Dennis Jones

Hadestown comes to Footlite

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By John Lyle Belden

“And we’re going to sing it again, and again!”

For those who missed the recent other production of “Hadestown,” or have seen it and want more, Footlite Musicals brings the “Teen Edition” (largely unchanged from the original) to its stage through Sunday.

The Tony-winning sensation by Anïas Mitchell tells an “old song” that dates at least to Ancient Greece, blending the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice; the relationship between Hades (god of the Underworld) and Persephone (goddess of Spring); and some rather current issues.

The show is set more recently, with buildings resembling downtown New Orleans, reflecting the jazzy style in which we get our story. Our host and narrator is the messenger god Hermes (Plezzance Lawrence), accompanied by a literal Greek Chorus of Fates (Lauren Blackwood, Zyan-Kristyna Byrd, and Ruth Par).

A railroad train from the Underworld brings Persephone (Grace Graves), whose summer stays seem shorter in recent years, before husband Hades (Carter Hinton) comes to claim her. Meanwhile, Orpheus (Eduardo Palapa), the mortal son of a Muse, uses his supernatural gift of music to work on a song he believes will set the cycle of seasons right again. He looks up from his work to see the beautiful mortal Eurydice (Willa Cortez), young but world-weary, seeking comfort. They fall in love and are happy – until the long hard winter returns. Eventually, each of these lovers will go to Hadestown, “way down under the ground,” where events lead to an “Epic” showdown between man and god.

The ensemble players are integral to the story as well, adding vocals for emphasis and moments of call-and-response, as well as aiding the narrative with movement choreographed by Kevin Bell. These are Owen Alvis, Devin Barringer, Marguerite Bougeois, Fender Brokamp, Emma Copes, Christian Diaz, Eloni Fitzpatrick, Oliver Hayes, Hawk Hendrix, Oliver Martinez-Torme, Anna McGaha, Staci Raymount, Louis Rivelli, Ruby Schoettle, Adryan Simmons, and Zoe Wilson.

The production is directed by Dennis Jones and Ed Trout, who said he really wanted to emphasize the soul of the work – both in the jazz sense and the essence of the ancient legend. For instance, he had Hinton bring out the melodic tones of Hades’ baritone part.

Graves is a delight, both in Persephone’s sassy songs and her repartee. Cortez is also excellent in voice and manner as the tragic Eurydice. Palapa is simply amazing, his Orpheus believably sounding like one touched by the divine. Lawrence as Hermes entertainingly guides the proceedings like one with godly prerogative.

The orchestra, led by Gisele Dollinger, occupies an upstage loft and features a hot trombone solo by Aaron Burkhart. Trout designed the set, which includes using the Hedback Theatre stage trapdoor as a dramatic means of descent.

All this combines into a powerful, unforgettable theatre experience. Timeless legends retain their form while becoming relevant to our lives in this century. Perhaps love conquers all, but it’s still a hell of a fight.

“Hadestown: Teen Edition” has performances Thursday through Sunday, July 24-27, at 1847 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at footlite.org.  

Footlite celebrates love on ‘This Island’

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By John Lyle Belden

Footlite Musicals provides a taste of the tropics with its young artists production of “Once on This Island,” the Broadway hit by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on Rosa Guy’s “My Love, My Love,” a Caribbean retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid.” It copies the original mostly in theme and a few plot elements, standing as its own as a story of love, sacrifice and the forces that work around – and often against – us.

Sometimes it takes a village to tell a story. Aside from the named characters, we meet a chorus of 21 Storytellers who introduce the tale and carry it along. They relate that on this island, a small French possession in the Antilles, they honor the local Afro-Caribbean gods including Asaka (Imani Ruffin), Mother of the Earth; Agwe (Kori Smith), lord of Water; Erzulie (Caileigh Jones), goddess of Love; and Papa Ge (Noah Lee), spirit of Death.

The story centers on Ti Moune (Lauren Blackwood), an orphan found in a tree after a storm. Sensing the gods saved her for a reason, an old couple – Mama Euralie (Plezzance Lawrence) and Tonton Julian (Jalen Breiley) – take her in and raise her. Events transpire that Ti Moune encounters and saves Daniel (Colton Woods), son of the nobleman Armand (Edward Rayhill) whose family has governed the island for generations. She even makes her way to Daniel’s side of the island, where he lives in a luxury hotel. But she is not the only woman in his life; enter his lifelong friend Andrea (Rebecca Pinero). Ti Moune finds herself tested by both the trickery of Papa Ge and the discrimination of high society. What is her destiny?

Directed by Dennis Jones and Edward Trout, and excellently choreographed by Kevin Bell, with the island beat of an ensemble led by Gisele Dollinger, this Caribbean fairy tale flows beautifully as all the cast contribute, with Blackwood’s voice sailing through sun and storm. The gods get their due, with Ruffin shining in the song “Mama Will Provide,” and Lee embracing his role as trickster as well as Reaper.

This story with its ring of familiarity set in an exotic locale reminds us that love is noble and real in all cultures. The energy of its telling sweeps us along and makes us root for the girl in the tree.

Performances of “Once on This Island” run through Sunday, Aug. 18, at Hedback Theater, 1847 N. Alabama, Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at footlite.org.

Footlite makes ‘Rotten’ a sweet show

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By John Lyle Belden

Once upon a time, and what a time it was! It was the Renaissance, and in England there were many people you know well – if you are a scholar of the Renaissance in England. But for the rest of us there was one superstar, who was actually quite famous in his own day.

William Shakespeare!

But the hit Broadway musical “Something Rotten!” is not about him (though, being himself, he butts in). It concerns one of his many theatrical rivals, who is so unknown he’s downright fictional (this is a musical, not a documentary), Nick Bottom! And we see the lengths Bottom went to be on top.

Written by Kary Kirkpatrick, Wayne Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell – with some lines by the Bard which are public domain anyway – this show is brought to the stage by Footlite Musicals, directed by Ed Trout, through this weekend.

Nick hates Shakespeare – a feeling borne of jealousy because he kicked Will out of his acting troupe, telling him to try something else, like writing, and he did. Now Nick (Kayvon Emtiaz) and his brother, genius poet Nigel (Roy Bridges) are struggling to get a play produced. It was going to be about Richard II, but you-know-who is getting one on stage first, and the patron Lord Clapham (Joshua Cox) is going to pull funding unless the Bottoms come up with a sure-fire original show.

And what is worse, now Nick’s wife Beatrice (Jessica Hawkins) is disguising herself as a man to find work to feed them.

Desperate, Nick seeks out a soothsayer (Darrin Gowan), calling himself Nostradamus (the famous one’s nephew), to find out what the future of theatre will be. Surprisingly, the mage is not a fraud, and he forsees – musicals!

Meanwhile, Nigel encounters Portia (Ellen Vander Missen), daughter of strict Puritan pastor Brother Jeremiah (Dennis Jones). Nigel discovers Portia secretly enjoys poetry and plays, beginning their secret though chaste affair. She inspires him so much, he even shows some verses to Shakespeare (Rick Barber), but Nick warns his brother off dealing with the Bard, as they have their own show to create.

With past monarchs off the table, what well-known aspect of history could our playwrights use for their first musical? “The Black Death” is dying in rehearsals, so Nick gets more desperate, and paying his last farthing, asks Nostradamus what Shakespeare’s greatest work will be, so that he may copy it in musical form.

The visions are cloudy, but the answer seems to be “Omelette.”

So, songs about eggs it is.

Yes, this comedy with singing is just as silly as it sounds, and even more funny. While an homage to everything Shakespeare — as well as parodying his superstar status (both then and now) — practically every modern musical hit gets skewered in the process. We even get the Jewish producer, Shylock (Dan Miller). Ervin Gainer is the Minstrel who gets the whole thing started off.

Could we all use a good laugh now? This is a great laugh. All performances are spot-on and hilarious, especially Emtiaz as our frustrated hero, Barber as the jaded icon (secretly stuck for a new idea as well), Hawkins as the take-it-in-stride spouse, and especially Gowan as the seer who barely believes the bits that are in focus – “a bunch of cats, on stage, singing… no, wait… no, it’s actually a bunch of cats on stage singing.”

If you like Shakespeare or musicals at all, you must see this almost-Shakespeare musical. Performances are Thursday through Sunday at the Hedback Theatre, 1847 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis. Info and tickets at footlite.org.

Get on board ‘Priscilla’ with Footlite Musicals

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By John Lyle Belden

To my gay friends reading this, I have just two words to say about “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical” (based on the film “The Adventures of Priscilla…”), at Footlite Musicals through May 20:

FABULOUS! GO!

Need more details? OK. This spectacle is the journey of three Sydney, Australia, drag queens: Tick a/k/a Mitzi (Michael Howard), who wants to connect with the son he barely knows; Bernadette (John Phillips), a widow and aging diva needing to find her next chapter; and Adam a/k/a Felicia (Chris Jones), an impetuous lass in search of fun and adventure.

Tick’s very understanding wife, Marion (Carolyn Lynch), needs an act for her casino in Alice Springs (located in the center of the Australian continent, far from coastal Sydney) and his traveling there would fulfill Tick’s promise to visit his boy, Benji (Rocco Meo). Bernadette provides the showbiz know-how, and Adam provides the transportation – a fabulous RV that is the Priscilla of the title. While the wildlife ignore our trio, the treacherous part of the journey is the human denizens as they travel through Australia’s equivalent of Kentucky (Broken Hill, Woop Woop) and West Virginia (Coober Pedy). Along the way, they do meet one helpful soul, Bob (Dan Flahive), who ends up along for the ride.

Howard presents Tick with charm, charisma and rugged good looks reminiscent of Hugh Jackman. Phillips exudes authority appropriate to one who is, at turns, a regal and maternal personality. Jones goes from carefree to careless and back with aplomb, like the younger sibling you just want to slap sometimes, but love anyway. And Flahive is sweet in his portrayal of what was my favorite character in the film.

Also notable are Sarah Marone as Bob’s mail-order bride Cynthia, of the infamous “ping pong scene,” and Dennis Jones as Sydney diva Miss Understanding.

The story is embellished with more than 20 pop and disco hits from the 1970s and ’80s, including “It’s Raining Men,” “Go West,” “I Will Survive,” and “True Colors.” For those who can’t resist singing along, a special matinee this Saturday (May 12 at 2:30 p.m.) will let you do just that, complete with lyric sheets.

Another spectacular feature of this show is the costumes – the genuine Tony and Oscar-winning outfits sent to Indy from Broadway. The headdresses must be seen to be believed, as well as the visual effect of the big “gumby” pants.

All this, for a story with a little pain, a lot of heart, and a sense of fun as big as the Outback. Footlite is at 1847 N. Alabama St. in downtown Indy. Call 317-926-6630 or visit www.footlite.org.