baseball

REVIEW: Friendship, camaraderie and mischief take center field in Imaginary Beasts’ engaging ‘Casey at the Bat: An All American Panto’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

How far would you go for your dream?

For Cameron Hinkle as ambitious entrepreneur Homer Humdinger and many characters in Mudville, baseball is king and some are willing to do almost anything for it.  Exploring integrity, celebrity, ambition, the true nature of friendship and the spirit of the game, a lot is at stake in Imaginary Beasts’ production of Casey at the Bat:  An All American Panto.

Directed wistfully by Matthew Woods, Imaginary Beasts presented Evan Turissini, Kiki Samko and Matthew Woods’s Casey at the Bat: An All-American Panto from October 18 through October 26 live and in person at Topsfield Town Hall in Topsfield, Massachusetts.  The show was approximately two hours with one intermission.  Click here for more information.

Hot popcorn and baseball-themed concessions were sold prior to the show and intermission as a lively audience arrived for an interactive Panto.  A panto is a form of wintertime family entertainment in the UK that weaves in puns, wordplay, jokes, and more.  Boasting a friendly drawl and wicker hat, Molly Kimmerling warmly portrayed guardian angel, wise narrator and townie Pop Fly who shared the wild tale of Casey at the Bat partially based on the classic poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer.  It delved into a mysterious deal with the devil in order to bring baseball to a town like Mudville.  However, things quickly get complicated as events unfold.

Julia Hertsberg, Hampton Richards, Cameron Hinkle, Laura Ditwiler, and Tommy Vines in ‘Casey at the Bat’ Photo credit to Imaginary Beasts

The continual audience engagement fueled this exaggerated tale that meandered and veered off course on occasion while humorously weaving in fitting contemporary pop and winking adult references.  Billie Eilish, Ebay, Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and various musical and baseball film references are just a few examples. 

With so many productions that rely on the zip and zing of digital effects, CGI, and AI, it is exciting to again see director Matthew Woods solely rely on homespun creativity and audience interaction to bring to life this patriotic and unpredictable spin on a classic poem.

Imaginary Beasts has been excelling at creating vivid costumes and mesmerizing settings as if walking into a storybook.  Mudville is a cheerful and optimistic world and the imaginative and layered set folded out in a wonderful way standing as a portrait of vintage baseball nostalgia which included inflatable bats, fields, a locker room and as baseball is America’s pastime, American flags and patriotic ribbons wrapped around the set. 

Kiki Samko and Matthew Woods in ‘Casey at the Bat’ Photo credit to Imaginary Beasts

Casey at the Bat poem was published in 1888 and the uniforms reflect that colorful retro quality which included the old time milkmen and barbershop as part of this vintage landscape.  Cotton-Talbot-Minkin’s captivating costumes reflect baseball nostalgia with a dash of steam punk.  As the look is inspired by silent films, distinctive patterns combined with bow ties, top hats, sporty converse sneakers, bodices, velvet, vintage baseball uniforms, pearls, and boots.  This panto also delivered a dynamic assortment of tunes including calliope music, characters breaking out into baseball themed song, a pop tune a tap dance or Camille Chartier as eternally Shakespearean and mischievous accordion playing Sox the Cat.

With swagger and a winning smile, Evan Turissini charismatically portrayed the Mighty Casey with a dose of gruff and ego seemingly striding through life.

In a velvet red coat and top hat and scowling eyes, mustachioed Matthew Woods schemed and plotted as Silverado Quick who will stop at nothing to win over a soul, even if it means tricking everyone in his path.  However, the person assigned for the actual dirty work was the multi-tasking Miss Slump portrayed with versatile comic timing by Kiki Samko.  Slump did what she must and she was great. 

Cameron Hinkle, Tommy Vines, Laura Detwiler and Camille Chartier in ‘Casey at the Bat’ Photo credit to Imaginary Beasts

Fresh faced Tommy Vines was earnest as idealistic and wide eyed Dewey who dreams of becoming a star baseball player.  Vines’s enthusiasm shone through the production boosted by some endearing scenes with Julia Hertsberg as shrewd yet sweet Katie, baseball’s biggest fan especially in a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s High Hopes. 

Casey at the Bat is a love letter to the sport in many ways.  Although it had its corny moments, these animated characters delivered a quirky tale with high jinks, scheming and sleuthing through memorable and poetic dialogue including vintage expressions such as ‘flimflam’ and ‘hop to’ to deliver a meaningful message about inspiration, friendship, and doing what is right.

Evan Turissini, Tommy Vines, Molly Kimmerling, Julia Hertzberg, Cameron Hinkle and Colin McIntire in ‘Casey at the Bat’ Photo courtesy of Imaginary Beasts

Directed wistfully by Matthew Woods, Imaginary Beasts presented Evan Turissini, Kiki Samko and Matthew Woods’s Casey at the Bat: An All-American Panto from October 18 through October 26 live and in person at Topsfield Town Hall in Topsfield, Massachusetts.  Click here for more information and upcoming events by Imaginary Beasts.

REVIEW: The Huntington makes history with a remarkable ‘Toni Stone’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Everyone should live for something the way Toni Stone lives for baseball and everyone should also know Toni Stone’s history making story.

It is also almost impossible to think of another person more enthusiastic than the glow that appears across Eunice Woods’ face as she talks about beloved baseball.  The devotion, the stats, the storytelling, and Stone’s very nature is engrained in this exciting sport and that is only the beginning of Toni Stone’s story.

The cast of Toni Stone in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

Based on a true story and engagingly written and directed by Lydia R. Diamond with innovative choreography by Ebony Williams, The Huntington continues Toni Stone live and in person at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, June 16 and streaming online through July 14.  The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes including one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Toni Stone, depicted in this performance by understudy Eunice Woods, approaches baseball with a fearlessness and blind ambition that would inspire anyone to pursue their dreams.  A historical figure and natural athlete willing to do whatever it takes to fit in while ignoring the naysayers, Stone possesses the kind of determination needed to become the first woman to play baseball professionally on a regular basis.  However well Stone knew baseball though, other areas in life came with uncertainty. 

Left to right: Jonathan Kitt, Jennifer Mogbock in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

At the center of this production is Woods as Stone who wittily and engagingly recalls what brings her to the plate playing for an all-male Negro League called The Indianapolis Clowns.  The collective team, which Stone affectionately refers to as ‘my boys,’ share a teasing and genuinely likable rapport as they transform into other roles in Stone’s recollections.  In a pinstriped suit, Jonathan Kitt portrays smooth and mysterious Alberga with enlightened charm and protectiveness while Stanley Andrew Jackson’s wise and nurturing Milly delivers a number of the show’s well timed dry humor and encouragement.

Left to right: Stanley Andrew Jackson, Jennifer Mogbock in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

From a bar scene to  a steel mill factory to a picturesque stadium setting with flood lights and absorbing lighting by Brian J. Lilienthal, Scenic Designer Collette Pollard’s nostalgic and functional set makes the most out of the Huntington stage as Woods shares Stone’s time jumping memories.  The impressive set is likened to a little piece of vintage Fenway Park as the green worn wooden stadium with bleachers display billboards for Stetson and Gimbel to reflect the late 1940s and early 1950s.  Aubrey Dube’s rich sound design echoes the swing of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the sonic play-by-play announcer while Lucas Clopton’s big band and jazz-inspired original music resonates with the ‘Nifty Fifties.’  Bold colors enhance the Indianapolis Clowns in authentic style uniforms right down to the striped baseball stirrups while other costumes add a hat or a subtle touch as members of the team play multiple roles by Costume designer Mara Blumenfeld and Wig, Hair, and makeup artist Earon D. Nealey.

Left to right: Jennifer Mogbock in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

Ebony Williams’ dynamic choreography combines athleticism and a touch of Broadway while infusing sweeping 50s era dance moves starting with the swooping opening chorography that not only depicts Stone’s laser focused passion for the game, but the very essence of why people love baseball.  After all, Boston is a city steeped in baseball history and known for its avid fans, so it is no surprise that Boston would be an ideal location for this groundbreaking individual to share her story.

Left to right: The cast of Toni Stone in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

Though I do think the show would be further appreciated by fervent baseball fans, Toni Stone’s story is essentially about an individual who is discovering who she is and who she wants to be beyond what society expects from her.  Often misunderstood from childhood, Stone faced an uphill battle with few who shared her vision, but never took her eyes off of her heart’s desire.  Woods not only depicts Stone’s unconventional and confident persona, but also in braving racism, segregation, and harrowing obstacles and challenges with a combination of anxiety yet unshakable faith that she can do anything with enough persistence.  Woods as Stone is funny, lively and confides in the audience like we are old friends. 

Left to right: The cast of Toni Stone in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

Based on a true story and engagingly written and directed by Lydia R. Diamond with innovative choreography by Ebony Williams, The Huntington continues Toni Stone live and in person at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, June 16 and streaming through July 14.  The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes including one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.