opera

CCP serves up wacky ‘Tenor’

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By John Lyle Belden

A Broadway hit that has become a community theatre favorite, Ken Ludwig’s “Lend Me A Tenor” is back on stage courtesy of Carmel Community Players.

For the unfamiliar, this hilarious farce takes place in the mid-20th century, set entirely in a Cleveland hotel room. The local opera company has secured a performance by world-renowned tenor “Il Stupendo” Tito Morelli (JD Walls). Mr. Saunders (Thomas Smith), the show’s producer, knows of the singer’s appetites for booze and women, and warns his young assistant, Max (Tyler Marx) to keep a close eye on him. Tito arrives with wife Maria (Sonja Distefano), who is furious about everything, especially Tito. Add to this the visits by Saunders’ daughter Maggie (Caity Withers), who loves Max but adores Tito; ambitious soprano Diana (Rachelle Woolston), who will do anything to get a career boost from the tenor; local socialite Julia (Sally Carter) who wants nothing more than to be seen with Morelli in public; and a singing bellhop (Joe Wagner), insisting on giving an impromptu audition. It’s important to note that Max is a talented aspiring singer, as well. Also, we lose track of the number of sleeping pills Tito takes for his afternoon nap.

The result is two full acts of slamming doors, sharply-executed physical comedy, and all the misunderstandings you can stand — along with some nice moments of operatic singing. Under the direction of Susan Rardin, this bunch take to their roles with gusto, each pitch perfect from Smith’s paternal surliness, to Withers’ charm, Woolston’s seductiveness, Distefano’s fire, Wagner’s cheekiness, Carter’s posh attitude and Walls’ resignation as he finds himself on the wildest ride in Ohio outside King’s Island. Marx as our everyman at the heart of an ever-deepening situation wins us over with his nervous aplomb as Max somehow makes it through it all. Also, as the featured opera is “Pagliacci” (the tragic clown), the tendency of white face makeup to come off on others adds its own comic element.

This “stupendo” production has one more weekend, playing through March 8 at The Cat performance venue, 254 Veterans Way (near the downtown arts district), in Carmel. Call 317-815-9387 or visit www.CarmelPlayers.org.

 

Catalyst’s ‘Class’ in session

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By John Lyle Belden

Nan Macy is a master of portraying strong mature women, and shows this to brilliant effect in the current production of Terrance McNally’s “Master Class,” presented by Catalyst Repertory in association with the Indianapolis Opera Company and The Switch Theatre.

Macy portrays legendary opera soprano Maria Callas, who, late in her career, is giving the titular class for young vocal students. Callas’s career was notable not only for her exceptional voice, but also tabloid-style scandals including rivalries with other singers and her affair with shipping magnate Aristotle Onasis. Here we see this brash, blunt diva with a well-established chip on her shoulder from having been looked down upon for her Greek heritage and her weight (she underwent drastic weight loss at the peak of her career, a boon to her casting but possibly hurting her voice). She is far too proud to acknowledge her declining vocal ability, living the adage of “those who can’t do, teach.” Regardless, she gives her charges a lot to learn about presentation and passion.  

With such serious subject matter, and her lapses into troubled memory, it’s easy to forget until you see this how incredibly funny this show is. For instance, Macy’s timing is perfect in saying “let me stop you there,” the moment a poor student opens her mouth.

As for her “victims,” we get some nice vocals from Abigail Johnson, Shederick Whipple, and Rachelle Woolston. And we see, as they do with Callas, that there is more to great opera than just knowing the words. Sean Manterfield is Manny, the piano accompanist. Thomas Smith is a stagehand badgered by Callas, but also turns the tables portraying Onasis in her recollections. Director Tony Johnson also has other cast members drift in and out of her memory as figures from her past.

This is a “class” you won’t want to skip, as hilarity and tragic depth occupy the stage in equal measure, wielded by a master, portraying a master. Brava!

“Master Class” performances are Friday through Sunday at 10029 E. 126th St., Fishers. Get tickets at theswitch.yapsody.com.

ATI opens with hijinks of another ‘Tenor’ farce

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By John Lyle Belden

You don’t need to have seen the Ken Ludwig farce “Lend Me a Tenor” (though you really should when you get the chance) to understand the sequel, Ludwig’s “A Comedy of Tenors,” now in its local premiere at Actors Theatre of Indiana.

In the original, we met world-famous tenor Tito Merelli – with ego and appetites to match his talent – performing in Cleveland. Now, a few years later, former Cleveland mayor Henry Saunders and his son-in-law Max (also characters from the earlier play) are managing Tito in a Three Tenors extravaganza in Paris. Max, a rising star in opera, is listed as the third.

Suddenly, the number two on the bill cancels, sending Saunders and Max scrambling. Meanwhile, Tito’s relationship with wife Maria is tempestuous as ever – and then there’s his free-spirited daughter Mimi. Also, Tito’s biggest operatic rival, Carlo Nucci, is in the hotel. And finally, a hot-blooded Russian soprano with whom Tito once had a fling, Racon, is in town. Summon the singing bellhop, and let the slamming-door fun commence!

Melodrama and misunderstandings get under way from the first scene. The laughs come steadily, with plenty of physical comedy, as the plot rolls with its own twists that differentiate it from the previous play.

Don Farrell plays Tito as a runaway train of emotions – then in the second act, he has to work twice as hard, an exhausting performance that pays off hilariously. Mark Fishback plays Saunders as nonstop neurotic, the control freak with nothing under control. Nic Eastlund’s Max is the softer counterpoint to his boss, a character less fearful than in his prior appearance, but now distracted by the impending birth of his first child. Amy Bodnar puts plenty of fire in her portrayal of Maria, and the same spark is in Jenny Reber’s Mimi. Brynn Tyszka also brings the heat as Racon, working it to comic effect. As Carlo, hunky Jacob Gerard Barnes pratfalls as good as he looks, And when Farrell, Barnes and Eastlund sing, you know this show was cast perfectly.

A fun start to the ATI season, “A Comedy of Tenors” runs through Sept. 30 at The Studio Theater in the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Box office at 317-843-3800 or thecenterpresents.org, or visit atistage.org for information.

‘It is, it is a glorious thing!’ Agape kids plunder another classic

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By John Lyle Belden

A year after their triumphant production of “Les Miserables,” the children and teens of Agape Performing Arts Company take on something much lighter, the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance.”

In this classic piece of British silliness – with its biting satire of Victorian devotion to class, honor and duty – our hero Frederic concludes his indenture as a Pirate (he was to become a sea “pilot,” but there was a misunderstanding). His duty done, he leaves the ship to do what any good English citizen would do: Fight piracy. When he sees the dozen daughters of the local Major General, Frederic dumps his middle-aged nurse, Ruth, and seeks to woo the girls. Naturally, they refuse, except for nightingale-voiced Mabel, who takes pity on him. But as romance blooms, we find we aren’t yet done with the Pirate King and his crew, especially when Ruth reveals a technicality that could bring Frederic back into their ranks for the rest of his life.

As this large production features so much young talent over its two-week run (ending Sunday), many of the roles were double-cast. The leads I saw, in the “Gilbert Cast,” included Alex Bast as Frederic and Carlynn Berners as Mabel. Maura Phipps was impressive as Ruth, and Tekoa Rea-Hedrick nimbly recited the popular patter of the “Modern Major General.” In the “Sullivan Cast,” these roles are played by Aidan Morris, Christina Canaday, Sabrina Duprey and Luke Proctor. Working with both casts are Eli Robinson as the charming and energetic Pirate King, and spry Carter Dills, showing his dancing skill as Sergeant of the reluctant Constables dispatched to confront the pirates.

While the youths and their adult mentors take their stagecraft seriously, evident by the choreography, excellent costuming, and commitment to the comic bits, no matter how slapstick, there was a definite air of fun throughout. Thus, you won’t find this reviewer nitpicking – no doubt flaws and technical issues are being addressed as I write this, readying this crew to sail afresh on Friday. Speaking of which, it is notable that during the curtain call after each performance, all backstage crew members are called on stage to take a bow as well. Everyone’s hard work is appreciated.

Direction is by Kathy Phipps, with student assistant Mikaela Smith; musical director April Barnes, with Alex Bast. Choreography is by Faith Anthony and Arabella Rollison.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday (Sullivan), 3:30 p.m. Saturday (Sullivan), 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Gilbert) and 3:30 p.m. Sunday (Sullivan) at McGowan Hall (Knights of Columbus #437), 1305 N. Delaware in downtown Indianapolis. Info and tickets at www.agapeshows.org.

Agape Performing Arts is a program of Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic Church, Greenwood, Ind.

IndyFringe 2015 Wrap-Up

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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: Ulysses Grant

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By Wendy Carson

In “Ulysses Grant: A Fluxkit Opera,” by Stephen Rush at Theatre on the Square, fact and fiction regarding the titular character are thrown into a blender along with a rewriting of lyrics set to authentic Civil war songs to provide this interestingly comical version of history.

Members of the audience are recruited to fight for both armies and, while only sparingly called upon to participate, have a great time doing so. I strongly suggest you accept your place in the battle as it will increase your enjoyment of this show.

Not as stuffy as either an opera or a history lesson can be, this is a fun show for all ages and a good opportunity to expose younger ones to a new musical form.