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REVIEW: By song and by sea, interactive musical comedy ‘Toothy’s Treasure’ makes waves in Boston

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

A pirate’s life is not for everyone, but when it comes to the possibility of treasure, perhaps anyone might be willing to learn.

Widely interactive with its share of comedic pop culture references and more, musical comedy Toothy’s Treasure by Brayden Martino and composed by John-William Gambrell arrived for one weekend only at Boston Center for the Arts live and in person from Wednesday, May 31 through Sunday, June 4.  The production was 95 minutes with no intermission and offered pay-what-you-can tickets.  Click here for more information.

The Off-Broadway cast of ‘Toothy’s Treasure’ Photo by Brayden Martino

What is great about the day in the life of a pirate is that every day is different and the same can be said for Toothys Treasure.  Part sink-or-swim improvisation, musical comedy, and interactive tale, Toothy’s Treasure is never the same production twice.  The core plot may remain the same, but Toothy’s Treasure steers in various directions and with the amount of improvisation actually involved, it can be tricky to keep this type of show from starting to veer off course.  However, it does keep the cast and the audience on their toes. 

He’s a Pirate or otherwise known as the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme song, Under the Sea, and Ruth B’s Lost Boy are just a few of the mood setting preshow tunes piped into the Black Box Theatre to warm up the crowd as cast members humorously mingle.  Easter eggs such as a cereal box, skeleton, a cardboard rudder, and multi-purpose wooden boxes hold a purpose or two as the show progresses.

As pirates are often in peril, a crack team of multi-talented actors are on hand to weather the storm, albeit like all pirates, with more than a bit of self preservation.  Cait Winston is more than up to the challenge as not only a lively parrot puppeteer, but with a knack for maneuvering other humorous roles along the way.  Creator Brayden Martino, in lavender threads, is commanding, foppish, and egotistical as Captain Moldy Bones who leads a crew including Chloe Gardner and Mabel White to replace a certain missing crew member on their voyage to locate Toothy’s buried Treasure.  Charlize Vermaak and Dylan Gombos also lend spontaneity and playfulness to various roles.

The Off-Broadway cast of ‘Toothy’s Treasure’ Photo credit to Brayden Martino

The musical aspect holds promise, especially as certain lyrics are cleverly altered to fit ever changing scenarios performed by an onstage musical trio.   A few highlights include the catchy opening number Thank you Scurvy which explores the next quest for this dastardly and swashbuckling crew.  My Lady the Sea is a charming piece delivered with devoted fervor by Mabel White as Squid Lips and the introspective What Would I Do boasts humorous and well timed sound effects skillfully engineered by Bella Cario, Brayden Martino, and Evelyn Dumeer.  Break the Mold by Chloe Gardner, who depicts humble and earnest Wet Shoe, brims with boldness and sincerity. 

The show is strange, silly, humorous, and adventurous with a sincere message, but features a bit more improvisation for its own good and might benefit from sticking a bit more to structure.  However, Toothy’s Treasure is a funny and entertaining piece of theatre that allows the audience to be part of the story and to decide if it’s indeed a pirate’s life for you.

Toothy’s Treasure by Brayden Martino and composed by John-William Gambrell arrived for one weekend only at Boston Center for the Arts live and in person from Wednesday, May 31 through Sunday, June 4.  Toothy’s Treasure has taken the stage off-Broadway and in Boston.  Click here for more information and when it will return Off-Broadway in New York.

REVIEW: Gloucester Stage’s ‘Paradise Blue’ a savvy and intriguing noir experience

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Paradise, a longtime 40s Detroit Jazz Club, holds many secrets.  As those secrets gradually unfold, nothing is as it seems.

With multi-faceted direction by Elise Joyner and Logan Pitts, Gloucester Stage Company presents Dominique Morisseau’s noir drama Paradise Blue through Sunday, September 18 live and in person at Gloucester Stage, 267 E Main Street on Cape Ann in Gloucester, MA.  The show has some adult language.  The half moon stage and intimate venue does not have a bad seat in the house.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Gloucester Stage’s ‘Paradise Blue’ Darian Michael Garey as P-Sam, Destiny Deshuan Washington as Pumpkin, and Dereks Thomas as Corn Photo Credit to Jason Grow

Though the show’s main focus didn’t seem immediately clear, many revelations piece the production together for its stunning conclusion that may leave you thinking about it long after the show is over. 

Paradise Blue focuses on a group of people tied in one way or another to a jazz club/boarding house called Paradise, run exclusively by no-nonsense Blue, portrayed with guarded complexity by horn player Durrell Lyons.  Now in danger of closing, the club has its own mysterious roots in Detroit and everyone in Blue’s world has a stake in the club’s future.

Gloucester Stage’s ‘Paradise Blue’ Darian Michael Garey as P-Sam and Dereks Thomas as Corn Photo Credit to Jason Grow

Paradise Blue taps into the cast’s multilayered personas as each character makes surprising choices as the show progresses.  This complex and unpredictable production boasts strong performances with particular standouts from Destiny Deschaun Washington as Pumpkin and Alexandria Danielle King as Silver. Destiny Deschaun Washington infuses Pumpkin with warmth, humbleness and compassion towards everyone while consistently putting others first at times to her own detriment.  Pumpkin’s maternal nature endears her to each cast member as she shares bittersweet and complicated moments with Blue and a natural camaraderie with James Ricardo Milord who only recently joined the cast, but kept up with the best of them as trusting and steadfast piano player Corn. 

Gloucester Stage’s ‘Paradise Blue’ Alexandria Danielle King as Silver, Durrell Lyons as Blue, Darian Michael Garey as P-Sam, and Dereks Thomas as Corn, Photo credit to Jason Grow

Chatty, curious, and hardworking, Pumpkin is the seeming antithesis to new tenant Silver, portrayed with blunt and worldly shrewdness by Alexandria Danielle King.  Both Silver and P-Sam, depicted with agitated energy by Darian Michael Garey, possess a learned tenacity and restlessness from bitter past experiences.  Darian Michael Garey exudes palpable energy while King simmers.  Seeing these characters face conflict in their own unique way is a fascinating character study, but due to vastly differing perspectives, Pumpkin and Silver are particularly intriguing with each interaction.

Gloucester Stage ‘Paradise Blue’ Destiny Deshuan Washington as Pumpkin and Alexandria Danielle King as Silver Photo Credit_Jason to Grow

Paradise Blue itself exudes its own restlessness in the Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit which society considers the club a ‘blight.’  Word travels fast and gossip carries its own weight in this enigmatic neighborhood.  Paradise Blue succinctly carries the tense and rueful undertones through Toni Sterling’s stirring lighting and Aubrey Dube’s soulful and bluesy sound design.  Nia Safarr Banks’s sharp vintage suits and distinctive and colorful dresses pop against Janie Howland’s modest and earthy-colored set.

‘Paradise Blue’ Stage set Photo Credit to Jason Grow

Paradise Blue is a powerful drama with grit and gall as each character pours their hopes into Paradise for a brighter future unsuspecting of what lies ahead.

Gloucester Stage Company presents Dominique Morisseau’s noir drama Paradise Blue through Sunday, September 18 live and in person at Gloucester Stage, 267 E Main Street on Cape Ann in Gloucester, MA.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Lexus Broadway in Boston’s glitzy ‘Pretty Woman the Musical’ fluffy but fun

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Sure, it’s escapism, but isn’t that what Pretty Woman is all about?

Based on the hit film adaptation starring breakout star Julia Roberts and then megastar Richard Gere, Pretty Woman put a fairy tale spin on a story about a clever prostitute who charms a rich guy.  The film is produced by Disney no less and solidly directed by the esteemed Garry Marshall.  With natural elegance, pitch perfect comic timing, and tangible chemistry with Gere who she went on to star with in other film projects due to their thriving and bankable chemistry, Julia Roberts instantly became America’s Sweetheart at just 21 years old.

Adam Pascal as Edward and Olivia Valli as Vivian Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

A lot of big box office movies become musicals, so Pretty Woman was inevitable.

Directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell with music by award-winning singer-songwriters Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, Lexus Broadway in Boston’s Pretty Woman the Musical continues live and in person at the Citizens Bank Opera House in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, January 30.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

While the musical lacks Roberts and Gere’s tangible chemistry, Pretty Woman the Musical is still a fun adaptation with a few memorable musical numbers and includes the beloved and iconic moments that charged the 90s rom com classic.  However, I do wish the show took its time a little more.  The scenes and dialogue at times seem rushed, but with a show already two plus hours, that can be understandable.  There is a great deal to cover from the music to the wealth of the film’s signature moments, but perhaps subtracting the more forgettable reprises might make up for the patches of rushed pacing.

Olivia Valli and Saleswomen on Rodeo Drive Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

From colorful street clothes to flowing, runway fashion to majestic gowns that include Vivian’s iconic red dress, costume designer Gregg Barnes exacts the splashy nature and 80s/90s vibe of this fantasy fairy tale.  Fashion bursts onto the scene in the flashy number, Rodeo Drive oozing in the elegance of many shoppers’ fondest dreams and can’t help but notice Jessica Crouch as Kit’s amazing and glittery red and gold heels.

Kyle Taylor Parker as Happy Man Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

One performer who does more of the heavy lifting in this version is Kyle Taylor Parker as Happy Man.  He not only carries his excellent and fun-loving charisma to the neon glow of Hollywood Boulevard for What’s Your Dream, a catchy opening number with a tropic tinge, but keep an eye out for Parker to pop up unexpectedly and delightedly in various sequences throughout the production boasting sharp comic wit and dynamic spontaneity. 

Olivia Valli, the granddaughter of Frankie Valli, has a lot to live up to and does not do a Julia Roberts impression even through those signature red curls, but she makes the part her own as a goofier free spirit and an even faster-talking Vivian than in Roberts’s memorable performance.  Julia Roberts had more of an established elegance in her role, even when she is trying to look tough.  Valli has her own unique and bubbly comic timing.  She performs a charming rendition of This is My Life, created from one of Vivian’s monologues to Edward.  She also delivers a heightened and powerful solo for I Can’t Go Back.

An iconic Rodeo Drive moment in Pretty Woman Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

Adam Pascal as quiet, powerful, and observant Edward lacks Richard Gere’s subtle charm though he sounds a lot like Gere.  His character is developed further than in the film, especially during his insightful solo, Freedom which is a nice addition drawn from Edward’s monologue in the film to Vivian.

Jessica Crouch’s vocal gymnastics with a rock edge as Kit uplifted Luckiest Girl in the World alongside Olivia Valli as Vivian and in the bright and catchy number, Never Give Up on a Dream.  Kit’s spitfire persona and shoot-from-the hip attitude is a heightened version of Laura San Giocomo’s benchmark performance, but here Kit is a more established character and given a larger arc than in the film.  She and Olivia Valli have a warm camaraderie evident from Kit’s first scene. 

Jessica Crouch as Kit and Olivia Valli as Vivian Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

Jason Alexander has said that his opportunity for George from Seinfeld came from Pretty Woman and it was a hard fought battle for him to play the role of Edward’s lawyer and friend, Phillip Stuckey.  However, in this version, Brent Thiessen filling for Matthew Stocke, is more of what director Garry Marshall originally had in mind for Stuckey’s intimidating, slimy, and snarky persona (imagine if Bradley Cooper took this role) and Olivia Valli as Vivian’s updated interactions with him are a little different this time around and more welcoming.   

Amma Osei as Violetta and cast Photo credit to Lexus Broadway in Boston

Whether it’s the astounding vocals from Amma Osei as Violetta or the scene’s up close and personal delivery or even Pascal’s beautiful rendition of You and I, which has an unmistakable Bryan Adams influence, the iconic opera scene between Vivian and Edward stands out as is one of the best scenes in the musical.

Lexus Broadway in Boston’s Pretty Woman the Musical continues live and in person at the Citizens Bank Opera House in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, January 30.  Click here for more information and for tickets.