Gershwin beats Gangnam

Granted, “Gangnam Style” has more views on YouTube than Gershwin brothers George and Ira. But that’s only because iThings weren’t invented during the Gershwins’ reign as masters of musical theater.

Being an Internet sensation is nice work if you can get it, but such fame is fickle. The Gershwins’ work, which dominated Broadway during the 1920s and 1930s, is still with us today in the current Broadway musical “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”

Seems that iThings everywhere are filled with Gershwin songs from “An American in Paris” to “Someone to Watch Over Me.” But you’ll never see Audra McDonald going Gangnam style on Broadway.

If you’re feeling a certain nostalgia for songs that feel fresh and innocent, for lyrics that tackle quaint topics like true love, it’s time to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the music of George and Ira Gershwin.

Kyle Erickson Hewitt and Kaitlynn Kleinman. Photo courtesy of Phoenix Theatre.

A nifty new musical revue called “ ‘S Wonderful” is being performed by Phoenix Theatre through Sunday, Jan. 6. It features five vignettes with charming themes that span five spaces and places — NYC in 1916, Paris in the ‘30s, Hollywood in the ‘40s, New Orleans in the ‘50s and today.

Together they include 42 Gershwin songs, all beautifully sung by a cast of five who rock the reminiscence vibe.

“ ‘S Wonderful” stars Kaitlynn Kleinman, Kyle Erickson Hewitt, Jenny Hintze, Jenn Taber and Toby Yatso — who couple enormous energy and talent that brings Gershwin to life for even the Gangnam generation.

“ ‘S Wonderful” was conceived and written by Ray Roderick with musical arrangements by Rick Hip-Flores, the only man who could make a set list longer than Springsteen‘s seem to fly by far too quickly.

The show is a lovely choice for youth hoping to up their musical theater quotient, couples eager to enjoy a bit of retro romance (bring a red rose) and those who grew up with the Gershwins’ music.

In addition to the marvelous song and dance fest, I enjoyed seeing how Gershwin lyrics reflect earlier views held by and about women.

“ ‘S Wonderful” is directed and choreographed by Robert Kolby Harper. Think slow dancing, jitterbug, tap and more (complete with tips for three dance styles in the program for those of you who like to try such things at home).

Music direction is by Alan Ruchs, who did conducting/piano duty the night I saw the show with daughter Lizabeth (who tells me it gave her a new appreciation for Gershwin works). Mark Stolper played drums and Chris Rose the bass.

Lighting (Mike Eddy), scenic (Carey Wong) and costume (CeCe Sickler) design are all exceptional. Think giant bass and treble clefs, graceful swirls of musical staffs and rich shades of colors like violet and teal.

Sure, Psy is a snappy dresser. But he’s got nothing on Phoenix Theatre.

— Lynn

Note: “Of Thee I Sing,” the first musical to earn a Pulitzer Prize in drama, featured book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and music by George Gershwin. Click here to explore The Library of Congress “Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.”

Coming up: Art your veggies, The many faces of memory

“Spamalot” is a gas!

I wasn’t all that wild about Monty Python before seeing a touring production of “Spamalot” at ASU Gammage a while back, but that was a conversion experience of sorts — wrought in large measure by the charms of a killer rabbit. I saw the Phoenix Theatre production of “Spamalot,” which opens their 2012/13 season, last Saturday — and felt perfectly satiated in the silly department only a minute or so into the show.

“Spamalot” imagines the quest of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table for the Holy Grail, a cup Jesus is said to have used during a final meal with his disciples. Think Middle Ages meets Vegas showgirls and you’ve got the Phoenix Theatre vibe — a truly extravagent blend of chainmail with cheekiness. Michael Barnard, artistic director for Phoenix Theatre, directs the show and does musical staging.

Cast members of Spamalot. Photo courtesy of Phoenix Theatre.

Monty Python’s “Spamalot” features book (the stuff you don’t sing) and lyrics by Eric Idle, and music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. Its creators say it was “lovingly ripped off” from the motion picture “Monte Python and the Holy Grail,” which features a screenplay by Idle and five other fellows.

“Spamalot” stars U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Phoenix Theatre first-timer Joseph Cannon in the role of Arthur, but it’s David Errigo, Jr. rocking the role of Arthur’s sidekick Patsy who really steals the show. Phoenix Theatre’s own Robert Kolby Harper (Robin) and Toby Yatso (Lancelot) deliver exquisite comedic performances, and Harper seems to truly find his bliss while in tap dancing mode.

Kimberly Hamby brings big, beautiful vocals to the role of Lady of the Lake — hamming it up in ways only “Spamalot” afficianados will fully appreciate. Eddie Maldonado garnered well-deserved outbursts of audience laughter for his portrayal of Prince Herbert — one of many performances that make this take on “Spamalot” feel fresh.

The cast also includes Michael Andrako (Galahad), Jonathan Brian Furedy (Not Dead Fred/Historian/Robin’s Minstrel) and Chris Mascarelli (Bedevere, Herbert’s Father, Galahad’s Mother). Ensemble cast members are Heth’r Brady, Lauren Devine, Trisha Hart Ditsworth, Maris Fernandes, Tyler J. Gasper, Molly Lajoie, Nathaniel Luis, Logan Mitchell, John Wagner, Evan Tyler and Maldonado.

The creative team includes Pasha Yamotahari (assistant director/resident dramaturg), Alan Ruch (music director), Robert Kolby Harper (choreography), Mike Eddy (lighting designer), Robert Kovach (scenic designer), Dave Temby (sound designer), Tim Hatley (costume designer) and Tim Kauffman (hair and make-up designer) and several other fine folks. All delivered fabulous fare.

It’s hard to take anything too far in a show like “Spamalot” but Phoenix Theatre went there while having a tad too much fun with all things flatulent. Sure, the show is a gas — but I didn’t need quite that much of it. Still, it’s a sin easily forgiven in this quest for the holy grail, which turns a time filled with pestilence into such a lavish party.

— Lynn

Coming up: A play about play

Rock the AriZoni Awards

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Performances at Monday’s nights AriZoni Awards included selections from Childsplay’s “Rock the Presidents” (playing this weekend at the TCA), MCC Act I’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (finally, it was a man’s turn to deal with gladiator sandals) and Mesa Encore Theatre’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (think Pharoah chic meets classy tennis wear).

Also Spotlight Youth Theatre’s “Cats” (so much better than my time with a touring production), Creative Stages Youth Theatre’s “Happy Days” (complete with poodle skirts) and Musical Theatre of Anthem’s “13” (featuring some fab hip hop moves). The band was mighty swell as well — playing snippets of “For Good,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Magic to Do” and more.

Both the youth and adult ceremony featured the emcee stylings of Yolanda London (who rocks in “bad cop” mode), Joseph Kremer (who rocks in “shots” mode) and Toby Yatso (who rocks in “empty chair” mode). Alas, Clint Eastwood wasn’t there to see how it’s really done. Probably for the best since Lady Liberty was in the house.

Most speeches were short and sweet, with supportive parents and spouses with a high tolerance for things like clutter getting the most kudos. One especially charming young lady thanked her parents, noting that she literally wouldn’t be here without them, then uttered the “ew” all teens hear in their heads at the thought of grown-ups even kissing.

Three of the night’s best speeches were given by a single man — Kenny Grossman of Spotlight Youth Theatre. He used the second to encourage donations to the Hemophilia Association in support of a theater family recently touched by tragedy. Folks can learn more about that effort by following their upcoming production of “The Yellow Boat.”

Several young actors thanked siblings, while one thanked both parents on the actual home front plus “all my theater moms.” A few — including a teen whose mom was an actor before moving from NYC to have and raise her son — got teary-eyed while giving thanks. And Kelly Crews once again showed sensitivity in delivering a moving memorial to theater folk lost since last year’s ceremony.

Janet Arnold, who nurtured Arizona Jewish Theatre Company through more than two decades, graciously accepted the 2012 Outstanding Contribution Award. Monday was the second night of Rosh Hoshana, and Arnold shared that receiving the special recognition makes for a lovely start of the Jewish New Year.

The best comedic bits of the evening belonged to London, Kremer and Yatso — who imagined politicians wishing shows were shorter so they’d be less costly. Remove all conflict from the plot and you can get most works of theater down to just a few lines. Think “Spring Awakening” reduced to a five second sex talk or “Hairspray” devoid of racism. It’s an act they could easily expand and take on the road.

Watch the AriZoni Awards website for news of this year’s winners, plus four students honored with AriZoni scholarships. Then head to the theater early and often — because getting awards may be all good and fine, but it rarely replaces the thrill of having a truly magical audience.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to learn how you can support longtime Valley theater folk facing serious illness

Coming up: Travel tales, Knights in tights

Seuss sightings

Copperstar Repertory Co. presents Seussical at Higley Center for the Arts in March

Don the striped felt hats and ready the green eggs and ham — because all things Seuss are headed our way as families ready to celebrate the March 2 birthday of the man who brought us all those “things you can think.”

Fountain Hills Youth Theater opens its production of “Seussical Jr.” this Friday, Feb. 3. It’s family-friendly fare featuring favorite Seuss characters including Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie and Jojo.

Front (L to R): Elysha Nemeth and Skylar Bickley, Back (L to R): Emily Spets, Patrick Moyse and Peyton Jordan in Seussical Jr. at Fountain Hills Theater

Musical Theatre of Anthem opens its production of “Seussical Jr.” Feb. 17 at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem. “Seussical Jr.” features songs like “Horton Hears a Who,” “How to Raise a Child,” “It’s Possible,” “Green Eggs and Ham” and “All Alone in the Universe.”

The musical “Seussical” presented by Copperstar Repertory Co., in partnership with Higley Center for the Arts, opens March 23. “Seussical,” which debuted on Broadway in 2000, is based on more than a dozen Seuss stories. It’s longer than the later “Jr.” version and contains a military thread removed from the musical’s adaptations for youth.

I took daughter Lizabeth to see “Seussical” when the touring production starring Cathy Rigsby came to ASU Gammage as part of its 2002-2003 season. She was about 10 years old at the time, and loved everything about it. She still does.

“Seussical” features book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, whose names are as famous to musical theater folk as Dr. Suess is to the rest of us. Flaherty wrote the music for “Seussical,” and Ahrens the lyrics. Their first team venture was a 1988 musical called “Lucky Stiff.”

Lizabeth performed in the Arizona School for the Arts production of “Lucky Stiff” at Greasepaint Youtheatre before heading off to NYC for college theater studies. It was directed by Toby Yatso, who’ll be narrating “Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham” for the Phoenix Symphony on March 17.

Cast members from the Musical Theatre of Anthem production of Seussical, Jr. (Photo: Olga Smirnoff)

“Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham” is being conducted by Joseph Young and performed at the Orpheum in Phoenix. It features Allison Stanford (soprano) and Aaron Zweiback (boy soprano) and Bill Wanser (percussion) as well as Yatso and actors from Valley Youth Theatre. 

I first saw the talented Zweiback perform during a Childsplay Academy performance featuring selections from the musical “Grease,” but he’s since performed with Phoenix Theatre and VYT.

The Phoenix Symphony production allows families to “follow and interact with Sam-I-Am as he rhymes his way through Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham.” It’ll feature “a rendition of Gerald McBoing Boing, an animated short film by Dr. Seuss and selections from Seussical the Musical.”

“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” from the creators of “Despicable Me,” opens in movie theaters nationwide March 2. It follows the adventures of a 12-year-old boy seeking to win the girl of his dreams, and features lots of big names from Zac Efron and Taylor Swift to Betty White and Danny DeVito.

One Seuss, Two Seuss. Theater Seuss, Musical Suess. It’s all good. But I’m still not sporting the big hat.

— Lynn

Note: Check your local libraries and bookstores as Dr. Seuss’ birthday draws near for special Seuss-inspired activities for children and families. Click here to explore a PBS Independent Lens presentation called “The Political Dr. Seuss,” and here to enjoy PBS’ “The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That.”

Coming up: Here piggy, piggy…

Beware the BFF

Yolanda London, Toby Yatso, Cale Epps and Angelica Howland in the Actors Theatre production of Hunter Gatherers directed by Ron May

Playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb envisions the evolving relationship of two couples joined in tandem weddings in “Hunter Gatherers,” being presented by Actors Theatre of Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center through Jan. 15. The couples somehow manage to live apart, but have a lovely little ritual of dining together once each year to keep all that beautiful BFF stuff brewing.

Their latest gathering — or hunt, perhaps — is the stuff of Sinn Nachtrieb’s work. It’s directed by Ron May of Stray Cat Theatre, who’s hailed as “brilliant, very specific, gracious and smart,” by Toby Yatso, who performs the role of Tom. “He knows this play really well,” says Yatso. “It’s been in his heart for a long time.” Yatso descrbes May’s work as “the best version of storytelling.”

“There’s a lot packed into the play,” according to Yatso, who uses the word “intense” to describes its content, scenes and relationships. It’s fast-paced, arsurdist and farcical fare about finding the funny moments in terribly serious lives. “You see yourself in it,” reflects Yatso, “even though something like this would never happen to you.”

The play’s four characters — Pam (Angelica Howland), Richard (Cale Epps), Wendy (Yolanda London) and Tom (Toby Yatso) — have known each other since high school. “Hunter Gatherers” finds them in their mid-thirties, and at a crossroad. “There’s something missing for each of them,” says Yatso. “Some don’t know what it is,” he says. “Some do, but they don’t know how to get it.”

“The nature of the play,” observes Yatso, “is like a great Greek tragedy.” Our human flaws catch up with us, and become obvious to everyone. Even ourselves. London describes it as “an exploration of what it takes to get people to go back to their primal instincts.” Seems her character “doesn’t stop until she gets what she wants.” Best not to be the person who has it.

London notes that characters Pam and Wendy have actually known each other since grade school. “There’s history,” says London, “and ties.” Plus a connection that could be the reason Wendy keeps coming back. London describes the play as “fast, funny, bloody, awesome and honest.” Also unflinchingly and refreshingly honest. “We don’t get to see this honesty in everyday life,” reflects London.

“We hear these people say things lots of us think,” shares London. “Their problems are our problems,” she says. “We all want family, loving friends — to matter.” London says she’s particularly drawn to the “musicality” of the playwright’s words, and shares the director’s fondness for telling stories about people who are messy. “These people,” she says, “are messy.”

So too is the world of sustaining a thriving theater company. Actors Theatre reported late last year that it was in danger of closing up shop due to a severe financial shortfall. The lovely red thermometer on their website shows they’re raised more than 90% of the funds needed to finish out their season and move ahead to a final fundraising phase.

I asked both Yatso and London what losing Actors Theatre would mean to the community. “They’re so talented,” Yatso told me. “If they aren’t here, there’s no one left to do this kind of work.” London made a similar observation  — asking “Who else will be telling these stories?”

There are others producing new and edgy adult fare in the Valley — including May’s own “Stray Cat Theatre” in Tempe, but the companies have distinct flavors and a metropolis of our size needs more, rather than fewer, theater companies offering challenging works that raise issues at the very heart of our common humanity.

Actors work for theater companies, of course, so losing a theater means lost job opportunities — and the domino effect that brings for families and communities. “Actors Theatre keeps us working,” says London. But there’s more, she says. Much more. “Actors Theater is brave and adventurous.”

Happily, managing director Erica McKibben Black noted before Sunday’s performance that the company’s board of directors has voted to finish out the season — so Valley audiences can look forward to “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” and “Body Awareness” as Actors Theatre continues its fundraising drive for a future beyond just this season.

Sunday’s performance of “Hunter Gatherers” was, by the way, quite well executed. It’s full of primal urges, mostly for food and sex, realized in sometimes violent ways — making it appropriate for grown-ups who are comfortable with such things, or those who relish a bit of discomfort for the sake of art or self-reflection.

Physical comedy abounds and it’s exceptional. Every actor gives a compelling performance, but Epps is the pivotal player as best laid plans are both realized and unraveled. I’ll never look at drumsticks, oven mitts, freezer bags or wall art in quite the same way. Keep tearing down those walls, Actors Theatre. Sometimes we all need a good hard look in the mirror.

— Lynn

Note: “Hunter Gatherers” features mature content and adult language. Yatso says families with teens who see and discuss a lot of mature theater together may be fine with the material, but cautions against anyone under age 16 seeing the work alone due to mature themes (As a mom I might have said 18, or 29). Click here for tickets, and here if you might like to make a donation. Updated 1/1/12

Coming up: Words have power

Once upon a concert

“Guess what Lizabeth is doing this evening?” My husband greeted me with the question after I got home from a day spent at the Arizona Humanities Festival in downtown Phoenix. Earlier in the week, our youngest daughter lamented being bored. “She lives in Manhattan,” James mused at the time, “and she can’t find anything to do.”

Of course, there’s always something happening in New York City. The trick is making it in Manhattan on a college student’s budget, and Lizabeth has long been mindful of the fact that money doesn’t grow on trees. She called home while I was out to ask about getting tickets for the nosebleed section of a concert at Carnegie Hall.

Lizabeth called home after the concert too, eager to talk with us about her adventure. This was about 10:30pm our time, one of many clues that Lizabeth is adapting to life in the “city that never sleeps.”

She’d jumped a subway to make the trek from her university near the World Trade Center to the 59^th Street/Columbus Street station – putting her near Columbus Circle, where big names in protest music had performed “We Shall Overcome” for “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrators just a day before.

When I mentioned Pete Seeger’s participation in the march to Columbus Circle, Lizabeth noted that she’d seen Seeger-related materials while exploring some exhibits before taking her seat for the show. Seems one of Seeger’s most famous solo concerts took place at Carnegie Hall exactly thirty years to the day before Lizabeth, our youngest, was born.

Her favorite finds at the Rose Museum and Archive included a baton used by conductor Leonard Bernstein, a scarf worn by dancer Isadora Duncan and eyeglasses worn by singer Ella Fitzgerald. Also a signed photo of George Gershwin, a record signed by Judy Garland, a program signed by Luciano Pavarotti and a program signed by all four Beatles. 

Liz was thrilled to meet Audra McDonald in NYC

Lizabeth was at Carnegie Hall that evening to hear Audra McDonald, who’ll perform the role of Bess in “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” which begins previews at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Dec. 17. Somehow we’d missed her performance at last year’s “ARTrageous” event at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

I love talking with Lizabeth after she’s experienced a performance. She observes and describes them with what I’ve always considered a writer’s eye, though it’s clearly part of the acting craft as well – something Lizabeth is studying at Pace University. She started by telling me about McDonald’s stunning midnight blue gown, and shared that catching her first glimpse of McDonald on stage brought tears to her eyes.

Lizabeth started voice lessons several years ago, studying first with Toby Yatso — one of her beloved theater teachers at Arizona School for the Arts. He’d encouraged her to listen to McDonald’s recordings, and shared his love along the way for all things Audra. The majesty of her first Carnegie Hall experience left Lizabeth remembering Yatso, one of many teachers who helped her make all those dreams of studying acting in New York a reality.

Lizabeth stayed after the show for an hour or so, waiting by the stage door to tell McDonald how much she enjoyed the performance — eager to tell her about Yatso’s devotion to her work and the way she’d felt moved by that evening’s performance.

But a group of women, “groupies” in a not-so-lovely sense of the word, pushed their way past others waiting patiently in line — only to position themselves directly in front of the stage door, “practically jumping on McDonald” as she exited with her young daughter after the show.

Lizabeth was hoping to chat briefly with McDonald, but decided by the time they met, that keeping it brief would be best. She asked for two autographs — one for Yatso and another for herself — and accepted when McDonald graciously offered to pose with her for a photo. Lizabeth told me she thought it better to let McDonald’s daughter get home to bed than to keep her any longer.

Lizabeth thanked McDonald for making time to meet and greet the folks who’d come to hear her sing that evening, then hopped a subway back to her dorm — where foot blisters from all that NYC walking got bandaged as a proud mama relished telephone time with a daughter making all kinds of strides in the world.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to enjoy a recent NPR interview with Audra McDonald, here to read a review of the concert written by Stephen Holden of The New York Times and here to visit McDonald’s Facebook page. Click here to learn more about this year’s “ARTrageous” event in Scottsdale.

Coming up: Local stage offerings from Shakespeare to Disney

Focus on forgiveness

I’m not Jewish, or much of anything else for that matter. Most days I’m satisfied with simply doing my best to be a good person. There’s plenty that needs doing in the here and now, so musings on an afterlife feel a luxury at best.

Still, I pause each year to really reflect on the meaning of a Jewish holiday called Yom Kippur, also known as the “Day of Atonement.” It’s right up there with Thanksgiving for me because forgiveness and gratitude are so essential to everyday life.

I hadn’t realized, when making plans to see Phoenix Theatre’s opening night performance of a lesser-known musical called “The Spitfire Grill,” that the themes of gratitude and forgiveness were so prevalent in the work.

“The Spitfire Grill” is peppered with characters who have imposing pasts but retreating futures. It’s set in a small, rural town that speaks authentically to the experiences of anyone who has ever lived in one. 

L to R: Jeannie Shubitz (Shelby), Trisha Hart Ditsworth (Percy), Toby Yatso (Joe) and Barbara McBain as Hannah in the Phoenix Theatre production of The Spitfire Grill

“The Spitfire Grill” has just a handful of characters — a widow who owns the grill, an ex-con who takes a job there and the law enforcement type who makes it possible. Also a town gossip and a couple whose relationship changes as the man feels his masculinity challenged by his wife’s discovery of life outside the laundry room. And a final character central to the musical’s themes of shame and loss.

The cast is a delightul mix of actors who’ve often graced the Phoenix Theatre stage (Johanna Carlisle as Effy, Rusty Ferracane as Caleb and Toby Yatso as Joe) and those making a Phoenix Theatre debut (Jason Barth as Eli and Trisha Hart Ditsworth as Percy). Barbara McBain returns to Phoenix Theatre as Hannah and Jeannie Shubitz returns as Shelby.

If you like spunky or feisty women, you’ll find them at “The Spitfire Grill.” As events unfold, one woman is forced to confront her goodness as another learns to embrace her power. Two face the loss of a child, and learn to let go of the shame they need never have carried. The men feel less transformed somehow, but that could be my chromosomes talking.

L to R: Trisha Hart Ditsworth (Percy), Barbara McBain (Hannah) and Jeannie Shubitz (Shelby) undergo profound transformation in The Spitfire Grill at Phoenix Theatre

There’s much to love about “The Spitfire Grill.” Dialogue like Percy’s “If a wound goes real deep, can the healin’ feel just as bad as what caused it?” Music, rich in strings, that leaves you just a little bit tempted to get up and square dance, two-step or do a jig. And storytelling praised by many who attended opening night as “simple” and “straightforward.”

Several of the songs, slower ballads that soar like the birds they sometimes reference, are among the most beautiful pieces I’ve heard in the world of musical theater — reminding me of other favorites like “Maybe” from “Next to Normal.” Ordering the cast album from the folks who created “The Spitfire Grill” is high on my “to do” list.

“The Spitfire Grill,” directed for Phoenix Theatre by Brad Carroll, is based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff (though the film and the musical have entirely different endings). It features music by James Valcq, lyrics by Fred Alley, and book by both Valcq and Alley.

Alan Ruchs serves as musical director for this production (he’s the resident musical director at Phoenix Theatre). Mike Eddy serves as director of production and lighting designer. Robert Andrew Kovach serves as scenic designer. All perform brilliantly in making “The Spitfire Grill” at Phoenix Theatre a moving experience for theater-goers.

While “The Spitfire Grill” has been dubbed “a musical about second chances,” I’m not convinced that tagline does it justice. Plenty of people get the gift of a second chance nowadays without undergoing any real change.

“The Spitfire Grill” is more of a transformation tale — a story of family and forgiveness rooted in very real evolutions of self. A world without forgiveness for self, others and sometimes even the universe, is a miserable one indeed.

“The Spitfire Grill” is a lovely gem of a musical reminding us all to let go and let live.

— Lynn

Note: Phoenix Theatre is undergoing its own transformation, which you can learn more about or get more involved with by clicking here.

Coming up: Who’s munching who?, Before there was Zuccotti Park…

Resume tips for young actors

During a recent episode of Lifetime’s “Dance Moms,” lead dance instructor Abby Lee Miller of Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh invited a Broadway casting agent to her studio.

The agent held individual auditions with young “Dance Moms” cast members, inviting them to sing as well as dance. He also attended a showcase performance meant to spotlight student talents. (Never mind the solo by a mom with misguided mojo.)

While preparing dancers for the experience, Miller explained that three things are needed for auditions — a resume, a headshot and talent. But details were sorely lacking, perhaps because there’s little drama in offering sound resume advice.

A lovely headshot of Maren Maclean photographed by Larry Stone

So I turned to Valley director, actor, coach and instructor Maren Maclean for thoughts on a few of the finer points. Whether your child performs in theater, music or dance, you’ll want to keep track (from the beginning) of training and performance experiences.

It’s hard to construct a complete and accurate resume if you haven’t kept track of the data. Saving programs in a single location is your best bet on this one, and you should start with that very first show (even if it’s just a summer camp show for family and friends).

We went many years without compiling information about our daughter Lizabeth’s music, dance and theater experiences — making the process of crafting her first acting resume more tedious than it might have been otherwise.

When it came to time to finesse the finer points (and to choose the best head shot), we called on Maclean — who does private coaching — for expert advice. For those of you just now putting those resumes together, Maclean shares the following tips:

Tip #1: “Never lie, trust me.”

“Don’t make up the names of theatres to hide that it really was your high school production. Be proud of the high school credit and give credit where credit is due. The theatre world is too small and we talk too much.”

Tip #2: “Take lots of classes.”

‘Take lots of classes and add the details to the ‘training’ portion of your resume. Every class is important and the instructor is a direct facet to your profession[al] theatre network!”

Tip #3: “A one page resume means a one page resume.”

“Don’t go back more than 8-10 years. List pertinent info and learn to let go. It’s hard but a 12 year old credit that you are so proud of can be listed on your website, not on the third page of your five page resume.”

Maclean’s own resume is posted online, so you can visit her website to see a sample. Young actors seeking to polish their auditioning skills have several options. Valley director, actor and teacher Toby Yatso once told me that the best way for Lizabeth to boost her audition skills was to audition. In many ways, it’s about learning by doing.

Joe Kremer and Maren Maclean in a 2010 Phoenix Theatre production of Noises Off! (Photo by Laura Durant)

But there are plenty of places to study and practice auditioning — including acting studios and theater companies. Also private acting coaches who can offer one-on-one instruction and notes.

Recently I read through the 2011-12 class listings for Voices, a music and arts studio in Scottsdale. Their offerings include “Audition Techniques” for 9-12 year olds and “Auditioning Skills” for 13-18 years olds.

If your teen is auditioning for college theater programs, snag those audition requirements early. He’ll want plenty of time to select, learn and polish both monologues and musical selections, which may vary by college or conservatory.

Above all, model calm and collected behavior for your child. Even the super-talented young “Dance Moms” cast members buckled under the pressure after seeing both teacher and parents in nervous-wreck mode.

Your child’s first resumes and early auditions won’t be perfect. But trust your child to live and learn a bit of it on his own. Surround your child with supportive teachers and mentors, and do some of your own letting go.

— Lynn

Note: Plenty of actors post their resumes online too, making it easy to check out what sorts of formats and such are out there. Click here to see the resume for Kyle Harris, who holds a BFA in acting from the University of Arizona. Harris performs the role of Tony in a touring production of “West Side Story” coming to ASU Gammage next month.

Coming up: Finding audition opportunities for children and teens, Fall Glee camp, Tea parties without politics, Dance and disabilities

Review: “Oedipus for Kids!”

“Oedipus for Kids!” is one of 30 musicals in this year’s New York Musical Theatre Festival, but you don’t have to fly across the country to enjoy it. The Valley’s own Nearly Naked Theatre is presenting the work through Sept 10 at  The Little Theatre at Phoenix Theatre.

Before you go, a few things you should know. It’s adult material not suitable for children. And it’s full of all the things you’d expect in a tale of Oedipus Rex — except the gore. There’s no blood during the eye scene — just curious squirts from a pair of cleverly concealed creamer containers — although a final scene does get messy when a character takes a baklava knife in the back.

I attended the Aug 21 performance with my daughter Lizabeth, part of her informal “farewell tour” before leaving for college theater studies in NYC.  I felt torn, knowing I’d have to miss the National Youth Theatre Awards at the Herberger Theater Center that night.

“Oedipus for Kids!” is directed by Toby Yatso, one of Lizabeth’s teachers for many years at Arizona School for the Arts, and Sunday was her only real opportunity to say “thanks” and share a bit of goodbye banter. It just didn’t feel right to miss this bit of his work after all he’s meant to my daughter.

Sunday’s audience included several older teens, including ASA theater major Nicole Speth, who seemed disappointed that others weren’t catching the show’s many references to Greek mythology. Speth was delighted about putting all those studies of Greek mythology during sophomore year to good use.

Don’t send your teens if you’re convinced they’ve never experienced foul language akin to the title of a Broadway show starring Chris Rock that closed just last month. “Oedipus for Kids!” is anything but politically correct when it comes to topics like suicide and disabilities. It’s the spoofs of political correctness, Greek weddings, children’s entertainment and actors who take themselves too seriously that make this show such a killer comedy.

Still, “Oedipus for Kids!” is tame by some Nearly Naked standards. Yatso describes it as pretty typical fare in terms of content, but notes that unlike other works from this theater company, there’s no nudity. Only underwear. And simulated sex behind a rack of costumes. That’s a relief.

I’m a big admirer of Nearly Naked’s work (and that of founding artistic director Damon Dering), though I don’t really have what it takes to hit every show. In quaint parlance, I suppose I’m a bit of a prude when it comes to artistry meeting anatomy. “Oedipus for Kids!” is perfect for those of us ready to dip only our big toe into the water.

Folks who relish the risque know that this is where to find it. Still, I expect to see more Nearly Naked shows than usual this season because their five-show line-up includes a tantalizing take on “Romeo and Juliet” and the local premiere of “Spring Awakening” (a joint venture with Phoenix Theatre featuring direction by Damon and Phoenix Theatre’s Robert Kolby Harper).

“Oedipus for Kids!” features book by Gil Varod and Kimberly Patterson, lyrics by Gil Varod and music by Robert J. Saferstein (who also provides additional material). It’s published by Samuel French, which offers a summary of the work — a play within a play — on its website.

Charles Isherwood of The New York Times describes “Oedipus for Kids!” as “a spoof of children’s theater, with some truly funny songs and endearlingly loopy performances from a cast of just three.” The three are members of a fictional theater troupe specializing in performing the classics for children.

After success with the likes of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” Fuzzy Duck Theatre Company decides to tackle “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. Seems two troupe members are in the middle of a nasty divorce, and the third is an actor with “questionable methods.”

Samuel French notes that “off-stage disagreements between the cast members spill onstage.” Think “Noises Off!” with less booze and more blood. Their description also mentions “flesh wounds” and “fornication” — making it clear that this is an adults-only piece.

I’m told that the show’s two writers contacted Nearly Naked after learning they’d be mounting “Oedipus for Kids!” — offering to share updates to the work. Apparently this is the first full-scale production to feature those updates, and Varod and Patterson will attend the final Friday performance to see the result (and stay for a talkback with audience members).

The cast of Nearly Naked’s “Oedipus for Kids!” includes Johanna Carlisle (Catalina/Mommy/Jocasta/Oracle), Doug Loynd (Allistair/Lauis/Tedipus/Sphinxy) and Chad McCluskey (Evan/Oedipus). Aya Nameth, set to graduate next fall with a B.A. in theatre performance from ASU, is the Catalina understudy.

Carlisle is a veteran Valley actress whose program bio notes that her favorite role is that of mom to her son Maxx. Maxx Carlisle-King is a gifted teen actor currently appearing as “Sketch” in the Valley Youth Theatre production of “Hairspray” at the Herberger Theater Center.

Loynd’s bio recalls boyhood days in California spent acting, singing and dancing, Also sewing — which explains his skill as costume designer for Nearly Naked’s “Oedipus for Kids!” It also offers an homage of sorts to the cats he credits with “urging him to continue his passion.” More proof that the best artists owe it all to their cats.

Chad McCluskey “hails from foggy Newfoundland” and studies “Secondary Education: Chemistry” at ASU. Let’s hope some well-meaning parents won’t use McCluskey’s bio to lecture their own child with acting plans about the practicality of things like teaching degrees and “real jobs.”

McCluskey’s comedic performance in “Oedipus for Kids!” is the one to beat this season. “Oedipus for Kids!” is a gem of a show. Yatso’s directing sensibilities are perfectly matched to this work, which also features his choreography.

Musical direction by Mark 4man kicks the energy of “Oedipus for Kids!” into high gear. It helps to have songs like “A Little Complex” and “Be Kind to the Blind” to start with. And volunteers willing to join cast members on stage for a song about the plague.

But 4man’s music tracks, created at home with his keyboard according to Yatso, give the feel of a live band. Songs played before each act opens make for fantastic foreplay. As it should be for the opening of Nearly Naked’s 13th season.

— Lynn

Note: Those of you seeking Oedipus tales for younger audiences can click here.

Coming up: “Titus Andronicus” opens the Southwest Shakespeare Company season

The many faces of Childsplay

I’ll be donning my party clothes Friday night to join the fine folks of Childsplay for their “Childsplay Celebrates Its Greatest Hits Gala,” which kicks off at 6pm at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort.

Memories of my last Childsplay shindig are still fresh. And fabulous. Think all the energy and fun of a Childsplay production for children translated into the realm of grown-ups — but with no less imagination and wonder.

Lillian Castillo (L) and D. Scott Withers in a Phoenix Theatre photo by Laura Durant

I’ve had Childsplay on the brain lately because it seems that everywhere I turn I discover another Childsplay artist lending his or her talents to additional creative enterprises — from television commercials to musical theater productions in other parts of the country.

D. Scott Withers, who performed the role of “Edna Turnblad” in this season’s Phoenix Theatre production of “Hairspray,” has been reprising the role with Arkansas Repertory Theatre (along with Lillian Castillo, who plays “Tracy Turnblad”) in a production that runs through May 8.

Jon Gentry (L) and D. Scott Withers perform in a Childsplay production of A Year With Frog and Toad (Photo: Heather Hill)

Allison Couture, whose husband recently left the touring production of “Billy Elliot The Musical” to accept a role in “Jersey Boys” on Broadway, worked for a time with the children in the “Billy Elliot” cast. Both are now NYC-bound.

Israel Jimenez, who teaches at Arizona School for the Arts, is known to many as “the face of SRP.” You’ll see his mug in commercials and on billboards throughout the Valley. Jimenez teaches ballroom dance at a local Fred Astaire Dance Studio (swoon) and is readying to direct “Frida” for Teatro Bravo.

Kim Manning is currently performing the role of “Liliane La Fleur” in the musical “Nine” at Phoenix Theatre, which you can enjoy through May 8.

Molly Lajoie Plutnicki teaches dance at Mesa Arts Academy and also keeps busy choreographing various theater productions. She’s both director and choreographer for Greasepaint Youtheatre’s “Schoolhouse Rock,” opening Fri, May 6 at Stagebrush Theatre in Scottsdale.

Yolanda London in a Black Theatre Troupe photo by Laura Durant

Yolanda London is rehearsing for “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” a one-woman show about the life of singer Billie Holiday that Black Theatre Troupe of Phoenix opens May 13.

Todd Hulet recently staged a production of his original musical titled “The Wheels on the Bus” for Ovation! Musical Theatre Bainbridge in Washington.

Toby Yatso teaches at Arizona School for the Arts, and is nearly impossible to keep up with when it comes to acting, directing and other theater gigs throughout the Valley.

Yolanda London performs in the Childsplay production of Tomato Plant Girl (Photo: Heather Hill)

My soon to be 18-year-old daughter Lizabeth has trained with the talented artists of Childsplay for at least half her lifetime. She’s taken classes, attended summer camps, participated in the Childsplay conservatory program and more.

Childsplay has given her extraordinary opportunities to study with several of the Valley’s very finest theater talents — those noted above and many others. 

As we attend the “Childsplay Celebrates” gala Friday night, I’ll be celebrating not only the arts in education programs that’ll be funded with event proceeds, but the many gifts this theater company has bestowed on us.

— Lynn

Note: Click here  for “Childsplay Celebrates Its Greatest Hits Gala” event and ticketing information. The evening features cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, dinner and entertainment. (Bring your teacher, birthday and holiday gift lists to snag all sorts of fun finds at the auction.) Click here for a full roster of Childsplay company and staff (including associate artists, members of the acting company, teaching artists and others).

Coming: Valley museums celebrate “International Museum Day” with special events and discounts

Call for children’s artwork: I’m looking for photos, drawings, paintings and such with a garden theme for Friday’s post celebrating “National Public Gardens Day.” To submit your child’s work for possible use in the garden post, please send it to me at rakstagemom@gmail.com no later than 5pm Thurs, May 5 (include your child’s first name, age, city and your contact info too). Thanks!