60s | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: Lexus Broadway in Boston’s ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ some kind of wonderful triumph

Posted on February 20, 2019 by The Sleepless Critic

Triumph she does. Carole King, one of the most successful songwriters of the latter part of the 20^th century, had talent from the first time she walked in the studio at age 16. This is not the average biopic where the protagonist has to overcome some sort of terrible tragedy or failure, but a woman on the move from the very start.

Boasting a library of hits before Carole even considers taking the stage to perform her own music, this show brings on the nostalgia of passing generations from the chic retro clothes to the distinctive music style. It is a sweeping musical from a songwriter’s perspective with few low notes and anyway, why not pack a show with hits and a lighter story that just might leave you smiling?

Sarah Bockel as Carole King Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

Lexus Broadway in Boston concluded Beautiful: The Carole King Musical‘s run on Sunday, February 10. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical recently celebrated five years on Broadway. Click here to see where this captivating show will be next. Click here more on Broadway in Boston’s stellar season.

From the moment Carole makes contact with that baby grand piano for a lively rendition of I Feel the Earth Move, impressive, rolling sets transport her into her Brooklyn home where she first started writing. Portrayed by Elise Vannerson throughout the show, Carole is introspective yet dreamy, seemingly more than ready for her life to take off. Vannerson captures the essence of her ambition, shyness, and tenacity. Her soaring vocals is an impressive tribute to Carole’s trademark voice. Suzanne Grodner portrays Genie Klein, Carole King’s mother, with humorous, cynical sass and sensibility as she cuts Carole a deal.

The Drifters: Darius Delk, Dimitri Joseph Moise, Deon Releford-Lee, and Nathan Andrew Riley Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

The Shirelles: Harper Miles, DeAnne Stewart, Danielle J. Summons, and Alexis Tidwell Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

Dominating this tale is some of the most popular music of the 20^th century and Beautiful offers a peek into how some of these songs hit the charts. A rollicking mix of hits including There Goes My Baby and Yakety Yak encompasses the sensational 1650 Broadway Medley as a glittering display of guitars, scripts, music sheets, and sound systems hang in the background. From shimmering gowns to some of the era’s most popular, colorful fashion trends, Allejo Vietti’s costume design blends perfectly with Joyce Chittick’s lively choreography, a compelling spectrum of classic dance moves and crazes of each era. It’s an era so influenced by Carole King’s songwriting and that of her peers.

From Left to right: James Clow as Don Kirshner, Dylan S. Wallach as Gerry Goffin, Sarah Bockel as Carole King, Jacob Heimer as Barry Mann, and Alison Whitehurst as Cythia Weil Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is full of moments of light humor and endearing chemistry among the cast. With smooth, pliable vocals, Dylan S. Wallach portrays idealistic, sharp, and a bit macho Gerry Goffin. He and Elise Vannerson as Carole have charming chemistry and moments of cute awkwardness. They complement each other and their duets are particularly memorable. Alison Whitehurst as confident and driven Cynthia Weil and Jacob Heimer as hypochondriac Barry Mann make a fascinating comic duo. James Clow is also impressive as warm, inventive, and open minded Don Kirshner, who always knows talent when he sees it.

Click here to see where Beautiful: The Carole King Musical will be next. Lexus Broadway in Boston’s upcoming performances include A Bronx Tale, Hello Dolly, Dear Evan Hanson, as well as the return of The Illusionists, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables. Click here for a closer look at their season and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Mark Morris Dance Group’s costume designer Elizabeth Kurtzman talks vibrant inspiration behind Beatles show, ‘Pepperland’

Posted on February 5, 2019 by The Sleepless Critic

According to Rolling Stone, The Beatles hit album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band ranked #1 of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003. Not only is this groundbreaking album visually compelling, but songs on the album such as Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, With a Little Help from My Friends, Penny Lane, When I’m Sixty-Four, and the album’s popular title track are considered rock and roll classics.

What is it like to bring that album to life in vibrant color in its 50^th anniversary year? New York costume designer Elizabeth Kurtzman talks about what it was like to bring Mark Morris Group, Pepperland to the stage. Celebrity Series of Boston presents Mark Morris Dance Group’s Pepperland, a tribute to Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, to the Boch Center Shubert Theatre in Boston February 8-10. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Pepperland_Seattle 2018_Mat Hayward - 8839

‘Pepperland’ performance in Seattle. Images by Mat Hayward/Celebrity Series of Boston

Sleepless Critic: It must be exciting to portray the essence of this classic Beatles album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in its 50^th anniversary year. Please tell me what your initial thoughts were in taking on this project.

Elizabeth Kurtzman: I read the email inviting me to work on a project that involved music by the Beatles. I thought I was dreaming and was really intrigued. Mark Morris and the Beatles are two of my favorite things. I could not imagine how it would all look and sound. I knew it would not be by-the-book –Beatles and it had to be turned around pretty quickly.

Pepperland_Seattle 2018_Mat Hayward - 8416

‘Pepperland’ performance in Seattle. Images by Mat Hayward/Celebrity Series of Boston

The 60s brought rapidly changing style. There is a lot of information in the years the Beatles made all that music, so there were a lot of possibilities.

SC: You have worked with the Mark Morris Dance Group numerous times. How was this project a unique experience for you and what do you like most about working with them? I know it might have been a challenge to tie in a contemporary feel to such an iconic time period.

EK: They look great in these clothes/costumes and wish the guys wore these suits all the time. They are a dream and it isn’t easy to dance in layers made out of corduroy.

Some of Mark’s pieces require more research than others. I spent hours looking up fashion and color from 1960-69. Mark was not interested in dressing the dancers in satin and feathers a la the album cover. It was more about trying to send the message of the early sixties. Simple shapes, but those shapes looked new, fresh, and young. Colored tights were so futuristic and men’s suits got smaller and cuter. I was a kid mid-sixties, but was completely mesmerized by those clothes.

Color was just as important as shape. Colors were new, synthetic fabrics made bolder, brighter fabrics available. The color palette was loosely based on a photo of a mural painted on a corner on Carnaby Street in London.

Pepperland_Seattle 2018_Mat Hayward - 8770

‘Pepperland’ performance in Seattle Images by Mat Hayward/Celebrity Series of Boston

SC: Songs like With A Little Help From My Friends, When I’m Sixty-Four, and the title track are just a few of the songs portrayed visually onstage. What was that process like and can you offer a hint of the vibe audiences can expect when they see the show?

EK: I think the show is about the energy of the time which offers a lot of happiness with a little melancholy thrown in.

SC: From what I have seen of your work, you seem to add a vibrant personality to the performers that take the stage. The colors and designs really pop.

The dancers are so game and energetic, the color and design only enhance their skill. I love working with fabric and color and am fortunate to be able to attend rehearsals, which is where I get to see the personality of the dance and how the dancers move.

Pepperland_Seattle 2018_Mat Hayward - 9912

‘Pepperland’ performance in Seattle. Images by Mat Hayward/Celebrity Series of Boston

SC: What has been the most challenging work you have done in New York or otherwise?

EK: I can’t say there is one thing I’ve worked on that stands out as most challenging. There are always a few little challenges, but always a way to overcome them. It is more challenging working with small theatre companies that have tiny budgets and lots of costume changes or working with opera singers who hate the way they look in any and everything. The biggest challenge is sewing it myself.

Pepperland_Liverpool 2017_Robbie Jack - 6663

‘Pepperland’ performance in Liverpool Images by Robbie Jack/Celebrity Series of Boston

SC: You also provide art and music for programs for children in New York City. Please tell me more about that and how you got involved.

Several years ago, I was involved with the Children’s Museum of the Arts downtown. I was determined to get kids to design and repurpose their clothes. Most of the adults I know do not know how to sew on a button.

I helped put together a program for children on the autism spectrum and their families that provided a place for making great art and music. I also spent many hours designing and making costumes for the theatre department at my daughter’s high school who graduated in 2017.

Celebrity Series of Boston presents Mark Morris Group, Pepperland, at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre in Boston from February 8-10. Click here for more information and for tickets. Tickets can also be obtained at the Celebrity Series of Boston’s box office. Follow Celebrity Series of Boston on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Acclaimed producer Sue Gilad talks Tony nominations, girl power, and heartwarming musical, ‘A Taste of Things to Come’

Posted on April 11, 2018 by The Sleepless Critic

From the award-winning Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 to Angels in America, renowned theatre producer Suzanne Gilad has an eye for the next big show. Boasting an array of memorable tunes, Sue’s current musical project, A Taste of Things to Come, has been described as Jersey Boys meets Betty Crocker meets the 60s feminist movement. It takes the stage at Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse through April 29.

Photo courtesy of Broadway in Chicago

Sue discusses getting Tony nominations, bringing A Taste of Things to Come to Chicago, and Turtle Wax. Click here for more information and tickets to A Taste of Things to Come.

Sleepless Critic: You are involved in a number of well known projects such as Angels in America, Madame Butterfly, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, and upcoming project, The Other Josh Cohen. What first brought you into the theatre world?

Sue Gilad: I was a performer a long time ago and then started doing voice overs, which took me down a completely separate and fun path. A few years ago, a friend created a show and asked me if I would help shape it. I discovered being a producer meant that I could be responsible and still have a life. We get to be creative in terms of what kinds of work we bring to the public to see and hopefully open their minds and hearts. It made sense and there are still relatively few female producers in the business, although that is changing. There is a lot of growth for that.

I would jump Broadway projects as a co-producer and that is what is happening with the recently opened Angels in America. People ask me if they can meet Andrew Garfield who delivers a tremendous and transformative performance in the show. I’ve never seen him like that.

SC: What was it like for you when Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 got multiple Tony nominations?

SG: It was such a big honor that the show received the most Tony nominations of any show last year. The best part about getting the nominations was The Great Comet was a big creative risk. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to be on Broadway with its tiny stage and cast. When it was at the American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Diane Paulus wanted to take the show which was in the round and remount it into proscenium theatre. She did to great acclaim and it became an immersive production, unlike anything Broadway has ever seen before.

Libby Servais (Broadway: Wicked, Lysistrata Jones), Cortney Wolfson (Broadway: The Addams Family, Les Miserables) Broadway’s Linedy Genao (On Your Feet! Original Broadway Cast), Marissa Rosen (Off-Broadway’s The Marvelous Wonderettes) Photo courtesy of Broadway in Chicago

SC: A Taste of Things to Come has an all female crew. Was it planned that way?

SG: Dare I say that the women were the most qualified for the job? A Taste of Things to Come, written by Hollye Levin and Debra Barsha, is based on Hollye’s experience of her mom and a part of it tells the story of the life her mom had growing up. Then director Lorin Latarro came onboard when the show debuted at Bucks County Playhouse in Pennsylvania. Everybody loved her and she brings tremendous things to the show.

The show features four women that age from age 25 in 1957 to age 35 in 1967. Everything blows open in the beginning of Act 2 when they are 10 years older and wiser with more opportunities for women and delicious secrets about race, religion, and sexuality which is not something you really talked about in the 1950s. By the 1960s, there was a real space for it. You get to see these women’s journeys during an incredible moment in history.

SC: What was it about A Taste of Things to Come that grabbed your attention?

SG: I saw a rehearsal or reading of this show and loved it. It gave me the opportunity to articulate my gratitude to the generation before me that broke through so many glass ceilings I didn’t even know existed.

Women of that generation either didn’t work or they became teachers and nurses so my generation can become doctors and superintendents. Then my kids’ generation can do whatever they want for work or nothing for work. It’s just extraordinary and gave me a window into the past. I can share it with my mom and, if I wanted to, bring my teenage daughters to it. It’s a celebration of friendship, solidarity, and kind of interestingly timed with the advent of the ‘me too’ and ‘times up’ movement that women in their time also had to take a stance for things that were beyond their comfort zone or what was socially acceptable at the time.

The cast of ‘A Taste of Things to Come’ Photo courtesy of Broadway in Chicago

SC: The New York Times has described A Taste of Things to Come as ‘a recipe for catchy musical theatre.’ Please tell me a little about the music and your favorite songs.

SG: Composer Debra Barsha worked on Jersey Boys on Broadway for ten years so it starts out with the popular tunes of the 1950s. Ten years later, things become a lot groovier and it had a really distinctive 60s sound. My favorite song has been shifting as I get to know it better, but today I love the song, Blessings in Disguise. It’s a testament to the things we think will challenge us which are actually the things that make us stronger and give us unexpected gifts. My other favorite song is In Time, the final song of the show. The entire cast sings it and they look back at what they have been through together as individuals and as a group of friends. The best things happen in time.

SC: What has it been like putting the show together?

Since the show is set in Winnetka, A Taste of Things to Come is making its home in Chicago. It’s been fun listening to the audio discs during previews because of the way the audience giggles with any Winnetka or Chicago reference. We were very lucky to get New York Broadway actresses but we also have an understudy that can swing all four roles. Madison Kauffman is a Chicago native who just graduated from college. She came in for the first day of rehearsal completely off book for all four roles. Her level of excitement and passion is so thrilling.

The cast of ‘A Taste of Things to Come’ Photo courtesy of Broadway in Chicago

SC: What kind of support is the show looking for?

SG: We have a great sponsor based out of Chicago called Turtle Wax. It is in the script because it was wax that men were using in 1957 for their cars. We would be open for Chicago-based companies to sponsor the show because we do have a wonderful, primarily female, well-educated audience.

SC: What is in store for the future of the show?

SG: We have wonderful theatres interested in having the show at their theatre so we might take the show on tour. Then we’re hoping to get it licensed so every school, regional theatre, community, and worldwide theatre can perform it and share the victories of womanhood.

A Taste of Things to Come continues at the Broadway Playhouse in Chicago through April 29. Click here for more information and for tickets. Follow A Taste of Things to Come on Facebook and Twitter.

For Performing Arts news, interviews, reviews, and much more in Boston and beyond, follow us on Facebook @sleeplesscritic and subscribe.

Acclaimed choreographer Tony Williams talks innovative rock ballad, ‘Life: In Color’

Posted on May 22, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

David Bowie, Prince, and the Rolling Stones are just a few of the innovative artists that made a profound impact on rock and roll. Paying tribute to some of the biggest rock and roll talent through ballet, Tony Williams Ballet Company presents rock ballad, Life: In Color, which explores memorable music over the past 60 years on Thursday, May 25 and Thursday, May 26. Performances will be held at the Oberon Theatre, conveniently located in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Click here for more information and tickets.

Tony Williams, acclaimed choreographer and creator of the Tony Williams Ballet Company, talks about his love for dance, nearly meeting David Bowie, and how Life: In Color was born.

Tony Williams Photo courtesy of the Tony Williams Dance Center

Sleeplesscritic: You are behind the annual Urban Nutcracker, now in its 17^th year. What do you think it is about the Urban Nutcracker that has appealed to audiences for so long?

Tony Williams: It’s a show about Boston for an audience that wants to see themselves represented onstage. Our mission is diversity through dance, and there aren’t many shows where an 8 year-old African-American boy can see himself reflected onstage amongst a cast that truly reflects Boston’s multi-cultural community. While it’s a take on the modern tale of the Nutcracker, it has heart, soul, and a more modern driving force. We add something new each year. Whether it’s our LGBT celebration show, a sensory-friendly show for those with autism, or even a selfie stick for our onstage party photo, there is always something fun and unique. This year we have exciting plans and I can’t wait to share the growth of our Urban Nutcracker show, but we have to keep some elements of surprise.

SC: What inspired you to become a dancer? Was there a particular moment where you realized that dance is what you were meant for?

TW: I was a real jock playing baseball and doing gymnastics. I never thought about dancing until I was 16 and was always fascinated with classical music. One day I saw a ballet performance at the gym where I worked out and was totally mesmerized by the purple color in the costumes. Around the same time at the gym, some of the gymnasts said how Russian gymnasts took ballet to improve their skill. I went with one of the gymnasts to the Boston Ballet School and watched him in class. I soon took a class and was hooked, but I stopped after one class because someone said ballet is not for boys. Then, by good fortune, I bumped into one of the dancers that had performed at the gym. I mentioned I saw him dance and tried to become a dancer, but stopped. He encouraged me to continue and here I am more than 50 years later.

SC: Please tell me about the Tony Williams Dance Center and the Tony Williams Ballet and why you decided to start a dance school.

TW: I started the Tony Williams Dance Center in 2000. I had been freelancing as a ballet teacher and was traveling all around New England. In order to cut down on travel, I decided to settle down in Boston neighborhood and my hometown, Jamaica Plain. Things got off to a good start and now the Tony Williams Dance Center is in its 17th year. My first professional ballet company actually dates back to 1985 when I co-founded Ballet Theatre of Boston with Jose Mateo. From there, I founded the American Concert Ballet (ACB) in 1991. ACB morphed into BalletRox in 1996. I finally founded my professional dance company, the Tony Williams Ballet, in 2014.

SC: I was struck by the innovative concept of Tony Williams Ballet’s Life: In Color. The show infuses 60s rock and jazz into contemporary dance. Some influences include David Bowie, Prince, and the Rolling Stones. You’ve said that you felt with the recent deaths of a few of these music legends, now is the time to pay tribute to them. How did this performance come about from there?

TW: I was buying a coffee at the City Feed ‘hippie store’ near my studio when I heard Lady Jane by the Rolling Stones. I hadn’t heard it in quite some time and it brought me back to 60s. I loved that song and was inspired to choreograph to it.

One time, while on a tour with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, we were staying at a hotel in Norfolk, VA. After we performed one evening, some of my fellow dancers and I had a drink in the hotel lounge. Afterwards, I went up to my room to go to sleep. The next morning, one of the dancers excitedly told me David Bowie entered the hotel lounge with his band after I went to bed. He was very friendly and drank with my fellow dancers. Yikes, I really missed out on meeting Bowie!

SC: What do you think makes this upcoming performance particularly unique?

TW: These performances will be our first in a 3 – D setting at the Oberon Theatre. It is a night club setting with patrons sitting at tables around an open dance floor with a stage. The dancers perform on the dance floor, stage, bar, the catwalk, and in and amongst the seated patrons!

SC: What makes you particularly excited about Life: in Color? You’ve said this performance is particularly meaningful, an emotional journey.

TW: The 60s was such an incredible decade. I lived through the Vietnam War as well as the assassinations of JFK, MLK, and Robert Kennedy. I lived in New York City and was swept up in that ‘Flower Power & Love’ decade that arose as a counter balance to so much tragedy. Creating Life: in Color allows me to reflect nostalgically on those times by using certain rock songs that I love from the 60s and 70s. Witty and entertaining, the show is anchored around the fabulous poetry of Ken Nordine’s 1966 poetry album called Colors. The playful poems are accompanied with beautiful jazz music. The poetry spans the myriad personality traits of human beings.

Stoneham native, choreographer, and dancer Janelle Gilchrist

Maya Holden Photo courtesy of Meghan Gaucher

Venezuelan dancer Gianni Di Marco Photo courtesy of Tony Williams Dance Center

Tony Williams Dance Center Ballet presents ‘Life: In Color’ on May 25 and 26 Photo courtesy of Tony Williams Ballet

SC: Life: in Color features Venezuelan dancer Gianni Di Marco, Stoneham native Janelle Gilchrist, veteran dancer Meghan Gaucher, and Hawaiian native Rick Vigo. Please tell me about how these choreographers got involved.

TW: I have been working with these talented artists for a number of years and had planned to choreograph Life: in Color myself, but realized that I did not have sufficient time to create the 30 plus mini- dances in the performance. So I allotted approximately six dances to each choreographer. Our costume designer, Dustin Rennells, assisted me with fleshing out a scenario based on my ideas and has created wild and colorful costumes.

SC: What do you think is the best reason people should attend Life: in Color?

TW: It will be lots of fun! You’ll appreciate the fabulous dancers and the wide variety of types and styles of dance, from classical ballet en pointe to circus art, hip hop, and campy jazz. We aim to entertain with an original artistic approach that will appeal to everyone, not just balletomanes.

Tony Williams Ballet Company presents rock ballad Life: In Color Thursday, May 25 and Friday, May 26 at the Oberon Theatre, 2 Arrow Street, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Click here for tickets and further information.

One of Tony Williams’s future projects is a new production of the Jungle Book in partnership with the Aparna Sindhoor Navarasa Dance Theater. Follow Tony Williams Dance Center on Facebook for updates and more.