Author: Colin Douglas
Hitchcock Heightens into Hilarity
The 39 Steps
Imagine if someone took the grandaddy of the chase film, a classic Alfred Hitchcock mystery/thriller, and turned it into a laugh-out-loud farce. Well, the result is this play that features nonstop action and parodies the 1935 Hitchcock film. That movie had been adapted (four times, in fact) from a 1915 novel by John Buchan. And while this theatrical script overflows with diabolical murders, criminal intrigue and villainous spies, and is filled with a large cast of colorful characters, the gimmick of this theatrical version is that only four actors play all the roles. Therein lies the source of humor for this Monty Python-like comedy.
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You Make Me Wanna Shout!
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
Today, jukebox and biographical musicals make up a large portion of the productions playing on Broadway and the West End, and the public absolutely adores them. Telling the life story of a world-famous celebrity, while liberally peppering it with a playlist of the artist’s most beloved songs, has become a theatrical staple. But back in 1989 this was a new style of musical. Written by Alan James, and supported by Sir Paul McCartney (who owns the rights to the music), brought “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” to London’s Victoria Palace Theatre. This toe-tapping, high energy musical story, which eventually transferred to Broadway, depicted the meteoric rise to fame of rock and roll legend Buddy Holly. proving to be an absolute crowd-pleaser, it played for 12 years and began a new trend of theatre called the jukebox musical. That trend continues today with shows like “Jersey Boys,” “Ain’t Too Proud,” “Tina” and “MJ.”
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Renegades on the Run
Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon
A very funny, quirky, offbeat and totally unique musical comedy is playing at Lookingglass Theatre and it’s an absolute winner! With an unusual story and script, plus an original Country/Western score, both written by Artistic Associate, Matthew C. Yee (“Treasure Island,” “Moby Dick,” at Lookingglass Theatre) I can guarantee that theatergoers will not only laugh their faces off, but also delight in discovering a completely new theatrical experience.
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On the Right Track
Pippin
A disoriented young man wanders onto the stage to a bed. He appears glassy-eyed and looks quite bewildered. Suddenly, from out of the mattress leaps the Leading Player, a supernatural-like sorcerous, colorfully decked out in black, red and silver. This mysterious, magical being encourages the youth, with a large bottle of pills in hand, to “Join us, leave your fields to flower; join us, leave your cheese to sour; Come and waste an hour or two.” Where, exactly is she luring this befuddled boy, and why? Is she tempting him with options for living or seducing him with a drug-induced escape from life through suicide?
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Here She Is Boys, Here’s Rose
Gypsy
Everyone wants approval and attention, to be noticed, to be liked. In the eyes of many people, becoming successful is equated with being loved. This is the universal theme that propels this classic show that playwright Arthur Laurents subtitled, “A Musical Fable.” While on the surface, this is a show business saga. It’s a success story that’s set in the world of theater, particularly in Vaudeville and Burlesque of the 20’s and 30’s. The story is also a twist on the Hans Christian Andersen tale of “The Ugly Duckling,” where a homely, awkward young bird grows up to become a beautiful, graceful swan. But because everybody, regardless of gender, age or occupation, harbors the need to be noticed, praised and loved, “Gypsy” is a fable for every one of us.
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The Odd Couple
Shaw vs. Tunney
When a reporter went to interview the famous up-and-coming prizefighter, Gene Tunney, he noticed that his modest mountain cabin was filled with—of all things—books! The writer asked the pugilist what he was reading and he replied, The Way of All Flesh, by Samuel Butler. Why? Because Tunney had found it for 50 cents at a thrift shop and it had contained a preface by his favorite author and playwright, George Bernard Shaw.
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You Know, You Simply Want to Shout!
The Real Housewives of Motown
Like so many audience members at the Press Opening, I grew up on the Motown Sound. A native of Detroit, the soundtrack of my youth and teenage years were the songs of the Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Little Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson, The Four Tops and The Temptations, among so many others. Hit tunes, like “Dancing in the Street,” “Stop in the Name of Love,” “My Girl,” “Tracks of My Tears,” and “Fingertips” kept me rocking and rolling, while they blasted out of the tiny speaker of my transistor radio.
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A Celebration of Life
The Gospel at Colonus
The Court Theatre closes its 2022/2023 season with what can only be described as a jubilant musical and dramatic celebration of life. I defy audiences to sit quietly, casually and passively just observing this pulsating production. If you aren’t clapping your hands, you’re bobbing your head to the beat; if you’re not actively participating in the kind of call-and-response tradition found in a Pentecostal Church service, you’re at the very least emotionally engaged. Theatergoers will find themselves filled with exultation at this ancient story brought into the twenty-first century. And if none of these things apply, you might want to check your pulse.
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The Butterfly Effect
Tango
When a small, seemingly insignificant occurrence causes or contributes to other, larger and more dramatic events, we call this the Butterfly Effect. At one time, it used to be referred to as Chaos Theory. This belief that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings might actually create tiny changes in the atmosphere that would bring about something catastrophic, like a tornado or a typhoon, is a more poetic turn of phrase. Such a phenomenon is the premise of Joel Tan’s two-act drama, now having its American premiere at PrideArts.
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To Tell the Truth
The Whistleblower
James A. Garfield, the twentieth President of the United States, once said, “The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” In his new comedy, prolific playwright, Itamar Moses seems to have decided to take this idea and run with it. The Tony Award-winning book writer of the musical “The Band’s Visit” poses this query: What if you told everyone the whole truth about everyone and everything? What would their reactions be to your complete candor? And, as a result, how would your own life change?
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