemble who manage to eagerly bring forth all the zany humor the script offers.

The opening number lets us onto the fact that somebody has been murdered. We then meet our hero, Harry (Jacob A. Butler), a lonely schlub working at a London shoe store, yearning for adventure. Then, a telegram arrives at his boarding house alerting him that his Uncle Anthony in the U.S. has died and being the only heir, he must go claim the inheritance.

At the lawyer’s office, he swears to uphold his uncle’s wishes in order to receive six million dollars. He then receives a tape player with instructions, a small stipend, and the taxidermized body of his uncle (Sam Arce), which he must take (along with a mysterious heart-shaped box) on a week’s vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he not fulfil the itinerary, the money will go to The Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. Given his current situation – including the annoyance of aggressive mutts outside his home – he will do anything to prevent those dogs from getting their paws on that money.

From here on we meet a revolving cast of characters including Annabel (Logan Hill), a bookish all-American young woman determined to get the money for the Dog Home; Rita (Diana O’Halloran), Anthony’s vain and legally blind lover who embezzled the six million dollars in question from her own husband, converted it to diamonds, and, before he could run away with Anthony instead shot him in a fit of jealousy; Vinnie (Brett Mutter), Rita’s optometrist brother who must come along because she told her husband that he stole the diamonds; and Luigi (Thomas J. Cannon), a very nosy local on the Riviera who is determined to accompany Harry and his uncle throughout their adventures.

John Vessels Jr., Josh Maldonado, Nathalie Cruz, and Hannah Boswell round out the cast playing all the other oddball characters needed. However, these four are so skillful and versatile, they are truly the grit that makes the production shine.

Cruz’s turn as Dominique, a sassy chanteuse, brings out all her sultry talent and singing chops. Boswell gets her chance to shine as Harry’s nosy landlady intercepting the life-altering telegram as well as starring in a hilarious nightmare. Maldonado brings to life a bevy of hilarious goofy characters. As for Vessels, I am convinced this man could read a phone book and have you in stitches; his turn as the Monte Carlo emcee is a sheer delight.

Arce, as the titular “Stiff,” shows incredible skill in being absolutely still and unresponsive with all the mayhem going on around him. However, he does also get a dance break.

Musical direction is by Brandon Vos, choreography by Carol Worcel, and interesting stage design – colorful, with plenty of doors to slam – by Jay Ganz.

So, turn off the news, ignore the weather, and hop a ride along to sunny, funny, Monte Carlo to just escape reality and have a good laugh. “Lucky Stiff” runs through Feb. 15 (yes, the show has a romantic subplot, making this a potential Valentine’s date) at The Studio Theater in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get tickets at atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Brooks comedy comes ‘Alive!’ at ATI

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By John Lyle Belden

One of the cool perks of being Associate Artistic Director of Actors Theatre of Indiana for Darrin Murrell is that he gets to direct the incredibly fun musical, “Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein,” adapted by Brooks from his classic comedy film with Thomas Meehan. All songs are also by Brooks, except for the famous scene with Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”

Murrell was overjoyed to have Ben Asaykwee in the title role, as well as Craig Underwood as the Monster, both adept at the necessary physical comedy. Asaykwee’s resemblance to Gene Wilder from the movie is less an impersonation than a reminder that both seem to have been touched by the same muse, hilariously delivering bluster, intelligence, and mischief, capable of being simultaneously the romantic lead and a slapstick clown.

One doesn’t have to have seen the film to follow this show, or have more than a rudimentary knowledge of the Frankenstein legend (Brooks’ approach was more a tribute to Universal Pictures monsters than the Mary Shelley novel). Movie fans will recognize many scenes and characters, though.

Professor of brain science Frederick Frankenstein (Asaykwee) – pronounced “fronk-en-steen” – discovers he has inherited his infamous grandfather’s castle in Transylvania. He goes there to settle his estate, met at the train station by servant Igor (John Vessels, Jr.), an odd man with a migrating back hump who has hired an eager young assistant, Inga (Sophie Jones), for his new master. At the castle, we meet horse-frighteningly eccentric housekeeper Frau Blucher (Julie Lyn Barber). Finding the laboratory and his grandfather’s notes, Frederick insists he won’t repeat any abominable and dangerous experiments – until, of course, he finds the right body and brain.

Meanwhile, there is concern in the village that a new Dr. Frankenstein is in residence. Inspector Kemp (Eric Olson), whose previous encounter with a reanimated creature literally cost him an arm and a leg, is determined to keep such events from happening again.

Frederick’s fashion-forward fiancé Elizabeth (Megan Arrington-Marks) will also arrive, just as hijinks get into high gear. 

As in the film, the Monster (Underwood) stumbles upon a Hermit (Adam B. Shapiro) who is blind and lonely, but he does get a song.

Other roles are covered by James Garrett Hill, Drew Kempin, JoBeth Hilton, Hannah Boswell and Natalie Fischer, with Emily Chrzanowski on hand as understudy.

Few frights, but a lot of laughs and double-entendres in Brooks’ bawdy style, with a few asides taking aim at popular monster-movie tropes. This being a “horror” show with song and dance numbers, indulging in silliness fits the milieu perfectly.

Vessels has fun with his character, delivering a nice homage to the late Marty Feldman with a bit of his own flair. Olson, well disguised by Kemp’s facial hair and costume, embodies the character perfectly for maximum comic effect. Jones’s Inga is winsome as the sidekick who is always smarter than she lets on, caring enough to let distracted Frederick catch up to her true affections. Barber nicely menaces and deadpans as Blucher, contrasted with the wild emoting over her “boyfriend.”  Arrington-Marks gives the full measure of self-obsessed Elizabeth, as well as her change of heart.

Even when dangerous, Underwood as the Monster doesn’t come across as monstrous – just a big guy (with Abbie Normal’s brain) very confused at waking up from the dead. Also, fire bad.

Nathan Perry is musical director; choreography is by Carol Worcel; and Kevin Casey is stage manager. The castle scenic design is by Jay Ganz (note the gargoyles), with props designed by Christian Condra.

Performances of “Young Frankenstein” run through Nov. 9 in the intimate confines of The Studio Theater at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. For info and tickets, go to atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.

GHDT ‘Casket Girls’ dance again

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By John Lyle Belden

Though shrouded in myth, the story of the “Casket Girls” is true*. In the 1720s, by order of King Louis IV of France at the urging of the Church, young women were sent to new Gulf Coast colonies to be wives to the men there in hopes of keeping them civilized and Christian.

These filles a la cassette (girls with suitcases) were eventually referred to with the word casquette, which conjured the more popular term. They were pale and delicate, it was said, sensitive to the sun and, perhaps, the magical spirit of New Orleans.

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre has revived its production that tells the legend with “modern gothic vampire” flair, featuring original music by Cory Gabel. Choreography and costumes are again by Gregory Glade Hancock, with lighting by Ryan Koharchik.

This modern-dance ballet centers on the character of Catherine (Abigail Lessaris), a Casket Girl who lives with the Sisters of St. Ursula until she finds her beau, Jean (guest dancer Cody Miley). But supernatural forces strike, changing her forever.

The second act brings the undead Catherine back to New Orleans a century later, finding an ally in voodoo priestess Mother Ava May (Olivia Payton) and love with sweet Saraphine (Josie Moody). But evil Lucien (Thomas Mason) wants to rule the city, and if Catherine doesn’t join him, he knows the Casket Girl now has something to lose.

Dancers also include Nathalie Boyle, David Elser, Fiadh Flynn, Sophie Jones, Zoe Maish, Vivien Mickels, Hazel Moore, Audrey Springer, Josie Steinmetz, and Lucy Grontkowski of The Conservatory of Dance at Granger, Ind., with guest vocalist Tessa Gibbons.

Stunning and beautiful throughout, the music and movement embrace a dark atmosphere evoking the works of Anne Rice and the goth-punk aesthetic of the World of Darkness roleplaying games. Gabel, in close collaboration with Hancock, brings a Nine-Inch-Nails-esque percussion to the score, giving a relentless beat to the characters’ stilled and breaking hearts.

A unique danse macabre for this spooky season, “The Casket Girls” have just one performance remaining, 5 p.m. today (Oct. 25) as I post this, at The Tarkington in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Watch for this production to likely return in coming years.

With this, GHDT opens its 28th season. Next up is its next improvised collaboration in the “Melange” series on Nov. 15-16 as Mickels dances while vocalist Jessica Hawkins sings and Madhuchhanda Mandal creates a visual work of art. The full company celebrates the Holidays with Winterfest on Dec. 4-7 and 11-14. These performances will be at The Florence performance space at The Academy of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, 329 Gradle Dr., Carmel.

Full information and tickets at gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.

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(*History and legend of the Casket Girls at NewOrleans.com)

Civic: Fun time at a ‘Rotten’ show

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By John Lyle Belden

Farce, parody, and satire collide hilariously with history in the hit musical “Something Rotten!” now staged by the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre.

What even director Michael J. Lasley concedes is a “dumb” show is done smartly not by mocking William Shakespeare (though it’s not totally kind to him) so much as the cult of personality around him – which did start, to some degree, in his own time. In the process, the modern stage musical also gets skewered with gags comparable to the barbs in “Forbidden Broadway.”

During the English Renaissance (there’s a song about it), brothers Nick (Daniel Wilke) and Nigel Bottom (Jacob Schilling) struggle to get their next play completed when they are upstaged – again – by Shakespeare (Michael Krauter). They are so broke that Nick’s wife Bea (Addi Koehler), over his objections, goes out to find work herself.

Needing a surefire hit but desperate for an idea, Nick visits a soothsayer, Nostradamus (Parrish Williams). Being the nephew of the famous prophetic writer, he gets accurate but cloudy visions. This is how Nick Bottom comes to invent the “musical,” or at least tries to.

Nigel, a talented poet as well as playwright, meanwhile finds himself courting Portia (Ellen Vander Missen) the poetry-obsessed daughter of local Puritan leader Brother Jeremiah (David Maxwell), who vociferously objects.

With the help of the seer’s questionable skills, and secret funding by Jewish moneylender Shylock (Daniel Draves), the Bottoms seek to beat the Bard at producing what they are foretold will be his greatest work – “Omlette!”

Josh Vander Missen plays the company’s former patron, as well as a magistrate. A minstrel (Austin Stodghill) leads the remaining ensemble of Julia Ammons, Amanda Boldt, David Brock, Cam Hicks, Braxton Hiser, Karen Hurt, Emily Lantz, Melissa Ritchie, Nicole Sherlock, Michael Sherman, Louis Soria, Caitlin Stacy, Landon Storm, Blake Valentine, and Eric VanVeelen.

Wilke and Schilling play the brothers as well-meaning souls, with Nick defined by his stubbornness and Nigel by his naïve charm. Krauter’s Shakespeare goes from preening rock star to devilishly conniving as he seeks to steal what was supposed to be his own play. Standout performances by the leading ladies as well: Ellen Vander Missen’s headstrong Portia charms, while Koehler steals scenes as a woman with great strength of heart as well as muscle. Maxwell manages to make his Puritan bluster both menacing and highly amusing. A familiar face to Civic patrons, Williams has fun embracing his strange, silly role (he knew I’d write this).

Lasley directs with choreography and additional staging by Anne Beck, musical direction by Brent E. Marty (orchestra led by Al French), and stage managed by Matthew Keller. The musical was written by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick with John O’ Farrell.

For those who enjoy musicals, or “Hate Shakespeare,” or don’t mind seeing some hams sing about “Eggs,” go experience “Something Rotten!” Performances run through Oct. 18 at the Tarkington in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get info and tickets at civictheatre.org.

Musical blast from the past by ATI

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By John Lyle Belden

Every era has both its triumphs and struggles; they were also years which those who grew up in tend to remember fondly. For some of us – and many of our parents – that was the 1960s, a time of big changes, big hair, and a lot of great music.

“Beehive: The 60’s Musical” presented by Actors Theatre of Indiana, gives us more than 30 hits from the decade, with emphasis on songs sung by women – from “It’s My Party” to “Me and Bobby McGee.”

Our guides through this time of feminine revolution are six outstanding singers: Rachel Dudt, Riley Francis, Michaela McGarel, Kayla Perry, Kria Rangel, and Abigail Storm, who also acts as host. They are backed by a live band, led by Greg Wolff. The show is directed and choreographed by Carol Worcel.

There are a couple of scenes with direct impersonations of the original singers – done very well – but mostly the emphasis is on heartfelt renditions that sound like we remember coming from our transistor radios. On occasion there may be some audience involvement, such as providing names for “The Name Game,” and throughout we are encouraged to clap and even sing along.

In all, this is just a fun evening of music that still entertains and inspires, even decades later. For the Boomers who remember, or those of other generations who love swinging to the oldies, there are two more weeks of “Beehive,” Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 10-14 and 17-21, at The Studio Theater of the Allied Solutions Center for The Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get info and tickets at atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.

GHDT finishes season strong; watch for more

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By John Lyle Belden

This evening (June 7) Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre concludes its 27th season with bold works for “Summer Solstice.”

According to my quick websearch, earth.com notes the Solstice (longest day of the year, coming in just two weeks) is celebrated by many spiritual traditions, important for “setting an intention” for the coming months. With this weekend’s program, Gregory Glade Hancock and his talented dancers show their continued willingness to expand the use of movement to communicate feelings and stories.

In the world-premiere of “Let It Be Known,” poet Bruce Ford delivers a long monologue of hip-hop style verse that speaks to struggle and aspiration that draws on his Black experience and hope for humanity. As he speaks, dancers Thomas Mason, Sophie Jones, Abigail Lessaris, Josie Moody, Cordelia Newton, Olivia Payton, and Audrey Springer reflect and illuminate his words. Together, they make the “music” that we feel – no background song is played or necessary. Ryan Koharchik’s exceptional (as always) lighting design comes into play here with precise use of spotlights.

Another premiere is “Journey to Freedom,” a series of dances evoking the pain of a nation’s people being invaded, occupied, and displaced, as well as their bravery to overcome. The focus is on Eastern Europe, which Hancock is personally familiar with, including recent travels. The pieces honor Latvia, where residents once kept a secret “national anthem;” Poland, once invaded on two fronts attempting to erase if from the map; and, Ukraine, where their struggle continues today. The movement is strong and evocative, to music ranging from traditional to contemporary, as well as sublime work by Polish composer Frederic Chopin (a beautiful solo by Moody). The principal dancers are joined by summer interns Nathalie Boyle, Gwynevere Deterding, Tasha Sterns-Clemons, and Izzy Wolf, with Academy of GHDT student Hazel Moore appearing as the “flower girl.”

After the intermission, the mood shifts from the very serious to the exceedingly strange with an abridged version of Hancock’s 2006 “Alice and Her Bizarre Adventures in Wonderland,” envisioning Lewis Carrol’s classic story through a warped punk-Goth lens – as if to wonder, what would frighten yet enthrall a young girl today? Springer is our title character, bringing us with her down the rabbit hole to meet a fascinating edging on nightmarish cast. Highlights include Payton as the Cheshire Cat, Mason as the Caterpillar, Lessaris as the Duchess, Newton as the Mouse, Moody as Queen of Hearts, and Jones as the Mock Turtle. All the dancers are in Wonderland, including students Moore, Fiadh Flynn, Penelope Lomax, Josie Steinmetz, and Megan Webb.

As for the dance sequences, Hancock said he was once asked, “if you choreograph this while awake, what are your nightmares like?” It says something about our tastes, I guess, but we were thrilled, with Wendy hoping to see the full show staged again someday.

What we know will happen is the upcoming 28th season. It kicks off with the “Fashion at the Florence” fundraiser on Sept. 13 at 329 Gradle Drive, Carmel. Dance programs feature the return of “The Casket Girls” in October, “Exodus” in March 2026 and “Antony and Cleopatra” the following June. There will also be “Melange” presentations of improvised dance and art with guest vocalists the weekends of Sept. 20 and Nov. 15, as well as March 14 and May 16, 2026.

For all the details – and tickets to today’s 5 p.m. performance at The Tarkington stage of the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, if you see this right after it’s posted – visit gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.