TheatreWorks stages Pulitzer-winning 'Primary Trust'

 

Bert (Kenny Scott, left) listens as Kenneth (William Thomas Hodgson) is interviewed by the bank manager (Dan Hiatt). (Kevin Berne photo)

Kenneth (William Thomas Hodgson) is 38 years old and works in a bookstore in Cranberry, N.Y.

As depicted in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Primary Trust.” Kenneth has only one friend, Bert (Kenny Scott).

The two of them hang out at a tiki bar, Wally’s, and drink mai tais served by a succession of waitresses, all played by Rolanda D. Bell.

There’s just one catch. Bert is just an imaginary friend to Kenneth, who was orphaned at age 8 and bounced around thereafter.

When the bookstore owner (Dan Hiatt) decides to close it and move to Arizona for health reasons, Kenneth loses his job.

However, the manager (Hiatt), of a local bank, Primary Trust, hires him as a teller. Soon he’s doing well in his new job.

On the other hand, Kenneth becomes concerned and then upset when Bert no longer shows up.

Eventually Kenneth finds himself relating to other people and realizing that he doesn’t need Bert. He’s doing quite well on his own.

Directed by Jeffrey Lo, the play sometimes seems to move slowly, but it gains momentum.

The four actors all do well, as does Jonathan Erman, who plays piano at Wally’s.

The play is well served by Christopher Fitzer’s scenic design, Becky Bodurtha’s costumes, Steven B. Mannshardt’s lighting and Gregory Robinson’s sound.

Running about 90 minutes without intermission, “Primary Trust” will continue through March 29 at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

For tickets and information, call (877) 662-8978 or visit www.theatreworks.org.

 

 

 

Hillbarn stages 'Songs for a New World'

Sidney Matthew Román (left) is Man 1, Sophie Oda is Woman I, Coleton Schmitto is Man 2 and Jessica Coker is Woman 2. (Tracy Martin photo)
 

Although “Songs for a New World” has been around since 1995, it has a contemporary feel, as shown in the production by Hillbarn Theatre & Conservatory.

It’s not a drama as such. There’s no dialogue, nor are there named characters in the songs by Jason Robert Brown.

Instead, the performers go by Woman 1 and 2, and Man 1 and 2. Together and individually they sing songs meant to convey ideas such as the hope that brought people across the sea to a new world, as expressed in “On the Deck of a Spanish Sailing Ship, 1492,” performed by Man 1 (Sidney Matthew Román).

After that there are songs of despair, such as the company’s “The River Won’t Flow,” which refers to homelessness.

There also are songs of hope, of love lost and regained, and the human cost of war.

Six panels with projected images are suspended over the stage in Eric Olson’s scenic design as a way to illustrate and amplify the feelings of the songs.

The floor is painted with phrases like “Ocean of Despair,” “The Lonely Desert,” “Delta of Desire” and others.

Much credit for the projections goes to Cindy Goldfield, They become quite contemporary in some of the latter songs, especially “Hear My Song,” which is accompanied by photos from the protests that followed recent ICE actions in Minneapolis, including the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Besides designing the projections, Goldfield skillfully directed this production and its movements.

The four cast members are all good singers and actors. Besides Román as Man 1, they are Coleton Schmitto as Man 2, Sophie Oda as Woman 1 and Jessica Coker as Woman 2.

Music director and keyboardist Jad Bernardo directs two other musicians on an upstage platform.

The costumes are by Stephanie Dittbern with lighting by Pamila Gray and sound by Jeff Mockus.

Because this is live theater, glitches sometimes arise. Such was the case opening night when Román’s mike suddenly went out during his “King of the World,” but he continued singing as if nothing were wrong. His mike worked thereafter.

Another more subtle problem was a backlight seen on the audience’s left that flickered throughout the show.

Running about 90 minutes without intermission, “Songs for New World” will continue through May 17 at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City.

For tickets and information, call (650) 340-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

 

 

 

 

TheatreWorks presents ‘Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me’

 

Hershey Felder at the piano (David Lepori)

Piano virtuoso Hershey Felder has long been a TheatreWorks Silicon Valley favorite with his one-man shows featuring beloved composers like Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Berlin and Beethoven.

Now he’s back playing himself in the world premiere of his “Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me.”

It’s a fascinating, entertaining autobiographical work that starts in 1974, focuses mainly on his childhood and early adulthood, and offers more music by classical masters.

He talks a lot about his Jewish roots: his parents in Montreal and his Polish and Hungarian grandparents. His grandparents and others talked about the horrors of the Holocaust. Often he speaks in their voices and with their accents.

And of course, he talks about his relationship with the piano, beginning when he was fascinated by it when he was about 3 years old. He also talks about the teachers who helped him along the way.

Besides creating and performing in this work, Felder designed its scenic and visual elements. Books and luggage are arrayed across the stage in front of a grand piano.

Videos and projections by Stefano De Carli show composers, family members and various settings.

The lighting is by Erik S. Barry with sound design by the production manager, Erik Carstensen.

The show runs just under two hours with no intermission. Afterward, Felder graciously answers audience questions.

“Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me” will continue through Feb. 8 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View.

For tickets and information, call (877) 662-8978 or visit www.theatreworks.org.

Constitution inspires play at Hillbarn

 

Vincent Randazzo as Mike listens as Heidi, played by Kimberly Donovan, talks about the Constitution. (Hillbarn photo)

In view of today’s political turmoil in the U.S., Hillbarn Theatre & Conservatory’s production of Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me” would seem quite timely.

However, it mainly takes place when the playwright was still in high school. To earn money for college, she entered contests to talk about what the Constitution means to her.

The action takes place in an American Legion hall in Wenatchee, Wash., when her character, Heidi (Kimberly Donovan), was 15. The contest has time limits overseen by a Legion member, Mike (Vincent Randazzo).

Mostly she talks about Amendment 14, ratified in 1868. It provides for equal protection under the law, calls for due process and grants citizenship to anyone born in the United States. At the time it was intended to grant citizenship to former slaves.

Schreck says many of these rights seemed to apply only to men. Hence, she espouses feminist views.

She seems to switch between her teenage and adult selves, talking about her life and family.

A third character, Debater (Miriam Shev-Tov at the Jan. 23 opening), appears later to debate Heidi. She’s an actual 15-year-old who has more contemporary view of the Constitution and its role in current affairs. She makes points that seem to resonate with the audience.

(Another Debater, Avery Hartman, is listed in the program but didn’t appear at the opening. It’s likely that she and Shev-Tov alternate in the role, but the program doesn’t say so.)

As directed by Susannah Martin, Donovan is too hyper and shouts too much, diluting her effectiveness. The other two performers are more subdued.

The subtle sound design is by Jeff Mockus with the set by Jenna Forder, lighting by Cameron Pence and costumes by Madeline Berger.

Running about two hours with no intermission, “What the Constitution Means to Me” will continue through Feb. 8 at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City.

For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

 

 

Book, movie, now stage: 'Da Vinci Code' goes live in Palo Alto

 

Christian Vaugh-Munck as Robert Langdon and Alli Gamlen as Sophie Neveu try to figure out secrets that will help solve mysteries. (Scott Lasky)

People who enjoyed Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” best-selling novel and/or the movie might be disappointed at Palo Alto Players’ production of the stage adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel.

As directed by Jennifer Copaken, who also serves as movement director, it’s over-produced, and its story is hard to follow.

Part of the problem is that some of the accents are hard to understand. Hence it’s difficult to discern the role of some characters in the convoluted plot.

Basically it focuses on Robert Langdon (Christian Vaughn-Munck), a Harvard symbologist who’s summoned to the Louvre in Paris, where a curator has been murdered.

He teams up with a French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Alli Gamlen), to try to figure out exactly what happened and who’s responsible.

They eventually realize that they’re trying to decipher a code that will reveal the secret history of the origins of Christianity. The works of Da Vinci provide some clues.

Two dancers appear at the beginning of the play and between scenes. Sometimes they’re joined by black-robed monks who manipulate various geometric blocks. They seem extraneous.

This production features ominous music by Anton Sabirianov and abstract projections by Tasi Alabastro.

The simple set is by artistic director Patrick Klein with lighting by Edward Hunter, costumes by Andy Lechuga and sound by Gregorio Perez.

Running about two and a half hours with an intermission, “The Da Vinci Code” will continue through Feb. 1 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

For tickets and information, call (650) 329-0891 or visit www.paplayers.org.  

Everything adds up to an enjoyable 'Cinderella' at Hillbarn

 

Cinderella (Solona Husband, second from right) and her stepfamily (from left) Judith Miller as Madame, Paige Collazo as Charlotte and Ayanna Brewer as Gabrielle. (Photo by Mark Kitaoka)

Several reasons account for the enjoyment of Hillbarn Theatre & Conservatory’s musical production of “Cinderella.”

Chief among them are the character-defining costumes designed by Pam Lampkin, especially the outlandishly elaborate dresses worn by Cinderella’s two stepsisters and stepmother.

On the other hand, in a puff of smoke, the raggedy dress worn by Cinderella (here called Ella) magically transforms into a lovely gown. A similar transformation takes place as the beggar woman, Marie, becomes Cinderella’s fairy godmother.

Another reason for the show’s success is the show itself with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a new book by Douglas Carter Beane.

Yet another reason is director Randy O’Hara, who also is co-choreographer with Zoë Swenson-Graham. He has selected a terrific cast of performers who sing, dance and act well.

Solona Husband is a charmingly winsome Ella. She’s well paired with Sidney Matthew Romȧn as the gallant Prince Topher.

Her imperious, cruel stepmother is played by Judith Miller, while her seemingly thoughtless stepsisters are played by Ayanna Brewer as Gabrielle and Paige Collazo as Charlotte.

In this version of the Cinderella fairy tale, several characters experience epiphanies that change their attitudes and behavior for the better with an emphasis on kindness.

Although the set design by Eric Olson is relatively simple, it’s augmented by projections that help to define the setting.

The production team also includes music director Andrew Burden, aided by a recorded orchestration, along with lighting designer Pamila Gray and sound designer Jeff Mockus.

Running about two and a half hours with an intermission, “Cinderella” will continue through Dec. 28 at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City.

For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

 

 

Charming 'Annie" a big hit for Palo Alto Players

 

Annie (Julie Li) has a new friend, Sandy (Jinkua). (Photo by Scott Lasky)

Palo Alto Players has a smash hit with its production of “Annie.”

Although it’s almost 50 years old, this Tony-winning musical still has the power to charm, thanks to its characters and story.

Inspired by the once-popular comic strip, “Little Orphan Annie,” the book by Thomas Meehan with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin keeps only a few main characters and tells its own story.

In this version, 11-year-old Annie (Julie Li) lives in a New York City orphanage for girls in 1933, during the depths of the Great Depression. Her parents left her there when she was an infant but said they’d come back for her when they could.

The orphanage is overseen by the tippling, tyrannical Miss Hannigan (Morgan Dayley). Her song, “Little Girls,” says all you need to know about how she regards her charges.

Hoping to find her parents, Annie runs away but is soon found and returned to the orphanage. While on the lam, however, she befriends a stray dog, Sandy, here portrayed by Jinkua, a lovable golden retriever.

Back at the orphanage, she happens to be in the right place at the right time when Grace Farrell (Marie Finch) comes by to say that her employer, billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Joey McDaniel), wants an orphan to stay with him in his mansion over Christmas.

Warbucks is so taken with Annie that he wants to adopt her, but she’s supposedly not an orphan. Instead, he pulls strings with Washington higher-ups to launch a national search for her parents.

Aided by his sister, Miss Hannigan, Rooster Hannigan (Brandon Savage) and his girlfriend, Lily St. Regis (Vanessa Mendy), pretend to be Annie’s parents in order to collect a $50,000 reward, but the scheme is uncovered and the three culprits are brought to justice.

Then thanks to an FBI investigation, information is found that clears the way for Warbucks to adopt Annie. In the meantime, she also has charmed President Roosevelt (Charles Evans) and inspired his New Deal.

The show is full of memorable music like “It’s a Hard Knock Life,” sung by the orphans as they scrub the floor, and the show’s optimistic anthem, “Tomorrow,” a real show-stopper.

Director/choreographer Joey Dippel has chosen a terrific, diverse cast of talented actors who sing and dance well.

Li as the endearing title character meets its challenges and then some. All of the other principal characters are noteworthy along with the entire cast.

This production opens with grainy newsreels from the Depression, showing long bread lines, the homeless and unemployed people. Given the crises created by the recent government shutdown, these newsreels are timely.

Adding to the show’s enjoyment are the costumes by Nolan Miranda, set by PAP artistic director Patrick Klein, lighting by Edward Hunter and sound by Brian Foley. The vocal/music director is Pamela Serrano, while the orchestral accompaniment is recorded.

Running about two hours and 40 minutes with an intermission, “Annie” will continue through Nov. 23 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

It has proven so popular that another performance has been added. For details and tickets, call (650) 329-0891 or visit info@paplayers.org.