music

Review: Untraditional tradition delivers again

PWJW_Indy Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

Gayle Steigerwald – a very familiar face to Phoenix Theatre patrons – admits during “A Very Phoenix Xmas X: Oh Come Let Us Adore Us” that what is mainly a lampoon of holiday traditions has become an Indianapolis holiday tradition itself.

Steigerwald, a veteran of numerous “Phoenix Xmas” skits, acts as emcee for this year’s show, with its mixture of old and new elements in its songs and short plays, garnished with projected photos from past productions while Steigerwald banters as the cast change costumes. The other players – Scot Greenwell, Paul Hansen, Olivia Huntley, Rob Johanson, Eric J. Olson, Sara Rieman and Lincoln Sientz with musician Deb Mullins – are also familiar faces, and eagerly deliver like the pros they are.

The sock monkeys and lighted dancers return, and we get unusual takes on Christmas carols, the tree, gifting, and even the jolly character at the center of the celebration. There’s an avant garde piece, a bit of political commentary, and moments that reach more for the heart than the funny bone. Nothing is too sacred for this bunch, but there is no big sacrilege either. So, feel free to indulge in this alternate “tradition,” playing through Dec. 20 at the Phoenix, 749 Park Ave. (corner of Park and St. Clair downtown); see www.phoenixtheatre.org or call 317-635-7529.

At ATI: A salute to another era, and some sweet stories

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

Actors Theatre of Indiana is easy to overlook, with its home space being The Studio Theater, next to the bigger Tarkington stage in the Center for the Performing Arts up in downtown Carmel. Yet this little company produces some excellent and worth-seeking shows.

“The Andrews Brothers,” which played just in time for Veterans’ Day, was a valentine to the old USO shows that kept GI’s, sailors and Marines’ spirits up during World War II (and the organization is a valuable resource to service members to this day).

Three men (played by Michael Dotson, Jay Emrich and Don Farrell) – conveniently, brothers with the last name “Andrews” – who couldn’t make the cut for service due to health reasons, but still wanting to do their part, want to move up from being USO stagehands to performing on that stage. When illness prevents the Andrews Sisters from making a South Seas gig, the Brothers get their big break in a way they hadn’t imagined.

Our trio, with pin-up girl Peggy Jones (Mary Jayne Waddell) sing and dance their way through many memorable hits from the era, both as guys, and, hilariously in the second act, as the “Sisters.” It’s all a lighthearted affair, and was a fun trip down memory lane for many in the audience who remembered those days. This led to many wonderful conversations between them and the cast after the show.

As for myself, I and Wendy fell ill in the following days and the distraction of fighting the flu (yes, I had my shot, so I guess it could have been worse!) kept us from writing a timely review.

But ATI is on stage again, and while the previous show was for the young-at-heart, this one is a treat for actual little ones (and the parents and caretakers who read them their bedtime stories): “A Year With Frog and Toad.”

I remember reading the sets of short stories about best-friend amphibians by Arnold Lobel to my son years ago, and can even recall a few favorites. Those scenes are there in the live musical play, crafted by Willie and Robert Reale. The lead characters are brought to life excellently by Bradley Reynolds and Don Farrell, with the help of some supporting critters (Kyra Kenyon and Shelby Putlak), including a very eager snail (Tim Hunt).

If you or your kids are at all familiar with these woodland companions, make plans to visit them on Friday, Saturday or Sunday through Dec. 27. Call 317-843-3800 or visit atistage.org.

Books and plays

PWJW_Indy Weekly update , , , , , , , , , ,

Start this weekend early by seeing comic Bill Scheft, a writer for Late Night With David Letterman, as he signs copies of his book “Shrink Thyself” Thursday starting at 6:30 p.m. at Bookmama’s book store at 9 S. Johnson Ave. in Indy’s Irvington neighborhood.

For theatre, we have three openings:

The Phoenix Theatre presents the British Broadway comedy “One Man, Two Guvnors,” starting Thursday and running through Oct. 18 at 749 N. Park Ave., downtown Indy. This is the show that got James Corden (now the host of The Late Late Show on CBS) his Tony. But since Corden is in L.A., our show is locally cast.

Buck Creek Players present the comedic thriller “Cliffhanger,” opening Friday and running for two weekends, in which murder has rarely been so funny. The playhouse is out on Southeastern Ave. off the Acton Road Exit.

Over at the Hedback, 1847 N. Alabama in Indy, Footlite Musicals presents “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” a feel-good musical loaded with Gershwin numbers. It opens Friday and runs through Oct. 11.

See you in the audience!

Big opening weekend

PWJW_Indy Weekly update , , , , , , , ,

There is a lot happening around Indy this weekend, especially on stages.

Theatre on the Square opens “Enter Love” a new musical with book by local talents Kenny Shepard, Don Seybold and Ty Stover. First curtain is 8 p.m. Friday.

The Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel sees two openings: “Little Women: The Musical” at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre on The Tarkington stage, of course, and “The Fantasticks” presented by Actors Theatre of Indiana at The Studio Theater next door.

Meanwhile, the classic “The Odd Couple” opens the Mud Creek Players season in the Mud Creek Barn on east 86th Street near Geist.

For two shows only, Friday and Saturday, Indiana Performing Arts Centre presents “A Night on the Town With the ‘Rat Pack'” at the Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St. in downtown Indy.

See you in the audience!

IndyFringe 2015 Wrap-Up

PWJW_Indy IndyFringe, Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We had a great time at this year’s IndyFringe. Though we didn’t see all the shows, we saw quite a few, so, here in one place are the links to all our reviews, for anyone wanting to look one up:

“4.48 Psychosis” by Savage at Last

“4Square” by AV Productions

“Acting My Age” by Matt Holt

“The Adventures of Les Kurkendaal” by Les Kurkendaal

“Auditioning for Swan Lake” by Lou Ann Homan

“The Best of Indy Magic Monthly” by Magic Taylor’d for You (Taylor Martin)

“Breakneck Hamlet” by Tim Mooney

“Bromance” by Farewell Tour Productions

“Cabaret of Puppetry” by Peewinkle Studios

“Ca-Ching” by Nomads Collective

“Camp Summer Camp” by Defiance Comedy

“Cocooned in Kazan” by Royal Kung Foolery

“The Comedy Magic of Oscar Munoz” by Oscar Munoz

“Dancing in the Mist” by RibbetRepublic

“Drosselmeyer’s Magical Bedtime Story” by No Exit Performance

“The Eulogy” by Michael Burgos

“Fruit Flies Like a Banana” by Fourth Wall

“Ghost Story” by Peter-John Byrnes

“Growing Up All Over Myself” by Mat Alanso-Martin

“Hannibal: LIAR!” by Chris Hannibal

“Hell’s Fourth Ring: The Mall Musical” by Casey Ross Productions

“Home Grown Originals” by Band O’ Leers

“An Indian Comedian: How Not To Fit In” by Krish Mohan

“I’m Not Gay” by Submatter Press

“Interrupting the Sermon” by First Hand Theatrical

“The Invisible Man” by What’s in a Name? Company

“Jason Adams is a God Damn Mind Reader” by Jason Adams

“Kill the Column” by MamaProductions

“Laughing Sober” by Rick Garrett

“A Little Business at the BIG TOP” by David Gaines

“Men’s Room” by MayDay Productions

“Mom?” by Box of Clowns

“Mr. Boniface, the Wise” by KT Peterson

“My Sister Diane” by Jim May

“Not My Baby!” by Dreadmelon Productions

“The Not So Secret Origin of Captain Ambivalent” by Captain Ambivalent

“ODDyssey” by Blair Godshall

“Orange is the New Black Keys” by ComedySportz Indianapolis

“Sarge” by Clifton Performance Theatre

“The Secret Book of Jesus” by Maximum Verbosity

“Shakespeare’s Ear” by Early Music in Motion

“The Shout” by In the Mix

“The Sibling Staircase” by Sally Perkins

“Speedthru” by Eclectic Pond

“Threads” by Tonya Jone Miller

“Tipped and Tipsy” by Jill Vice

“Top Shelf: Our Last American Tour – Again” by Betty Rage

“The Traveling Tap Dance Super Show” by TapMan Productions with Circle City Tap Company

“Ulysses Grant: A Fluxkit Opera” by Stephen Rush

“Up Yours, Indianapolis” by The Fleece Academy

“VELOUR” by Schedule C Productions

“Whisper in My Good Ear” by Vintage Players

“Who Run The World: A Madwomen’s Cabaret” by Main Street Artists

“The Wizer of Odd” by Gift of Gab

“Working Titles” by Jeremy Schaefer

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Earlham Theatre Department

Fringe review: Home Grown Original

PWJW_Indy IndyFringe, Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

Let us simplify your expectations. Ironically, “Home Grown Originals,” at the IndyFringe Basile Theatre, stretches the concept of a “Fringe show” by not being edgy or avant garde or having some odd agenda. It’s straightforward: a group of eight friends playing some really good Hoosier-made music.

Alex “Tunesmith” Murphy recently wrote a bunch of songs, then recorded them with his ensemble, the Band O’Leers. Now he presents these rockabilly-country-blues tunes on the IndyFringe Basile stage, featuring vocals by Murphy, Tim Spradlin and Lori Ecker.

It’s an entertaining crowd-pleasing set, featuring oughta-be-hits like “Kiss Me Like You Mean it,” “Future Ex-Wife” (feel free to sing along on the chorus) and “You’re only Human if you Try.” If guitars and a corny joke or two are your bag, head on over and give them a listen.

The CD of the songs is also available, featuring vocals by local legend Karen Irwin.

Fringe Review: Fruit Flies Like a Banana

PWJW_Indy IndyFringe, Reviews, Stage , , , , , , ,

By Wendy Carson

Whether you are familiar with or new to the antics of The Fourth Wall, you would be delighted with the trio’s latest foray into speedy musical education, “Fruit Flies Like a Banana: Alphabetical Disorder,” which played at Theatre on the Square.

This year they attempt to make it through the alphabet with the help of random letters thrown at them from the audience. Each letter corresponds with a comedy-music bit, which the performers – being virtuoso musicians as well as masters of physical comedy – perform. With the ever-present countdown clock looming over them, they effortlessly move from piece to piece almost instantaneously.

Not only are the numbers cleverly arranged and choreographed, each one is curated to educate the listener on the history of not only the composer, style and instruments used but how and why they have chosen the material.

Their antics are a joy to behold and they make music education into a game that can be enjoyed by old and young alike.

Fringe review: Who Run the World: A Madwomen’s Cabaret

PWJW_Indy IndyFringe, Reviews, Stage , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

In “Who Run the World: A Madwomen’s Cabaret,” by Darrin Murrell, presented by Main Street Artists at the IndyFringe Basile Theatre, Julie Lyn Barber plays all the roles (except for Murrell as Lizzy Borden, our accompanist) including a certain woman running for President next year on the Democrat ticket.

As the candidate prepares to accept her nomination, other famous and infamous female leaders from history appear to her to give encouragement and advice in song. For example, Cleopatra croons “Cry me a (Nile) River” and Queen Elizabeth I sings “Like a Virgin.” The visitors come from all over time and the globe, from Chinese empress Wu Zetian to British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

The performances are wonderful and witty, but the show is problematic in that a bright strobe light sits center stage and flashes straight at the audience during every character transition, which happens at least a dozen times. Also, I found the voice-over introducing each character before she appears sounding distorted and hard to hear.

Aside from the flaws, this cabaret is an interesting and entertaining musical history lesson.

Fringe review: Shakespeare’s Ear

PWJW_Indy IndyFringe, Reviews, Stage , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

Early Music in Motion presents “Shakespeare’s Ear” by William Ayot, featuring an ensemble playing Renaissance period instruments and The Fourth Wall’s C. Neil Parsons as “Will,” on the main stage at Theatre on the Square.

Our young Bard tells of his life as we are presented with some of the music that inspired and entertained him. He explains how someone so low-born as he could gain such sophistication that he could write plays about history and the lives of kings. He relates his loves, losses and triumphs, and joins the musicians for an occasional dance.

Parsons is engaging as young Shakespeare, with storytelling style that flows as easily as his virtuoso music on other stages. And the show gives us an excellent insight into the man and his era.

The musicians are excellent as well, providing both atmosphere and a visual lesson of what the “orchestra” was like in years past.

Fringe review: Cabaret of Puppetry

PWJW_Indy IndyFringe, Reviews, Stage , , , , , ,

By Wendy Carson

I must admit that while I do enjoy puppetry, I was unsure of how this was going to work. While the Peewinkle Puppet Studio performances I have seen in the past were entertaining, I couldn’t imagine them satisfying a Fringe audience.

However, “Cabaret of Puppetry,” playing at Firefighter’s Union Hall, is not your typical children’s puppet show. It serves as more of an overview of the history of puppetry and the various presentations are a delight to behold for young and old alike. The puppeteers’ showmanship and skill in setting the mood make you forget that they are even present after a while.

The characters run the gamut from a simple sock puppet to very delicately advanced full-body puppets. Still, the main emphasis is in marionettes. With unexpected effects and vibrant characters this simple little puppet show will have you laughing and talking about its charm for weeks to come.

So, re-embrace your inner (or outer) child and come see the best puppet show the fringe festival has to offer.