And the Curtain Closes...For Now

Abbey always tries to bring home a Playbill and a ticket that we find from each performance that we usher.

Last night, Abbey and I ushered for The Phantom of the Opera. It was, as expected, a wonderful performance. We have seen it twice previously and she saw this same production with her friend last week. The staging, costumes and sets were different than in previous years. My in-house Broadway expert tells me that's because this tour came out of the 25th Anniversary commemoration from a few years ago. During our pre-show meeting, the house manager shared that these sets and some of the costumes are from the original West End London production of 1986. In short, it was absolutely beautiful.

But why is this significant?

You see, I graduated from high school in 1986 and by the time I was in my senior year of college in 1990, I owned a two CD set of the original London cast recording. I also had the full libretto in a limited edition that I think came with or was ordered for free from either the full piano score (which I also owned) or the CD set. Either way, I know it was free. To say that I had the score memorized is an understatement. For anyone, like me, that owns these...you are fully aware that by the time the production made the trip "across the pond" many of the words in the big ballads had been changed. Almost 30 years later, the original words still run through my head when I hear the songs sung.

Over the years, I shelved the CDs and I tossed the piano score into a stack of other such works and sadly, I either gave or threw away the free libretto. Little did I know that some day my oldest child would become quite possibly the youngest Phantom-phile ever.

I can't even explain how it happened, but by the time she was 8 or 9 she was in full Phantom-mode. Her passion has exceeded mine for close to a decade now. When we visited New York City last year, nothing could calm her agitation until she stood in front of the theatre where it all began.

Abbey in NYC 2013

But what occurred to me throughout the day yesterday is that somehow, in only the way that God can do, He gave us a beautiful gift last night. The first Broadway show Abbey and I ever saw together with just the two of us was Phantom when she was 9 years old. (To the best of my recollection, that's about the age she was. )

Half of her life later, this was most likely the final Aronoff production we will serve as ushers together. I'm teary just thinking about it. Yet...it is as it should be.

Scripture tells us that "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." (I Cor. 13:11) Attending Broadway shows is by no means childish, but now she's ready to leave my side...and share her love of theatre, music, art, beauty, cooking, healthy eating, compassionate ministry, service, giving, people and children in the perfect place where God can use her.

So yes, the melancholy of all that was happening last night (and some mild lower back pain) had me sitting out of the theatre for the second act. I knew full well that this beautiful bookend to my life with Abbey was on display for my heart to see and I couldn't quite take it all in. But I am so thankful for the times we have had to share. In the metaphoric sense, my curtain is closing.

But oh the blessed joy of seeing her curtain arise!

Wicked, Cincinnati, Ohio

Last night, I had a chance to see this musical for the first time. It definitely lived up to the hype. The score is beautiful, the acting was flawless and the singing talent was remarkable.

With the first notes that Glinda sung, I could not believe they range and beauty of her voice. This is no easy part to sing and I'm certain there are not many good actress with the range required. Afterwards, Abbey mentioned that Gina Beck (who played Glinda) is her favorite Christine Daae to perform in Phantom of the Opera (also coming to the Aronoff this year...minus Gina Beck, apparently). That just made sense. There aren't many quality actresses with the vocal range required for that role either.

Overall, the staging, lighting, special effects, dancing, singing, acting and on and on and on, were flawless. That happens rarely in live theatre...but it is magical when it does.

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As far as I know almost all performances are sold out for the rest of this three week run, but they are holding ticket lotteries if you're interested. You can contact the box office at the Aronoff Theatre for more information.

The Book of Mormon

I had the opportunity to see The Book of Mormon Friday night at the Aronoff Theatre. It is a great show filled with amazing performances. I debated on whether to post a review or not, because throughout the satirical performance, most people I know would be offended at least in some way.

Written by the same creative team behind South Park, part of the "schtick" is shock-value. And it works. Very well.

There is not even a list of songs in the Playbill. I'm not certain why, but I'm just guessing that the song titles alone would give away too much of the story.

The acting, singing and dancing were phenomenal. I really think it was one of the most well-performed shows I've ever seen. I now understand why it won so many Tonys. And I don't know the background of the writers, but someone knew their Mormon stuff...right down to the holy underwear. That's right...holy underwear.

If you're in the Cincy area, if you don't mind to be at least partially offended and if you can still get tickets (most shows are already sold out, but there is a ticket lottery every night), I think you would enjoy this show.

Oliver Twist (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company)

Last Wednesday, all four of our children and I attended a matinee performance of Oliver Twist at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. I was delightfully surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Being more of a musical theatre fan, and having both performed in Oliver! and seeing the 1968 Oscar winning film adaptation too many times to count, I wasn't certain going into it how well it would be received by any of us. Oliver! is also Leah's (10 years old) favorite musical and she has half the soundtrack on her iPod Shuffle.

But I had confidence in Cincy Shakes. They have wow-ed us with two Jane Austen adaptations (Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility) and Romeo and Juliet, plus the touring production of The Tempest. I knew the quality would be good...as it was. Honestly, the presentation wasn't my concern. I just wanted the story to flow well so my children would have a good experience and not be bored. That is no easy task with today's YouTube driven culture. Let's admit it, all of our attention spans have shortened quite a bit over the years.

My worries will ill-founded though. Cincy Shakes did it again...they impressed me...deeply. In fact, there was music. Not any big show-stopping production numbers, but appropriate to the tone and mood songs that furthered the storyline, gave insight, were by no means distracting to the plot and helped break up some of the heavier drama from this sad tale. The accompanying violin music was beautiful as well.

All of the actors gave solid performances. We have seen several of the them repeatedly now and they consistently exceed my expectations. I will highlight one though. Sara Clark as the Artful Dodger, doesn't just play a young boy, but turns in the best performance I have seen from her and that is saying something. In the past I've seen her play my favorite heroine, Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice) and Marianne Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility). Abbey also told me she played a great Juliet last year, but so far, for me, this is the best one to date.

Oliver Twist runs through the rest of September and if you have a chance to take in a great show and support the local arts at the same time, this is the one to see for September.

WarHorse

Last Saturday night, Abbey and I had the pleasure, yet again, or ushering at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but knew from a little background on the play that it had the potential of being phenomenal...and it was!

WarHorse is the Tony award winning play based on the book of the same title written by children's author Michael Morpurgo. I had seen clips of the show while ushering previously at the Aronoff, so I knew the horses, played by puppeteers, would be a huge presence onstage...but that is an understatement.

I had an opportunity to sit in the fourth row, so I never really stopped noticing the puppeteers. This is definitely a show that further back in the house would have been an advantage, but I was still fascinated by the detail that was visible probably only up close. Blinking eyes, rotating ears, breathing up and down, stomping hooves and flowing manes cannot describe what it actually looked like. For all practical purposes, there were two live horses onstage that night.

This is the only performance I've ever attended, where "unseen" performers (the puppeteers) received more applause than, and even a standing ovation before the "real" actors. But it was a history lesson for Abbey and I also.

She's studied U.S. History this year and therefore has learned a little about World War I. I confess that my own knowledge of that war is far less than that of World War II or even the Civil War, my two favorite historical periods. I knew about the trench warfare that occurred, and as with all wars, the inevitability that it lasted much longer than anyone predicted. But what this play brought to life for me was the evolution of warfare that took place during this war...like possibly none other.

When Cavalry soldiers head into the front lines with only a sword and a steed and are mowed down by machine gun fire, the disparity between the old and the new is difficult to watch. I know technological advances always occur at lightning pace during wars...sometimes because they have to. And while I would never say that there is anything humane about warfare...the human element seemed to all but vanish during this...The Great War.

By the end of the play...and the war...the horse has been replaced forever by the great tank Beast that also forever changed the face of war.

This is a great show and if your children are not disturbed by loud noises and non-bloody warfare, it's even a show for them. The word "f-in" is used a lot...but it's spoken precisely how I've spelled it...with three letters missing in between. Use your judgment, but a piece of history that's entertaining and teaches at the same time is rare. The show runs through this Sunday, April 7th, and good seats are still available.

If you don't think you'll make it to the show, at least click on the YouTube video below to get a glimpse at this imaginative retelling of part of our history.

A Childhood Dream Realized

Last night I was more excited than I've ever been to head out to downtown Cincy to the Aronoff Theatre. Cathy Rigby is in town for one week only reprising her role as Peter Pan. As this poster and all of the promotional material for the show states, "Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan" and after what I saw last night...I believe it!

This show was amazing. Having just turned 60 last year, you'd never know it from the flying, leaping, jumping and gymnastics you'd expect from this Olympic gold medalist 40+ years ago. But she can still play this role...and do it better than anyone else.

I found this photo on a Google image search, but it's from my favorite scene where Rigby shows off her percussion skills too. "Wow" was all I could say.

How is this "A Childhood Dream Realized"? Well, it wasn't exactly my dream...it was Abbey's.

You see, many years ago when we still lived in Indianapolis, when Abbey was about six or seven, she borrowed from the library a VHS tape of Cathy Rigby in this same production...and that was the first musical that ignited Abbey's love for all things Broadway and show tunes. It's become a passion of hers...thus the reason we volunteer at the Aronoff to begin with.

She didn't act that excited when we were on our way, but I think my enthusiasm was just masking hers. I even made her stand outside for the pre-show...mostly because it was her turn to do so...but now I see how much more magical it was for her not to see the cast on stage in street clothes and the set strike and fight scene rehearsal like I did. After the first act, her comments were something like, 'This is so cool. I feel like it's part of my childhood.' I'm probably not anywhere close in quoting her...I was too overwhelmed by the experience to take it all in.

So while her tastes have matured to include much more adult musicals like West Side Story, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables'...last night felt like a return to the beginning...the "one that started it all". And even though my little girl has grown up...Peter Pan hasn't and still remains the youthful idealism that we all long for sometimes.

NKU's Legally Blonde

Thanks to the generosity of a friend, Abbey and I were able to catch Northern Kentucky University's production of Legally Blonde. I've heard it's sold out and it only runs through tomorrow, so you may have missed this one, but I'd encourage to check out their shows in the future.

I'm not sure of the size of NKU's theatre department, but they pulled off a great show with over 100 costumes, 25 different locales to represent with scenery and 29 actors and two dogs playing over 80 characters. I can now honestly say I've seen a Broadway song performed while the singers are jumping rope. I know I'm getting older, but there has never been a time when physically I could have pulled that one off!

It was cute. It was funny. And it was done well. But I'll warn you it's not a show for you if you have delicate sensibilities. If you've seen the movie, starring Reese Witherspoon, you'll understand that this is not, The Sound of Music...but still enjoyable nonetheless!

Million Dollar Quartet

This photo was the original inspiration for the Broadway show Abbey and I ushered last night at the Aronoff Theatre in Cincinnati.  One evening in December 1956, Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, had under the same roof, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. They even made a short recording together.

I admit I was hesitant about whether the show would be good or not, but kept telling myself, "Last year when we did the same show twice (The Addams Family), we were pleasantly surprised...who knows?" I was correct...and pleasant surprise is an understatement.

Just flipping through the Playbill, I knew which actor would portray Elvis. He was spot-on for the roll, not only in appearance, but also in vocals and dancing too. When the actor playing Johnny Cash first opened his mouth to sing Folsom Prison Blues, if I'd closed my eyes I would have believed Johnny had come back for just one night only to sing his music for us.

But the actor that blew me away was the very incarnation of Jerry Lee Lewis...piano bench kicking and all! He provides most of the comedic material too, but the leg-jumping, foot-playing-the-piano, hair-bobbing singer really had no equal on that stage. This kid, just like Lewis, was the consummate performer last night.

It's a great show and I was beaming for most of the one hour and forty-five minute performance not only because of the foot-tapping music, but because of the fun and energy exuded by the audience. I noticed once the doors opened that this was an "older" crowd...but it was obviously the music of their generation and watching sixty and seventy year olds getting their groove on, can't help but make you smile.

Tickets are still available. If you have some time now through Sunday, March 3rd, you should head out to catch the show. You will not be disappointed!

The Addams Family

I don't normally blog about the shows Abbey and I have ushered for, but this one was so well done, I just had to share!

Last Thursday night, at best I was hoping for funny. And because we've signed up to usher this show twice, I was really hoping for just bearable. I never was a fan of the original TV show and have never seen the movie with Raul Julia. But I was pleasantly surprised not only by the witty humor (yes, sometimes a bit ribald!) but also the excellent music, the fast pace that kept your attention, the superb vocal and acting ability (particularly of the actor portraying the patriarch of the Addams family, Gomez) and the amazing usage of staging, lighting and even makeup. All of this on a night when two of the main characters were even played by understudies.

While everything was above par, what fascinated me the most was the staging. Having a little drama background myself, this is one thing I often notice. Does it take too long to make set changes? Is there "dead space" or "dead air" while changes are taking place? Do you see too many stage hands while the changes are taking place?

Every touring Broadway performance I've seen in the last 10 years utilizes automatic wireless systems to move sets, props, etc. off and on stage. Honestly, I've been out of the drama loop so long I don't even know how they do it. What I do know as a member of the audience, is that if frequently takes my attention away from what's taking place onstage, no matter how unobtrusive they attempt to be. But what was over and above any show I've seen in this last decade was the Addams Family's ability to manipulate the downstage curtain to incorporate it into the exact amount of space needed for the scene. The curtain was not open completely for most of the performance. It would simply move to show the half, third or even quarter of the stage that was needed for that scene. Thus, characters could be in place when the curtain moved so time wasn't needed for them to walk off and on stage. This made the flow of the show seamless.

What I couldn't help thinking was that this would be a great first Broadway show for kids. Yes, there is some humor you hope would just go over their heads, but as far as keeping their attention and an easy to understand plot with catchy and upbeat music...this is definitely kid-friendlier than most. It's not Disney...but it's still fun!

From the first duh-duh-duh-duh (snap, snap!)....the audience was sold and never stopped laughing or clapping throughout. If you have some time and a little extra money, tickets are still on sale at the Aronoff Center's website On our night, there were still a lot of good seats available.

The show runs through Easter Sunday, including matinees for all Saturdays and Sundays until the end. We'll be back to usher on Saturday the seventh and I can't wait!

Visiting the Bard

Abbey, a few friends and I visited the Bard Wednesday morning...or at least we visited his resident company in Cincinnati. Needless to say, seeing one of my favorite Jane Austen stories...which makes it one of my favorite stories ever...was a thrill and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company did not disappoint!

The best part? I'm tempted to say the $10.00 educational matinee tickets that would normally cost $28-32 for an evening performance...but I'll set that aside to admit that it was a great adaptation and portrayal of my beloved story of Elinor and MaryAnn Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. I imagine it could be intimidating for any actor filling the shoes of prior successful portrayals such as Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, but the local company was superb. Also, there is not a bad seat in the house. The upstage area is elevated by a gradual slope just as it was in Shakespeare's day and the house is small so viewing from any seat is excellent.

If I had any complaints, it would be regarding the costuming. For an era when all clothes would have been tailor-made (especially those belonging to the "gentle" class), several of the dresses and coats looked far too big for many of the actors and actresses. That being said, I did enjoy the opulence and diverse array of costumes and how they did show the disparity in income even among the upper class. Last year's Pride and Prejudice did not do as well at this as I would have liked to see.

Abbey and I have recently begun volunteering at the Aronoff Center so we're having great opportunities to see amazing Broadway shows and excellently performed ballets on the "big stage". I admit, I think I prefer the intimacy of the smaller theatre. Most of these actors were also in Pride and Prejudice last year and the performances were consistently excellent.

So if you're in the mood for something a little different than a showy spectacular...try the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for the classics. I don't think you'll be disappointed.