Pride Theatre Section
Transcription
Pride Theatre Section
Seattle gay news pride ‘07 June 15, 2007 - Issue 24, Volume 35 SGN at the Tonys! pgs. 12-13 photo by Dave Gorman 2 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 theater June 15, 2007 Our name is new but you know us well! courtesy of CIVIC LIGHT OPERA From the 2007 production of Civic Light Opera’s Cabaret Civic Light Opera has decided to make a major change: Our name. Feedback from our patrons as well as response from individuals has told us that the name “Civic Light Opera” was giving an impression of something other than what we do. We do musicals, strictly musicals. Civic Light Opera is changing its name to SEATTLE MUSICAL THEATRE pre- sented by Civic Light Opera. The new name clearly states our identity while acknowledging our rich history. This is the 30th Anniversary Season for the company so we are starting it out with a fresh image! SGN congratulates Duncan Sheik on two Tony Awards! Duncan Sheik Spring Awakening won multiple Tony Awards on June 10, including Best Musical and two statuettes for composer Duncan Sheik. Before the production’s arrival on Broadway and before making its premiere in Connecticut, Sheik broke the news to Seattle Gay News in an interview with Arts & Entertainment writer Albert Rodriguez back in 2002. It marked the second time the New York-based artist reached out to us June 15, 2007 directly for a one-on-one. Seattle Gay News sent a special message to Duncan Sheik this week, on behalf of our staff and readers, congratulating him on his winning night at the 61st Annual Tony Awards. We can’t wait for a touring production of Spring Awakening to come through Seattle, and we’ll certainly be the first to let you know. - Albert Rodriguez PRIDE ‘07 theater Seattle Gay News 3 Tucked away in Issaquah For over 28 years, people of all ages have come to know Village Theatre simply as a great place to see great theatre. Tucked away in the idyllic settings of Issaquah and Everett, people often mistake Village Theatre’s intimate theatre spaces as quaint community-run theatres that carry a tradition of unforgettable entertainment and unsurpassed quality. Entertainment and quality aside, Village Theatre is in fact a powerhouse in the theatre community, locally, regionally, and nationally. As one of the only professional theatres in the area devoted to producing musicals— new works and Broadway smash hits—with an annual budget of $7.5 million, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region’s best-attended theatres, boasting over 17,000 subscribers and 170,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having launched over 60 new works to date, many of which have gone on to stages throughout the world, including The Ark (opened off-Broadway November 2005), After the Fair, Play It By Heart, Making Tracks, The Wedding Banquet, Eleanor, and the recent hit Once Upon a Time in New Jersey. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow’s audiences through its youth education programs, Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving over 53,000 young people, families, and schools annually. Currently on stage is the electrifying rock opera, The Who’s TOMMY (through June 24, Issaquah; June 19-July 15, Everett), featuring Broadway sensation, Michael K. Lee. This tale of a young boy’s journey from tragedy to triumph turns one of rock’s timeless albums (by the legendary ‘60s rock group The Who) into an unforgettable musical experience. This exhilarating story of hope, healing, and the human spirit is 2-18, 2007, Everett). Internationally known author, music historian, and Grammy Award-winning producer Colin Escott (The Complete Hank Williams) and Second City graduate and acclaimed film writer, director, and producer Floyd Mutrux (Scarecrow, winner of “Best Film” at Cannes, American Me, Mulholland Falls, among others), with musical direction by Chuck Mead of the multiple Grammy-nominated country band BR549, have joined together to tell the amazing true story of the Million Dollar Quartet. On December 4, 1956 at Sun Studios in Memphis, a twist of fate brought Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash together for one night of music that made history. These four legendsto-be and the “Father of Rock-n-Roll,” Sam Phillips, who discovered them all, united for an impromptu recording session that would be one for the ages. Originally presented in Village Theatre’s 2006 Festival of New Musicals, Million Dollar Quartet captures the spirit and music of that one fateful night, including chart-topping rock-n-roll and gospel classics of the ‘50s. Following the fast beats of rock royalty is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s timeless classic, The King and I (November 14-January 6, 2008, Issaquah; January 11-27, 2008 Everett). Set against the exotic backdrop of Thailand, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Tony Award-winning classic is a stunning tale of learning to love and learning to change. East and West collide when Anna, an English school teacher, is commissioned to govern the King of Siam’s many children. Clashing cultures eventually melt into enduring love as Anna and the King realize that people aren’t always who they seem. Directed by Village Theatre veteran and artistic director, Steve Tomkins and featuring remarkable musical numbers such as “Getting to Know You,” “Something Wonderful,” and “Shall We Dance?,” The King and I is one of the most exquisite stories ever told. jay koh - property of village theatre Village Theatre Dan Connor as Conrad Birdie in Bye, Bye Birdie Award for best score by Kim Older and Alison Hubbard, Little Women is an all new musical version of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel that brings the timeless tale of the March family to vivid life. In this faithful adaptation, Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth grow from girls into women, guided by their mother, Marmee, through romance and loss, illness and courtship, growing up, and letting go. Originally slated for Broadway, this version of Little Women was cut loose due to creative differences when the producers wanted to take the story in an entirely new direction, leading to a version which ran on Broadway in 2005. Returning to their BMI roots, Hubbard and Oler continued to work on Little Women and caught the attention of playwright, lyricist, and composer Sean Hartley, a BMI Workshop member known for his intimate musical Cupid & Psyche (World Premiere at Village Theatre and recipient of a 2003 Drama Desk Award nomination). Hartley wrote a new libretto for the show and reconceived it from the ground up, working from the novel and remaining uninfluenced by the recent Broadway version. Working through Village Theatre’s Village Originals program, Little Women has achieved Mainstage readiness for its debut next March. Rounding out this spectacular season is Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA (May 14July 6, 2008, Issaquah; July 11-27, 2008, Everett). Based on Giuseppe Verdi’s classic opera and fused with contemporary sounds borrowed from reggae, Motown, gospel and international beats of Africa, India and the Middle East, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Tony and Grammy Award-winning poprock powerhouse turns the legendary tale Jennifer Paz as Eva Peron, Louis Hobson as Che, and the ensemble in Evita! of AIDA into an exhilarating and rousing musical event. Bursting with energy and From far off regions, we return to the five-floor walkup, all creating the perfect teeming with vibrant song and dance, AIDA filled with thrilling hit songs like “Pinball is an epic tale of loyalty, betrayal, and Wizard,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “I’m Free,” hustle and bustle of Manhattan in Neil concoction for matrimonial disharmony. Pioneering its way onto the stage next forbidden love. and many more. Unforgettable music and Simon’s Barefoot in the Park (January 23an indelible story make for an eye-opening March 2, 2008, Issaquah; March 7-23, 2008, is the new musical adaptation of Louisa Season tickets are on sale now. To Everett). Touted as one of Simon’s best May Alcott’s beloved novel, Little Women musical theatre event. And Village Theatre continues to rock the comedies, this 1963 Tony-nominated play (March 19-April 27, 2008, Issaquah; May learn more, contact Village Theatre’s Box house into next season, opening with the new takes a lighthearted look at life, love, and 2-18, 2008, Everett). A Village Theatre Office at (425) 392-2202 for Issaquah and musical, Million Dollar Quartet (September surviving wedded bliss. Young Manhattan 2006 Festival of New Musicals favorite (425) 257-8600 for Everett, or visit www. 19-October 28, 2007, Issaquah; November newlyweds Paul Bratter, a conservative and recipient of the Richard Rodgers villagetheatre.org. up-and-coming lawyer, and Corrie, his vivacious free-spirited wife, realize that life after the honeymoon is no walk in the park—instead it’s made hilariously complicated by an eccentric landlord, a protective mother-in-law, and a tiny jay koh - property of village theatre 4 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 theater June 15, 2007 Annex Theatre turns “legal” Veteran fringe theatre faces challenges of young adulthood It’s unlikely the founders of Seattle’s Annex Theatre envisioned their scrappy little “fringe company” surviving into its third decade of operation. Frustrated by the lack of opportunity in the Seattle theatre scene in the mid 1980’s, they were simply looking to feed their creative impulses, and banded together more out of mutual selfinterest, than with any intent to create a cultural legacy. Yet, that’s exactly what Annex’s “founding five”: Bainbridge High School grads Garrett Bennett, Micha Rice, John Lawler, and Dave Skubinna, along with Skubinna’s fellow Western Washington University Drama alum, Mike Rainey, created when they put on their first production, a pastiche of short plays titled “Midnight Snack”, at Bainbridge Performing Arts Storefront Theatre in 1986. Now, more than 20 years later, their “little theatre that could” has amassed a body of artistic achievement that puts even Seattle’s major professional houses to shame: nearly 400 productions, including countless world, West Coast and regional premieres; working associations with some of the country’s most innovative playwrights, including Erik Ehn, Glen Berger, Naomi Iizuka, Jeffrey Jones, and Anne Washburn; and most importantly, the development of a sort of “graduate school” environment for a whole host of writers, actors, directors, designers, musicians, and scenic artists, an impressive number of whom have gone on to successful careers not only at the region’s more established theatre companies, but who include among their ranks nationally, even internationally recognized artists such as: Academy Award-nominee Paul Giamatti, L.A. Drama Critics Award-winner June 15, 2007 Jillian Armanante, former Empty Space Theatre Artistic Director Allison Narver, Seattle Town Hall Executive Director Wier Harmon, solo performer Lauren Weedman, and local playwright/composer Chris Jeffries, to name a few. Much of Annex’s success lies in its flexibility and responsiveness to the needs and ambitions of its members. Built on a consensus-driven, “collective” management model, all the company’s members have a voice in selecting its management staff and artistic production. Not surprisingly, all of Annex’s founders have moved on (Skubinna succumbed to AIDS in 1994), but what is surprising is the relative ease with which it has continued to reinvent itself, through the tenures of six artistic directors, the participation of hundreds of individual artists, and despite vacating its long-time venue on Fourth Avenue, followed by four years of itinerancy, before finally achieving a soft-landing at Capitol Hill’s CHAC in 2005. As it approaches its 21st birthday, however, Annex shows little sign of slumping into a complacent, self-satisfied middle-age. A new home brings an invigorating sense of purpose, along with a new generation of ambitious young artists who have been attracted by both the company’s history and reputation, as well as by the promise of future glory. Art is always a risky business. And yet, while there are no guarantees, Annex Theatre seems to have found a formula for success that has elevated it to the level of a true cultural icon. The “little theatre that could” has proven it can, with polish and panache. And with hard work, savvy programming, and just a little bit of luck, Annex should be around for another 10, even 20 years, providing a creative outlet for young, talented artists who will continue to uphold its mission of “creating bold new work in an environment of improbability, resourcefulness and risk.” Courtesy of Annex Theatre PRIDE ‘07 theater 5 Seattle Gay News 5 Bad Actor Productions Peaches & Cream are just two of their rogues gallery of characters and are ready to bust crime while dancing up a storm! Shakespeare’s Macbeth comes to film, Seattle Contemporary retelling of world famous play opens at Varsity Theater June 15 Bad Actor Productions is the local fringe theater group that creates ‘bar theater’ shows such as the Gay cruise ship parody, Desperate Liaisons and the drag queen super hero play, Super Females! They also pop up at cabaret shows with skits like Notes on a Scandal: the Musical! Currently, Bad Actor is working on Exorcist: the Musical! Find them on Myspace or bookmark badactorproductions.org. Bad Actor Productions will be performing at 2:15 at Volunteer Park on Sat. June 23 as part of Queerfest. Geoffrey Wright’s, Macbeth – distributed by Union Station Media and Truly Indie, opening in theaters across the country beginning June 15th, 2007. From the mind of Geoffrey Wright, (Romper Stomper, Cherry Falls) comes a sexy, stylish, contemporary retelling of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Macbeth. This archetypal tale of the dangers of the lust for power and the betrayal of friends, offers a stunningly visual landscape of the contemporary crime world while remaining true to Shakespeare’s original text and themes. Set in modern day Melbourne, the story begins when Macbeth (Sam Worthington – cast as the lead in the new James Cameron film, AVATAR), is rewarded with gifts from his crime boss Duncan (Gary Sweet) for serving him faithfully and performing bravely in a vicious gangland rip-off. But these gifts are nothing compared to what Duncan lavishes on his son Malcolm (Matt Doran). Macbeth wonders why he bothers to stick his neck out when Malcolm does nothing at all. Macbeth is then visited by seductively nubile young witches, dabblers in the art of the occult, who indicate that he shall be the new crime ‘king.’ Macbeth is intrigued, but when Lady Macbeth (Victoria Hill) drops the hint that they might kill Duncan and take over the gang for themselves, he realizes he may simply be fulfilling his destiny. Duncan is killed in Macbeth’s own home, with Lady Macbeth providing the drugs to silence the bodyguards and Macbeth, reluctantly, carrying out the murder. Macbeth seizes power and becomes ruler of the gang, but the madness that drove Macbeth to kill Duncan now compels him to dispose of other members of his entourage. (Including his lieutenant, Banquo’s, wife & young son whom the witches also prophesized becoming king). Macbeth fights like a man possessed, becoming bolder as the situation worsens. He is a mighty warrior. But will it be enough? Maintaining his power will require more murders and violence, finally driving his surviving enemies to unite and destroy him. Macbeth is a tremendously kinetic and exciting modern crime film with charismatic actors, furiously explosive action, seductively sexual scenes, the Bard’s mightiest and most psychologically intriguing tragic figures and a powerful, enduring storyline, full of betrayal, fate, power, lust, and hubris. The running time is 109 minutes and it is not rated. Union Station Media and Truly Indie will release Macbeth this summer. Selected cities include: Seattle-June 15; SF-June 29; NY-July 6; Chicago-July 13; LA-July 27; Austin-August 10. A Union Station Media press release 6 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 theater June 15, 2007 225 Broadway Ave E. Seattle, WA 98102 206-726-3300 Just Arrived! Wide Selection of Pride Flags, Stickers, Necklaces, T-shirts and pride Gifts Pride Special All Sunglasses $5.00 Good Through June 30th, 2007 One Coupon Per Customer. Up to $25 Value Your Capitol Hill Pride Headquarters and Sponsor of the 2007 Queerfest and Pride March on Broadway. Saturday June 23rd 11am June 15, 2007 Visit us at: www.panacheseattle.com or myspace.com/panachewa PRIDE ‘07 theater Seattle Gay News 7 ‘Scared Faithless: God and Gays in the 21st Century’ to examine rift between traditional faith communities and LGBT people by George Kretchmann SGN Contributing Writer If you have lived in Seattle for any length of time, chances are you have seen, or have at least heard, Seattle Men’s Chorus. The chorus has been a mainstay of the Seattle musical scene since its inception in 1979. Since that time the organization - recently re-branded as ‘Flying House Productions’ has continued to grow, evolve and mature into one of the most-recognized creative forces in the world of choral performance. With an active membership of 660 and a yearly audience of more than 40,000, Seattle Men’s Chorus is certainly one of the courtesy of seattle men’s chorus Seattle Men’s Chorus takes the stage at McCaw Hall on June 22 larger performing groups in town. But it’s not the size of the group that keeps audience members coming back again and again. It’s the power of each performance, the creative staging, the sheer power of the voices. Or, as one audience member put it after SMC’s recent ‘That 80s’ Show,’ the “... wow factor. I am always blown away by what these guys do.” It’s not just Seattle audiences who get to experience this wow factor. SMC (and its sister Seattle Women’s Chorus, formed in 2002) performs all over the Puget Sound area: Mt Vernon, Everett, Marysville, Port Townsend, Wenatchee, Tacoma and La Conner are all towns where the choruses perform. Last summer the entire Flying House family - Seattle Men’s Chorus, Seattle From Seattle Men’s Chorus’ Scared Faithless Women’s Chorus, Captain Smartypants and Sensible Shoes - packed up several buses and vans and took their show on the road. Over the course of a week and a half the groups performed nine concerts in four states: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. SMC and SWC Artistic Director Dennis Coleman said they chose to visit these states because many of them are sorely lacking in out, visible Gay communities. “We wanted to visit smaller communities— places where Gay youth often feel lonely and unsupported. We have dozens of singers that come to us from these states. Some of their stories are horrific.” The experience of the Northern Rockies tour was a very life-affirming one for audiences and chorus members alike. “We were welcomed with open arms everywhere we went,” says Assistant Artistic Director Eric Lane Barnes. “A lot of us were prepared to face some sort of opposition. But there was none. This tour showed us that even the smaller towns in this country are becoming more accepting.” It could also be the power of music, and the way live performance has of getting a message across. “Music can say things that you can’t say in a poster, or in a petition,” says Coleman. “Music has a way of going directly to the heart. You can argue with thoughts and opinions. But it’s hard to argue with music.” Seattle Men’s Chorus is opening ‘Scared Faithless: God and Gays in the 21st Century’ on June 22 at McCaw Hall. “This is a show that explores the relationship and, quite often, the perceived rift between traditional faith communities and Gay people,” says Dennis Coleman. “There is this common misconception that Gay men are all atheistic, hedonistic party animals. I have found that, at least among the members of the chorus, this is not the case.” Scared Faithless presents a case not just for spirituality in a traditional sense, but also the ways that Gay men and women have forged their own spiritual paths. “The idea of this show,” Coleman asserts, “is to tell our stories. Some of us have been very scarred and wounded by the churches we were brought up in. Some of us have left never to return. Some of us have found new ways to express what going to church used to provide for us. And some of us have, in one way or another, come full circle.” In order to help invite and educate area churches about this concert and its theme, a group from Flying House Productions has visited a church or synagogue each week for the past two months. Many churches in the area were contacted about this proposition; most responded politely, if not exactly favorably. (One church did point out that not only should Gay men never sing in a church, but that the woman sitting on the 8 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 theater June 15, 2007 courtesy of seattle men’s chorus One member remarked, “Wouldn’t it be swell if we lived in a world where the two words that freaked everyone out were ‘God Hates?’ To me, that’s the real abomination, right there. Censor that one.” If what we’ve seen of Seattle Men’s Chorus is any indication, this show will be a powerful opportunity for people to embrace the challenge of an allaccepting world. It bears noting that the vision statement for Flying House Productions is, after all, “... A world that accepts and values its Gay and Lesbian citizens.” “I’m hoping this show will open the dialogue for some people, and continue it for others,” says Coleman. “If there is one underlying thought in this concert it is this: if there is a God, then we are all God’s people.” Scared Faithless: God and Gays in the 21st Century plays June 22 and 23, 8:00 pm at McCaw Hall in Seattle. Visit www.flyinghouse. org for ticket information, or call 206.323.1400. From Seattle Men’s Chorus’ Scared Faithless June 15, 2007 courtesy of seattle men’s chorus advisory council from the choruses was acting unbiblically by daring to consult with men. Needless to say, that particular church did not invite the chorus to sing at one of its services) One unexpected discussion that came out of the preparation for this concert arose from the promotional materials. The poster for the concert shows two men holding up signs. One sign reads, “God Hates Fags” while the other reads, “You’re Going to Hell.” A number of SMC members felt uncomfortable with this wording; some of them were prohibited from putting posters up at their workplaces due to the strong language, which violated harassment policies in some companies. “It was ironic, but understandable,” says Eric Lane Barnes. “The poster shows what we so frequently see from the religious right. It shows the disparity between equity in the workplace and equity in God’s Own House.” The marketing department for Flying House created stickers to put over the objectionable words in the posters. The stickers read: CENSORED. From Seattle Men’s Chorus’ Scared Faithless PRIDE ‘07 theater Seattle Gay News 9 The House of Spirits international attention in 1982, making Allende one of the most read Latin American authors in the world. Allende’s saga is of Book-It Repertory Theatre the Trueba family, centered around the Through June 24 engaging, enraging, arrogant, tyrannical Book by Isabelle Allende patriarch, Esteban Trueba. Originally a poor Adaptation by Myra Platt young man with a dream, Esteban’s success Directed by Myra Platt in mining leads to increasing amounts of If history lessons were this entertaining, arrogance, condescension toward those we’d all be historians. who he feels are beneath him, profiteering The best-selling novel “The House and political manipulation. Not to mention of Spirits” by Isabelle Allende captured his abuse of his family, his scorn for his by Miryam Gordon SGN Contributing Writer 10 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 theater only son and daughter, and his disregard for any of the many bastards he created as he routinely raped women servants. What a prize! Allende uses Esteban and his family and servants to demonstrate the historical context of Chile from about 1923 through 1973. We learn about the beginnings of worker unionization, the demonization of socialism, the chasm between the haves and have nots, the manipulation of the upper classes to create a falsely “democratic” political climate most suitable for their needs – at the expense of the lower class, culminating in the 1973 military coup that put Commander Augusto Pinochet in charge as a totalitarian ruler. Book-It Repertory Theatre Co-Artistic Director, Myra Platt, adapted this long, involved novel in the unique “book-it” style they have developed. Normally, an adaptation from a novel into another form is created almost as its own entity, no longer beholden so tightly to its novel origins. This style is unique in that it includes narration as dialogue, which is something an audience gets used to quickly, after a few minutes of experience. The Book-It production includes eighteen actors, a huge cast by normal theatrical standards, and many of the actors portray at least three different characters. The play is as big and sprawling as the novel. It’s also long, in three acts that last at least a three hour total. But, fortunately for BookIt and the audience, those three hours fly by pretty quickly. This is not a production that is lengthy because the playwright draws it out. It moves along quickly and breathlessly from one event to the next. A character announces, “I’m pregnant” and within moments, has the baby who, moments after that, is already a small girl. Allende’s book and the adaptation also include a big dose of magical characters and psychic foretellings, mainly by the character of Clara del Valle, who begins as June 15, 2007 courtesy of BOOK IT From The House of Spirits June 15, 2007 have “green hair,” but perhaps it could be a bit more subtle, since her enormous wig, in particular, doesn’t look green, but a very fake blond. Adaptor Myra Platt also directs the production and gets marvelous performances out of many of her numerous cast. Especially noteworthy are Rose Cano, as Esteban’s pathetically graceful sister; Joy Marzec, as Alba Trueba, Esteban’s daughter; Marissa Price, who plays Rosa and Transito, a particularly aggressive prostitute; Natasha Sims, as Blanca Trueba, Esteban’s granddaughter; and Wesley Rice, both as a wonderful Pedro Segundo Garcia – faithful servant of Esteban, and then as El Presidente – presumably Savador Allende. courtesy of BOOK IT the chronicler of her life in journals. Clara meets Esteban (Todd Licea) as a child when Esteban is engaged to her older sister Rosa (Marissa Price). When Rosa dies, as Clara predicts Rosa will, Clara eventually becomes Esteban’s wife. When Clara and Esteban marry, Esteban has already evolved into the rapacious (pun intended) consumer of lives. However, his adoration of Clara seems to halt or reverse that process, for a time. Clara, as portrayed by Jennifer Sue Johnson, is an otherworldly woman who seems able to ignore and transform anger or confrontation and cajoles Esteban, often, out of rages and diatribes against her and her children. Johnson is luminous in this role and leads the entire production in an almost magical fashion. Even when her character is not directly present, she still hovers over the family, influencing and mellowing them. Clara’s clairvoyance is something her family at first tries to hide and then accepts, but tries to keep inside the family boundaries. But her visions seem to comment that everything that happens to the Truebas, even the tragedies of the family, are destiny, events to be known ahead of time. So, as angry or frustrated as the audience might be with Esteban, there is a sense that he can’t quite help it. Perhaps, if he were a better person, events that are predestined wouldn’t happen. So, it seems that he must be a terrible person, until he finally is confronted with the accumulated errors of his life. The parapsychological phenomena of the play are demonstrated by the Etta Lilienthal’s ethereal set. The main stage is bare, except for a staircase and small platform and chair, with a backdrop of arched doorways that abstractly reminds one of clouds at the top. But above the stage is a large mobile of household items, like chairs, that normally don’t float above the floor. It is a constant visual reminder of the otherworld, one we can’t see or touch, yet must accept as present. Adding to the atmosphere is the background music of Carter Rodriquez, who plays live, original guitar music above the audience and occasionally sings. His musical accompaniment enhances the moods of the scenes wonderfully, but perhaps he should leave the singing to someone else. Costumes by Pete Rush and lighting by Jessica Trundy ably assist the production, as does the wonderful dialect used by the actors, which sounds authentic and unforced, as supported by Gin Hammond, dialect coach. One quibble I would have is with the odd-looking wigs some of the women wear, which distract from paying attention to their acting, making one stare at the tops of their heads, instead. I understand Rosa is said to From The House of Spirits Two other performances (aside from Clara’s) must be noticed and appreciated. Todd Licea as Esteban is a charming, engaging presence, at first, before he turns monstrous, making his monstrous behavior even more heart-wrenching. He is in virtually every scene of the play driving the energy and continuity forward. Also, Olivia Spokoiny (recently seen in “White Christmas”) has tiny, but crucial moments as all of the girl children: Clara, her daughter Alba, and granddaughter Blanca. Spokoiny is already an accomplished actress, who brings considerable talent to these small roles. Overall, it is a masterful production, awesome for its breadth and scope, admirably displaying the essence of Allende’s masterpiece novel. A caution, however. There is rape and violence depicted on stage, so you might want to consider children’s ages and understanding before bringing them with you to experience this moving history. More information or tickets available at www.book-it.org or 206-216-0833. 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Joyce Glasgow SGN A&E Writer Covering the Tony Awards was a fun and exciting experience. Seeing so many great actors and actresses strolling down the red carpet, in their finery, was a delight. Feeling their excitement and anticipation was contagious. There were also crazy antics in the street. Conan O’Brien’s loony bunch hammed it up with a lot of the stars. Scores of fans waited behind barricades to catch a glimpse of their favorite performers. I felt a special affinity for those actors I’ve met in Seattle and whose work I’ve seen here. Kiki and Herb and Bill T. Jones were delightful to see and I was so pleased that they were nominated. I was overjoyed when Jones won the Tony for his choreography for the fantastic, groundbreaking musical, Spring Awakening. Tom Hulce, who used to live in Seattle, and fellow producers of Spring Awakening, took the Tony for best musical. Constanza Wilson, wife of late playwright August Wilson, was a friendly familiar face from my Capitol Hill neighborhood. The mood on the red carpet was festive and one could really feel the strong sense of community and camaraderie amongst these theatre professionals After all the attendees entered Radio City Music Hall, the numerous, international group of reporters and photographers were escorted to the sixty-fourth floor of the NBC building, to the Rainbow Room complex, where we were treated to spectacular views of New York and heard from all the June 15, 2007 Tony winners. While in New York, I have been able to see some great Broadway theatre and just in time for the Tony’s. Among them, I saw nominees and winners Spring Awakening and Journey’s End. Journey’s End had received six Tony nominations and won the 2007 Tony for “Best Revival of a Play”. It was written in 1928, in response to the ten million deaths and countless injuries caused by World War I. Its all male cast, in a bunker, play English soldiers and officers faced with their mortality and the futility of war; keeping a “stiff upper lip” through it all. The play dramatically demonstrated the senselessness tragedy of using war as an answer to settling differences. It was a very important play and quite sober and realistic. It was sad to see these men, who were sitting ducks for the enemy, whose lives had been trivialized, and who faced little hope of survival. The producers of Journey’s End usually produce plays that will garner commercial success, but they chose to produce the play not to make money but to, in these tumultuous times, show audiences the pointlessness of war and to encourage the settling differences through peaceful means. Stars of this show, which closed on Tony Award day, were Stark Sands and Boyd Gaines, who both were nominated for their moving performances, and Hugh Dancy (who also gives a stunning performance in the new film, Evening, with fellow Tony nominee, Vanessa Redgrave, which opens nationally on June 29th). Spring Awakening has brought a whole new and fresh feeling to Broadway. It is unusual. Its music is upbeat with a rock feeling, but not quite rock. This musical is a hybrid of musical styles that has produced terrific music, with provocative lyrics and beautiful vocal harmonies. The cast is young and exuberant and has been given distinctive, intuitive choreography, by modern dance choreographer, Bill T. Jones. The set is spacious, very open and creative, with dynamic and uplifting lighting. This play was written in 1891 by Frank Wedekind, in Germany. At the time his work was considered scandalous because he dared to deal with issues of sexual freedom, problems of puberty, misunderstandings and violence. Today, he is considered one of the founders of modern drama and a pioneer of expressionism in the theatre. The play has been set in the 1890’s with 21st century music. Brought up in a provincial German Lutheran town, the teen-aged characters are naturally and innocently awakening to the wonder of their sexuality, but are faced with the rigidity, repression, shame and lack of understanding by their parents and their society, leading to misunderstandings, confusion, desperation and subsequent tragedy. Spring Awakening is very contemporary for teens living today, with themes of straight and Gay sexuality, violence and suicide. It has been embraced by all age groups. Jonathan B. Wright, who has a Gay sexual awakening scene with fellow actor Gideon Glick, told me that he has received PRIDE ‘07 theater correspondence from Gay teens who have said that the sensitive and open treatment of Gay teen sexuality in the play has saved lives. I also saw The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which was nominated in 2005 for six Tony’s and won two. It is a delightful, sweet, original, very funny and intelligent musical with an innovative premise: a spelling bee. The setting is a reproduction of a school gymnasium and members of the audience are brought up to participate in the spelling bee with the cast. The cast is new, coming from the San Francisco/Boston cast and features, in his Broadway debut, the brilliant Mo Rocca, as the nerdy, oddball vice-principal, Mr. Panch. Rocca is familiar to NPR listeners as a panelist on the popular show “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” The characters in Spelling Bee are endearing, the music is simple and childlike, and the use of unusual and funny words is witty and highly engaging. I laughed a lot. Seattle Gay News 13 14 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 theater June 15, 2007 Stuff Happens at ACT to examines all sides of the Iraq invasion Stuff Happens Play by David Hare Directed by Victor Pappas ACT’s third play of the 2007 season, David Hare’s Stuff Happens, takes on the lead-up to the Iraq War. Directed by Victor Pappas, Stuff Happens opens June 28; and closes July 22. In this compelling political drama, award-winning playwright David Hare takes you behind closed doors to the highstakes wheeling and dealing that led to the invasion of Iraq. Shakespearean in scope, this blistering ensemble show pulls no punches. And in Hare’s telling, none of us is off the hook. “Playwrights have always been fascinated by the way that power and personalities combine to turn the wheel of history, and here our greatest contemporary political dramatist takes us into the private sanctums of the powerful to show us the human ambitions and agendas that led us inexorably into the Iraq war,” says Kurt Beattie, ACT’s artistic director. According to Stuff Happens director Victor Pappas, “The style of the play is both epic and intimate. Hare combines factual material—the actual public statements of the various key players—with speculation as to what was said behind closed doors. As in Shakespeare’s histories, the public events are contrasted with the private, the political with the personal. And more than one point June 15, 2007 of view is given a hearing.” Pappas adds, “There’s tremendous drama in the play, and a fair amount of humor; it’s a very entertaining play.” ACT’s production of Stuff Happens features some of Seattle’s favorite actors. “We’ve got an amazing cast lined up—R. Hamilton Wright as Bush, Frank Corrado as Rumsfeld, Mike Winters as Cheney, Mark Chamberlin as Blair, Tracy Hughes as Condi Rice, Charles Dumas as Powell, David Pichette, Peter Crook, Marianne Owen, Julie Briskman, Richard Ziman, Larry Paulsen, and others—it’s a perfect play for the brilliant talents that we have in Seattle,” says Pappas. “These actors can really inhabit a play, bring it fully to its best life. I’m really looking forward to working in this community again.” Tickets for Stuff Happens may be purchased online at www.acttheatre.org, by phone at 206-292-7676, or in person at ACT’s ticket office, located at 700 Union Street in downtown Seattle. For the past 42 years, ACT’s mission has been to present a broad spectrum of the very best of contemporary theatre that speaks to audiences of all backgrounds. A significant part of ACT’s mandate is to commission new works and to foster the development of those works in a supportive and inspiring workplace. An ACT press release Evolution of a Seattle playwright: Beginner to…begun by Miryam Gordon SGN Contributing Writer A person wants to write some sort of play. He/she may or may not even know what it should be about. A person finds out when one of the 24 hour/48 hour events happen, where writers write a ten minute play in just a few hours and then see it produced. A person finds out about open mic readings from places like Seattle Dramatists, perhaps considers paying money to join that or another playwrighting group. Does some open mic readings, where actors help you “hear” what you’ve written. A person finds ways of getting feedback from others (see above). A person writes a one-act and submits it to any number of one-act festivals around town soliciting manuscripts. Hopefully, a person’s script is chosen for the production. A person, who has now gained some credibility and positive feedback from the theater/writing community, and has perhaps had a few productions in a oneact festival or two, may be solicited by one of our innovative production companies, like Annex, Theater Schmeater, WET, or others, to actually write a play for them. OR a person submits a manuscript to as many of these places as will accept them, unsolicited. A person. whose play is liked and PRIDE ‘07 theater accepted, could now have a mainstage production mounted by one of the above innovative, small companies. A person who has had a mainstage production could send that produced script to other theaters around the country, or try to find an agent to do so for you. From here, that could be as much excitement as you get. However, it’s possible that larger-theater personnel (of course we’re talking the Rep, ACT and Intiman) who try to go to smaller theaters to keep their fingers on the pulse of local writing may indicate interest in some future production of yours, which could be workshopped or chosen for a mainstage production. A person experiencing any number of the last four events could be considered to have “begun.” Seattle Gay News 15 Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival becoming destination for arts lovers Ballet, opera and performers from the famed Cirque du Soleil come to Tahoe INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (June 11, 2007) – Back by popular demand, the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival presents its 2nd annual Midsummer Nights series, a collection of artistic performances and outdoor events held Aug. 22 - 27, 2007 at Sand Harbor State Park following the final curtain call on the Shakespeare performances. The 2007 lineup is unprecedented, offering a well-balanced mix of dance, music and performing arts as well as an exclusive performance from Cirque de Soleil® stars, a show the likes of which the area has never before been exposed to. “We are thrilled to be able to bring such an exciting and diverse menu of events to the Lake Tahoe area,” said Catherine Atack, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. “The response from our first Midsummer Nights series was overwhelming and we knew it was something we had to bring back again this summer. The Festival is working in collaboration with a variety of area arts organizations to present a truly exciting program for 2007 accented nicely by the phenomenal weather we’re blessed with in late August and Tahoe’s incomparable beauty.” Performances scheduled for the 2007 Midsummer Nights series includes: Aug. 22 - 23: Sierra Nevada Ballet’s “A Celebration of Genius II” is filled with music from greats such as Chopin, Dave Brubeck, George Gerhswin and Gian Carlo Menotti along with original works by Sierra Nevada Ballet composers in residence Su- 16 Seattle Gay News san Mazer and Dallas Smith and Andy Heglund. The first portion of the performances features original choreography designed to match each musical style with international dance stars including the artistry of Ballet Danseur Domingo Rubio, Russian born Eugene Petrov and the “fastest feet in tap,” Sam Weber. The second half of the program highlights “The Unicorn,” “The Gorgon” and “The Manticore,” a madrigal, comical story ballet accented with spectacular original costumes commissioned by the Library of Congress. Aug. 24 - 25: Christopher Childers of Choozi Entertainment and friends from Cirque de Soleil® present “A Midsummer Night-MARE,” a momentous program unlike anything ever performed in Reno-Tahoe. This spectacular production will feature former principal performers from Mystere, “O” and Allegria in their first outdoor performance as well as stars from Broadway and the “Lido de Paris” of Paris, France. Showcasing the performers’ world-wide talent, the program entertains with a wild mix of dancers, contortionists, aerialists, stilt walkers, live music and acting. Cast in a cameo performance is InnerRhythms Dance Theatre based in Truckee, Calif. A special “On the Couch” theatrical talk show with the cast will follow the performance. According to executive producer, WISE Ventures, Inc., the net proceeds from the Aug. 24 performance will benefit the Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare Foundation on behalf of the Cancer Center and the Aug. 25 program will benefit InnerRhythms Dance Theatre. Aug. 26: Lake Tahoe Chautauqua brings the past to life with its theatrical enactments of poignant characters of the literary world. This year features “The Renaissance Response - Playwrights to Pirates” showcasing the life and times of William Shakespeare and the Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley, a larger-than-life figure from 16th century Irish history. Tap into Shakespeare’s life including his influence and perspective through his writing. Then listen as the Queen exhibits her take-charge attitude relating to the changing perceptions of the 16th century. Perhaps we will finally get the answer to the all important question “Is the pen mightier than the sword?” Aug. 27: Bobby Caldwell and the Reno Jazz Orchestra, presented by Crystal Bay Casino Road Shows, make a first time appearance at Sand Harbor. Caldwell, a longtime jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist, performs traditional and contemporary big band favorites. Known as one of the most revered vocalists and songwriters in contemporary music today, his songwriting skills have earned hits not only for himself but also for well-known artists such as Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Peter Cetera, Amy Grant, Neil Diamond and Al Jarreau. Combined, Caldwell’s songs and samples have contributed to more than $40 million in sales. His vast repertoire of rousing R&B, intimate smooth jazz and big band songs affords him with the ability to entertain at any PRIDE ‘07 theater venue, for fans of all ages. The evening performances for the 2007 season of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival begins July 12 and run seven nights per week through August 19 featuring a brand new lineup of performances including Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew and the contemporary comedy Greater Tuna. Tickets start at $22 for open seating tiers and range in options up to the premier Reserved Seating section from $67. For tickets or more information about the Midsummer Nights series at Sand Harbor State Park or the 2007 Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, visit www.LakeTahoeShakespeare.com or call 800-74-SHOWS (800-747-4697). The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe and Reno. The annual Festival advocates the finest cultural events in the area while educating future generations on the importance of the arts, theater and music. Presenting sponsors for the 2007 Festival include Harrah’s/Harvey’s at Lake Tahoe offering first class accommodations and gaming choices at Lake Tahoe’s South Shore, the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) representing Reno-Tahoe, America’s Adventure Place and Microsoft Licensing, GP. A Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival press release June 15, 2007 ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery courtesy of arts west How I Got That Story, returns to ArtsWest to play Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a soft-spoken but tenaciously gender-bending biological male who died in 2002 at the age of 74. Based on interviews with the real Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, this play is largely about Charlotte’s enduring the cruel repressions of the Nazis and the Communists. Her harrowing tales of survival through the eras of the Gestapo and the East German secret police are nothing short of breathtaking. But are they true? And does it matter? Call for tickets 206-938-0339 or visit www.artswest.org. Plays, dates, and artists subject to change. From ArtsWest’s production of Hair It’s an ambitious, risk-taking season at ArtsWest this year, but it’s a season you’ll be able to count on. Even though none of the plays have ever appeared in Seattle before, they have appeared to high acclaim on Broadway, in London, and in regional theaters across America. A first-class arts facility for theater, music and more, the ArtsWest mainstage is a 3/4 thrust, fully raked house with excellent stage views and no obstructions from all 149 seats. Intimate and versatile, the house has the feel of a small playhouse or music chamber while affording artists and audience members alike all the advantages of a contemporary technical theater. ArtsWest has turned a bit of a corner. Our production values continue to grow. The experience is powerful, but at the same time, accessible. The issues being addressed are complex, but because they are presented in the contemporary, three-dimensional convention of the theater, they are easy to digest. ArtsWest’s mission is to produce artistic events so fiercely compelling that they require conversation, improve the imagination, and promote cultural vibrancy as a core value for the communities of West Seattle. At ArtsWest, our mission drives everything we do. We’ll take you places you had no intention of visiting. Come on over and see. We’ve got a couple of season tickets with your name on them. ArtsWest Summer 2007 Musical Theater Programs Let ArtsWest Rock Your Summer! This year ArtsWest has expanded their National Endowment for the Arts award-winning Summer Musical Theater Program by adding a new program for middle schoolers. Students at ArtsWest learn how to sing, dance, act - and a lot more All performances are open to the public. Come enjoy the high level of performance excellence achieved by students in these nationally recognized programs! HAIR July 12-29 - Tickets only $15 Book and Lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado Music by Galt MacDermot Directed by Christopher Zinovitch Musical Direction by Jacinita Koreski Choreography by Nick DeSantis The original “American Tribal Love Musical” rocks the ArtsWest stage for 18 performances, starring the ArtsWest Musical Theater Performance Apprentice Program students (Ages 15 to 21). Travel back to the Age of Aquarius and “let the sunshine June 15, 2007 in” this summer. ArtsWest’s production of HAIR is presented as it was intended, using adult themes and language. There is no nudity. All participants have parental permission. HAIR is recommended for mature audiences. Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL August 9-19 Tickets only $12 SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE! JR. August 22-26 Tickets only $10 PRIDE IN YOUR PROPERTY! ArtsWest’s 2007-2008 Season A Year of Premieres BAT BOY THE MUSICAL October 3 - November 10, 2007 Music & lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe, Book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming. Directed by Christopher Zinovitch, ArtsWest’s director of theater. Made possible by a generous grant from Viking Bank. BAT BOY THE MUSICAL tells the story originally made famous in the tabloid The Weekly World News of a strange boy with pointy ears, his struggle to find a place in a world that shuns him, and the love that can create both miracles and madness. “This is one of the funniest musicals I have ever heard,” said ArtsWest’s executive director, Alan Harrison. “Hilarious, frantic, but with a heart of gold.” HOLIDAY BONUS: THE GIFTS OF THE MAGI December 5-23 Music by Randy Courts Lyrics by Mark St. Germain and Randy Courts Directed by Brandon Ivie THE RETREAT FROM MOSCOW January 9 - February 2, 2008 by William Nicholson Directed by Carol Roscoe THE SWEETEST SWING IN BASEBALL February 20 - March 15, 2008 by Rebecca Gilman Produced in association with Seattle Public Theater Directed by Shana Bestock THE DEAD GUY April 2 - 26, 2008 by Eric Coble Directed by Rob West I AM MY OWN WIFE May 14 - June 7, 2008 by Doug Wright. Starring Nick DeSantis Directed by Christopher Zinovitch Nick DeSantis, who recently wowed audiences in tick, tick...BOOM!, La Bete, and PRIDE ‘07 theater Call “Bumper” Mennen for all your Real Estate needs. 206-938-6566 GO STORM! Seattle Gay News 17 World’s funniest improvisation artists come to Seattle stage Seattle International Festival of Improvisation returns for 11th year Unexpected Productions will host the 11th Seattle International Festival of Improvisation at the Market Theatre June 10 through 16, 2007. Unexpected Productions, celebrating our 24th year, is dedicated to promoting the art and spirit of improvisation. As a group Unexpected Productions has performed in: Germany, Austria, Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and all over the U.S. and Canada. Our members have appeared on TV’s Almost Live (King), and Kwik Witz (Nationally Syndicated), Radio’s Rewind (KUOW) as well as the Bathhouse Theater, Seattle Children’s Theater, The Village Theater, The Group Theater, The Seattle Rep, ACT, Annex, Seattle Shakespeare Festival, even Broadway, and Off Broadway. Guest performers who have sat in with us at UP include: Adam Arkin (Chicago Hope), Dean Haglund (The X –Files), Julia Sweeney (SNL, It’s Pat), Ryan Stiles (Drew Carey, Whose Line Is It Anyway?), and Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Brad Sherwood (The Dating Game), and Ellie Harvie (The Addams Family). Unexpected Productions is producing the Festival of Improvisation to allow groups 18 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 theater from all over the world to share, collaborate, and exchange improvisational formats with each other in an educational environment. This year’s theme is JAZZ. The 2007 Festival will feature improvisers from Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Sweden, The Netherlands, Canada and the U.S. The participants are all long time improvisers and teachers themselves with this year’s group featuring ten Artistic Directors. The Shows Translation Thursday, June 14 - 8 PM We take advantage of our guests and allow them to run wild in their native languages. The first half consists of all the improvisers playing in their native tongues mixing and matching in various scenes. The second half has them improvising in a second or third language trying to communicate with the barest of vocabularies. Even if we do not have understanding we can still have connection. Harold and Friend Friday, June 15 - 8 PM A Harold is a series of scenes, games and monologues based on one theme, from an audience suggestion. The form works as collaboration between the actors and the audience. The second half will be a surprise (TBA) long form with an international flavor. Performance Showcase Saturday, June 16 - 8PM A long form by the participants of the festival, under the direction of UP’s Artistic Director Randy Dixon, based on “JAZZ” TheatreSports™ Friday/Saturday, June 15/16 - 10:30 PM Our Festival Guests participate in an international version of our weekly competitive improv show. In addition, there will be a couple of unofficial festival shows that take advantage of our foreign guests: Orcas Island Project Sunday, June 10 - 7 PM An eight member cast of international improvisers will be spending a week on Orcas Island developing a show. They will perform it here in Seattle to kick off our international week. This will be the only chance to see this show in Seattle. International Jam Sunday, June 17 - 7 PM Many of our guests remain after the festival for one more night of improvisational jamming together. Fun and relaxing in several languages! A Unexpected Productions press release June 15, 2007 June 15, 2007 PRIDE ‘07 theater Seattle Gay News 19 20 Seattle Gay News PRIDE ‘07 theater June 15, 2007