Sunday, September 22, 2024

"Urinetown" @ Great Escape Stage Company - 9/12/24 - 9/22/24

  

Our musical is set a couple decades after the coming "Stink Years," a time in the not-distant-enough future when we've recklessly depleted the groundwater to the point where the only drops of liquid you'll find in Brooks Memorial Fountain are the result of illegal public urination -- a crime that's gone from what was today a mere misdemeanor (don't ask how we know this) to what becomes a one-way ticket to the dreaded but mysterious Urinetown. All law-abiding folk must save their pennies to use the public amenities charging outrageous, ever-increasing fees to keep the pee off the streets and to keep their evil Monopoly guys vacationing in Rio. It's a situation ripe for fertilizing the seeds of revolution. Sort of like the Boston Tea Party...but different. To drive home the theme, Great Escape Stage Company went that extra mile and somehow scheduled the start of their production to coincide with the end days of a summer drought here in Marshall. 

Bobby Strong emerges as this revolution's George Washington after his father is literally dragged offstage to Urinetown, with James Bleeker Jr. giving a great performance as the wide-eyed, sweet-faced public amenity employee who leads the desperate townspeople with a mixture of courage, fear, strength, and even brains (if they have to). But especially leading them with heart, which he finds thanks to his newfound relationship with the ever-hopeful Hope Cladwell. Riley Wilson hysterically captures Hope's journey through her early naivety and romanticism, to doubting daughter, to reluctant hostage, to fiery rebel leader even more drunk with power than her dear old dad.

Said dad is Caldwell B. Cladwell, the ruthless CEO of UGC (Urine Good Company), with Charles Burr gleefully hamming it up as he tries to teach Hope to not be a victim like a helpless little bunny, and instead crush little bunnies and make slippers out of 'em. He and the cast of freakishly devoted employees, along with Director/Choreographer Kim Forde, have some fun with this one including having Cladwell construct the bunny slippers like a mad scientist behind his dancing employees and bopping same employees over the head with a mallet for the various musical notes like Maria playing Do-Re-Mi on the Van Trapp children. Lisa Perez shines as his enthusiastic accomplice, lording over her public amenity with intimidating swagger and knocking out her big Privilege to Pee number as she lays down the law.

As both narrators and participants in this zany satire are the impressive comedic talents of Chris Howell as Officer Lockstock and Kelly Van Ryswyck as poor local urchin Little Sally. Chris relishes his power as sadistic Lockstock while affably explaining the plot to his inquisitive young sidekick, while Kelly is adorably curious and sympathetic to the rebellion in her over-the-top little girlish guise, ever desperate herself for those pennies that can help her survive to pee another day -- especially so after Lockstock abruptly and traumatically reveals to her the terrifying secret that is Urinetown.

The rest of the cast adds so much to the show throughout including super-creepy Senator Fipp (Antonio Barroso), Rudy Gauna as Lockstock's very eager right-hand man Officer Barrel, and Bobby's despairing parents (Evan Marshall and Sarrah Riddle). Most of the musical numbers are big ensemble scenes, and they all lend their quirky personalities and talents for highlights of the show including Jaiden Cowles and Bethany Barroso leading the cast in a frenzy to Snuff That Girl and Bobby Strong leading everyone in the catchy, holy rolling chorus of Run, Freedom, Run! that's sure to inspire everyone to fight for the right to pee wherever they want, whenever they want, and with whomever they want.

Rob Hopper
Marshall Arts

Photos: Jeff Wilson's Event Photography

Lockstock - Chris Howell 
Little Sally - Kelly Van Ryswyk 
Bobby - James Bleecker 
Penelope Pennywise - Lisa Perez 
Calhoun County Senior Services Caldwell D Cladwell - Charles Burr 
Hope Cladwell - Riley Wilson 
Senator Fipp - Antonio Barroso 
Officer Barrel - Rudy Gauna 
Mr. McQueen - Jeremy Riddle
Josephine "Ma" Strong/UGC Executive/Police - Sarrah Riddle 
Joseph "Old Man" Strong/UGC Executive/Police - Evan Marshall 
Tiny Tom/UGC Executive/Police - Elliott Behrendt 
Soupy Sue/Mrs. Millennium/UGC Executive/Police - Sereah Skutt 
Little Becky Two Shoes/UGC Executive/Police - Bethany Barroso 
Hot Blades Harry/UGC Executive/Police - Jaiden Cowles
Billy Boy Bob/Dr. Billeaux/UGC Executive/Police - Michael Taylor-Stewart 
Robby the Stockfish/UGC Executive/Police - Patricia Quispe

Director/Choreographer - Kim Forde 
Assistant Director - Randy Lake 
Music Director - Elinor Marsh
Technical Director - Chris Howell























































Sunday, February 18, 2024

"Footloose" @ The Franke Center Youth Theater - 2/15/24 - 2/18/24

The blockbuster 1984 movie Footloose, with its equally blockbuster soundtrack, was adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. It’s a story about the power of dance, freedom, family, and empathy, centering around high school senior Ren McCormack. When his father leaves, Ren and his mother are forced to move from the big city of Chicago to the little Podunk town of Bomont. A small town that greets outsiders with wary eyes. Especially wild, big-city, odd-named kids like Ren who like to dance – a forbidden activity since the death of a carload of local teenagers following a night of dancing and drinking. And it’s a prohibition that the controlling moral force in the town, Reverend Shaw Moore, is determined to enforce as if the souls of everyone, including his own, depended on it.

Footloose @ The Franke is a dance not to be missed with a remarkably deep cast of talented actors, singers, and dancers. Ryan Murphy is new boy Ren showing off some impressive dance moves and vocals from his solo I Can't Stand Still to becoming the school's charismatic leader in I'm Free/Heaven Help the Man. Lucy Gensch shines as Ariel both in the strong, sassy & confident (The Girl Gets Around featuring an impressive Shane Klepper as her truly dangerous bad boy boyfriend Chuck Cranston), and in the sad and vulnerable. Ren and Ariel work well together, especially as they bond on the bridge through the pain each has endured and in their duet Almost Paradise.

Ariel's father Rev. Shaw Moore has Andrew Root trying to come to grips with the uncompromising and judgmental pastor he's become since the death of his son, giving a particularly poignant performance in a powerful scene with Ren as his mistakes with Ariel, his wife, and his congregation begin to dawn on him. Mary Claire Davis as his wife Vi Moore, and Hallie Machalka as Ren's mother Ethel, both deliver good performances as the other adults in the room dealing with family and community tensions and with some nice subtle humor. They meld together with Ariel for a touching Learning to be Silent.

Ren's new friend Willard is a riot with Gunnar Ousley serving up great gobs of belly laughs throughout highlighted by his singing the praises of his crazy Mama and learning how to dance. The latter feat inspired by long-time flirter, first-time dater Rusty, with triple-threat Ciara Funk knocking it out of the honky-tonk with fantastic vocals and humor. Kaya Oswald as Urleen and Eliza MacQuaig as Wendy Jo pile onto those vocals and humor with Rusty as Ariel's circle of true friends, but also on a serious note as they warn Ren of the trouble residents can face under the overly watchful glare of their neighbors in Somebody's Eyes. All four friends and the female ensemble combine for a showstopper performance of Holding Out for a Hero.  

Director Jennifer Conley Darling and her creative team have put together a terrific production in all facets. Co-choreographers Beau Hutchings and Kathryn Kennedy-Grable have a ton of creative, clever fun with the show that enhance the numbers and that the cast excels in. That cast is wardrobed in some good 80s fashions (Allison Ebner & Amy Jones) and as well as some timely hair/makeup. The vocals are a hit up-and-down the cast (Music Director Dr. Laura "Doc" Gilbertson). It all adds up to a great night out at the theater with the full ensemble rocking the classic numbers from Somebody's Eyes to Holding Out for a Hero to I'm Free/Heaven Help the Man to some C/W fun in Still Rockin' led nicely by Jordan Harrell, the big Let's Hear It For the Boy, the boys in Mama Says, and everyone joining in at the big dance in the Footloose finale.

 "Footloose" @ The Franke Center Youth Theater - 2/15/24 - 2/18/24

Ariel: Lucy Gensch
Rev. Shaw: Andrew Root
Vi: Mary Claire Davis
Willard: Gunnar Ousley
Rusty: Ciara Funk
Wendy Jo: Kaya Oswald
Ethel: Hallie Machalka
Ensemble:
Luke Bierbaum
Gianna DeCola
Lucy Giesen
Noah French
Chance Hamilton
Lisa Hammer
Jordan Harrell
Whitney Ivey
Anna Lincoln
Jack Marsh
Robert Munden
Olive Parham
Laya Rodriguez Cabrero
Bella Rupp
Kayla Smith
Alaina Stafford
Joseph Steele
Samantha Stults
Aubrey Tarkiewicz
Angel Warner
Mollie Weaver
Leia Young

Director: Jennifer Conley Darling
Music Director: Dr. Laura Gilbertson
Choreographers: Beau Hutchings and Kathryn Grable
Co-Producers: Allison Ebner and Candace Ivey
Costume Designers: Allison Ebner & Amy Jones
Set Design: Kathy Seifert
Light Design: Logan Lowe
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Kayla Langford
Production Stage Manager: Kristin Holbrook
Props Master: Josie Parish
Assistant Music Director: Natalie Traynor
Sound Engineer: Lyra Duyck
Cast Photos: Jeff Wilson



























"Urinetown" @ Great Escape Stage Company - 9/12/24 - 9/22/24

    Our musical is set a couple decades after the coming "Stink Years," a time in the not-distant-enough future when we've rec...