An example of a nested play? The Princess Bride. The outer shell is the real world (grandfather comes over to read a fairy tale to his under-the-weather grandson). The book he reads, the inner-play, is the nutmeat. 

The shell of BKLYN is a story spoken and sung by The City Weeds, a struggling, street-quintet of artists, singing their hearts out under the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. There are two tales told, each hitting the high notes of Life, while often crashing into Life’s lowest. Every song, coming from the “heart behind these hands and the soul beneath these clothes,” and every amazingly powerful performance captivated the crowd. The audience willingly surrendered to an emotional roller coaster ride . . . diving straight down into silence . . .  then rising, taking sharp curves and sudden changes. . . finally erupting into roaring applause and standing ovation. It’s one of the most moving performances the Playhouse has ever housed. The hall magically transformed into Street Singers Row.

And speaking of transformation, the set was neither too much nor too little. It was simple and gritty, the perfect backdrop for the entire show. Its simplicity provided a balance in contrast to the energetic, dynamic vocals.

The costumes, an insulated layered look of homeless, also carried the show beginning to end, with two notable exceptions. Both appear in the Singing Competition between two female vocalists, Brooklyn and Paradice. The latter changes into a gown made of garbage bags, belted with Police caution tape. Appropriately, she belted out “Love Me Where I Live,” a tip of the hat to the streets where the character grew up. Brooklyn dons a butterfly skirt, an homage to her mother, the French Butterfly (the fairy tale of her mother and father are the story within).

Director, Scott Daniel, and his team outdid themselves with this impressive cast. Every performance was a gem. Together The City Weeds’ harmonies stirred every soul in the house. Cast members include: Camille Capers (Paradice) who knocks it out of the park with confidence and presence; Mackenzie German (Brooklyn) has an astonishing range, leaping from a soft, heart-tugging melody to an electric jolt in the stratosphere; Jason Scott McLaughlin (Streetsinger) is the narrator in total command of the stage; Alyson Snyder (Faith) is a passionate performer who delivers “Christmas Makes Me Cry” in aces; Craig Smith (Taylor) Vietnam vet, the walking wounded, delivers magnificently the song, “Sometimes”. 

If you are drawn to themes of family, faith, fairy tales and fate spoken and sung by world-class vocalists, this show is tailor-made for your heart. Immerse yourself in a Once Upon a Time evening at Mountain Theatre Company, (828) 526-2695, 362 Oak Street, Highlands.

The post Two Tales Told in Brooklyn: A Review of Mountain Theatre Company’s Production appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

The show opens with a celebration of sweet romance, then gradually turns into a rip-roaring musical revue, loaded with bobby-soxin’, bee-boppin’, finger-poppin’, and interludes of rousing patriotic tunes.

Girls were dressed to the nines, gorgeous bright eyes and lipstick so red, fire engines turned chartreuse with envy. Guys swirled and twirled the ladies over their pomaded heads, and twixt the legs of their double-pleated trousers. There were some serious abs working that evening.

On the chance you are going to catch one of the final shows, don’t expect a story line or dialogue to get in the way of the sensational performances. This is purely wall-to-wall music . . .  vocal, dance, and instrumentals from the USO Bugle Boy to Latins in satins. 

 Visually, show sets are intentionally minimal. Executive Artistic Director, Scott Daniel, describes Act One’s first section as a black and white memory that fades into a technicolor fantasy.

Act One’s second section celebrates Latin and Latin-American music and culture that were growing in popularity in the 1940s. The temperature rises as the show builds. Womens’ costumes shift to chic monochrome beiges and golds, while the men don casual, finely-tailored Havana attire. 

Speaking of costume dazzle . . .  if you had several days to count the applied crystals, you’d arrive at 23,000 individual gems. Now that’s a trunkful of mind-boggling eye-pop.

Act Two is a tribute to the USO shows of WWII and the servicemen and women who served in the Allied Forces. Guys were in uniform and gals in the ever popular red/white/blue high-waisted, wide leg shorts, skirts, and Katherine Hepburn pants. 

The choreographic high energy kicks, slides, and spins paid tribute to jive/jitterbug fusion of the 1940s. Jive was the dance of the decade, and the evening’s dancers were smooth as silk and crisp as rustling taffeta.

In that stunning attire, singing in super-tight harmonies, an Andrews Sisters trio nailed “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” to everyone’s delight.

Complementing the costuming was classic make-up, worthy of any 40s movie star.  

The look, the style, the costuming, the setting, the planning, the directing wove around and through this excellent selection of tunes. Several stood out for my ear: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “Rum and Coca-Cola,” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”

All the songs, especially the show-stopping “God Bless America” were a beautiful tribute to the sensational tunes that bubbled up in 40s movies, USO shows, musical plays, and more. 1940s musicians were recognized for their tremendous contribution to the morale of troops and Allies around the world. They didn’t fire a gun, but their efforts served this country in ways weapons never could.

Laurel’s Marjorie Christiansen says, “Outstanding shows like Sentimental Journey provide beauty for our eyes, hearts, and souls. We never get tired of the emotional buoyancy wonderful shows like this provide.” 

Kudos to Scott Daniel who conceived and directed the production. Hats-off to his make-up and hair-styles. Huzzahs to Vanessa Russo for her dazzling choreography.

The post Sentimental Journey: Song, Dance and Nostalgia appeared first on Laurel Magazine.

What makes this finger-snapping, musical-docu a Tony, Grammy, and Laurence Olivier Award winner is its contagious energy and five-star story-telling. The cast portraying the lives and musical history of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons masterfully captured the group’s personae, their moves, and their voices. The vocals would either make or break the show, and Mountain Theatre Company’s Executive Director Scott Daniel delivered the goods, bringing to Highlands an amazingly talented, spot-on, synergistic cast.

The story begins with friendships forged early-on in the 1950s housing projects of New Jersey. That led to mob connections and colorful language, to prison sentences and bad debt that tested friendships, and family tragedies. And, no spoilers here, there is a happy ending … the band’s 1990 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Highlands resident and MTC’s Company Manager Emanuel Carrero stars as the falsetto-serenading Frankie Valli. Carrero, who simply channeled Valli –  from his movements, inflections and energy – brought the sold-out audience to a clapping frenzy with his rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes of You.”

Carrero was joined by John Muezzin Hannigan as Bob Gaudio (who co-wrote “Oh, What a Night”), Sam Johnson as Nick Massi, and Gianni Palmarini as Tommy DeVito. The quartet’s harmony was pitch perfect, soul-stirring, and worth the price of admission – over and over again. Their performances of “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry” had everyone locked in dance mode.

The juxtaposed bee-bop harmonies and backstage Jersey-born tough-guy troubles were interwoven throughout the musical and served as poignant contrasts, keeping the audience enthralled by its tension and release.

The set was simple, industrial-style with a single scaffold. Enhancing the different scenes were multi-hued light projections, accenting the feel of each new location. Scene change set-pieces were brought in and out by the actors themselves –  seamlessly shifting the audience from the streets of Jersey to world class arenas.

The Opening Night performance was filled with joy, tears, and an irresistible compulsion to join in the singing nostalgia – vocal chords at full throttle. 

The show’s finale was an enthusiastic standing ovation, all of us wanting more. And more was delivered. The cast performed one last round of “Oh What A Night” as the elated audience reluctantly made their way home, with a heartful of happy on which to reflect.  

Oh, what a night, indeed!

The post Oh What A Night! appeared first on Laurel Magazine.