Displaying items by tag: Austin Colby

“Truth, like art, is in the eye of the beholder” Jim Williams

The Goodman Theatre has conjured a spellbinding spectacle with the world premiere musical adaptation of John Berendt's captivating "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Tony Award winning Director Rob Ashford masterfully weaves together a tapestry of music, movement, and Southern Gothic, transporting audiences to the heart of Savannah's veiled secrets and vibrant eccentricity.

John Berendt's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" isn't your typical true crime story. It delves into the captivating underbelly of Savannah, Georgia, weaving a narrative rich with eccentric characters and veiled secrets. Berendt masterfully blended humor and suspense, as he explored themes of Southern charm, social facades, and the ambiguity of good and evil. The book's charm lie in its ability to transport you to a bygone era, where Spanish moss hung heavy with secrets and the line between truth and fiction blurred beautifully.

Mac Arthur genius grantee Taylor Mac's book cleverly condenses the sprawling narrative of the novel, focusing on the key players in the central murder mystery. The Savannah social scene comes alive through witty dialogue and sharply drawn characters. Brianna Buckley as Minerva was captivating. Her magnetic presence and performance added a mystical, almost otherworldly dimension to the musical. Sierra Boggess imbues Emma Dawes with a delightful blend of pride and arrogance, perfectly embodying the President of the Preservation League. Austin Colby offers a nuanced portrayal of the ill-fated Danny Hansford, adding a layer of tragic complexity to the narrative.

Two-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown's score is a mesmerizing blend of styles, echoing the diverse tapestry of Savannah itself. Lush ballads like Jim Williams' (Tom Hewitt) yearning "Mercer House" capture the city's languid charm, while the Preservation League ladies' “Savannah Is Restored” adds a touch of sardonic humor. The show truly takes flight with the electrifying personalities, which is what made the book a best seller. Tony Award winner  J. Harrison Ghee, a powerhouse in every sense, commands the stage as The Lady Chablis. Brown's music allows Ghee's vocal prowess to soar in anthems like the defiant "Let There Be Light," a showstopping celebration of self-acceptance that left the audience breathless.

The creative team behind this production deserves thunderous applause. Christopher Oram's set design transports us to Savannah's foreboding Bonaventure Cemetery, moss-draped town squares and the opulent Mercer House mansion, while Neil Austin and James Platt's lighting design creates an atmosphere both captivating and unsettling. Toni-Leslie James' costumes are a feast for the eyes, capturing the flamboyant style of The Lady Chablis and the understated elegance of Savannah society. Tanya Birl-Torres' choreography is a revelation, blending graceful waltzes with moments of raw, emotional energy. The ensemble cast deserves special praise for their versatility, seamlessly shifting from ethereal townsfolk to flamboyant partygoers.

Several numbers deserve particular mention. Anna Knox Carter's rendition of the mournful "Since My Mama Died" is a poignant expression of grief and loss, while Lavella Cole's "Clap On One and Three" injects the show with a shot of pure infectious joy and humor. The finale, "Butterflies," sung by The Lady Chablis and Company, is a triumphant celebration of opening up and living life to the fullest .

Adapting John Berendt’s book into a musical is a tall order. "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - The Musical " is not without its flaws. The sheer number of characters and storylines can feel overwhelming at times, and the narrative occasionally sacrifices depth for breadth. However, the creative team behind this production rose to the challenge, the sheer brilliance of the production elements and the captivating performances more than compensate for these minor shortcomings.

This is a show that lingers long after the curtain falls. It's a dazzling spectacle,  a love letter to the captivating city of Savannah.  I would suggest seeing "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" before it goes to Broadway….and it will go to Broadway. With its provenance, it is destined to be a Tony Award nominee. It may change a little, but this is a show garden.

Recommended

When: Through Aug. 11

Where: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn

Tickets: $40- $175

Info: www.goodmantheatre.org

Run time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission

“South Pacific” is a timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical full of wonderful romance and social commentary about racism that is important for young and old to experience today and I was thoroughly impressed with Drury Lane’s warm, happy, romantic interpretation of the classic show. It is the latest of shows to run at the theatre and perhaps the best I can remember in recent history.

Taking place on a South Pacific island during World War II, the plot revolves around Ensign Nellie Forbush, an American nurse, who falls in love with a French plantation owner, who is middle-aged and quite a bit older than her. It is when she discovers Emile de Becque’s children from his late, Asian wife, that she struggles with her own prejudices. As the island hosts American naval troops, nurses and its own natives, another love story develops between the handsome, young Lieutenant Joseph Cable and a beautiful Tonkinese woman, Liat. But he, too, fears the social costs.

Each and every voice in this production is outstanding. Robert Cuccioli as Emile de Becque really played the role nicely with a good sense of humor and his vocal numbers soared with great feeling and the experience of a seasoned pro bringing the entire audience under the spell of new and intoxicating island romance. Cuccioli has a wonderful, rich operatic voice and is very likable in the role, leaving us little doubt to his ability as a talented vocalist with his final, powerful note of “Emile’s Terrace” to close out Act I.

Samantha Hill as the down to earth “hick” “Ensign Nellie Forbush” is a pleasure to watch. Hill also has a gifted voice and her enthusiastic, good natured portrayal of Nellie falling in love with De Becque during “(I’m in Love with) A Wonderful Guy” was exactly the type of joyful, naïve, and honest portrayal of true love and excitement that the play needs to counter the heavy nature of the tragedy of war.

The musical, well-directed by Victor Malana Maog, also includes perhaps one of the strongest supporting casts in any production of “South Pacific” I have ever seen. Yvonne Strumecki is absolutely stunning as “Bloody Mary”.  Strumecki’s vocals are rich and impressive and she is able to both hit the high notes and get the laughs in this role, which can be heavy handed if not approached just the way she did, with more warmth than anger. Strumecki’s voice is simply beautiful during my favorite song from the show, “Bali Hai,” and both desperate and wry during “Happy Talk,” as she tries to talk the Lt. Joseph Cable into staying with her beautiful native daughter, Liat.

As Lieutenant Joseph Cable, Austin Colby stuns the audience with his rendition of “Younger then Springtime,” his voice angelic and finely finessed – literally a show stopping moment.

In this well-cast classic, the ensemble of nurses and soldiers and officers are excellent singers and dancers - really drawing laughs from the audience and getting them involved during the adorable numbers “There is Nothing Like a Dame” and “I'm In Love with a Wonderful Guy”. Matt Crowle as Luther Billis is exceptional, displaying flawless comic timing, perhaps harnessing a bit from the school Art Carney.

The set design is a delicious tropical island with low hanging palm trees that rotate around the stage per scene, soft pools of light breaking through the leaves, really placing the audience in the Southern Pacific. The set was a delight to behold and immediately places the entire audience right in the middle of the warm, steamy heat and action from the moment the play switched from the impressive interior of de Becque’s ritzy home.

Overall, the cast is superb and meshes incredibly well with each other while the orchestra provides us with a dreamy soundtrack that along with the imaginative set, puts us in a tropical paradise.
“South Pacific” is almost in a category by itself. Few other musicals actually open with the leads falling in love at first sight to magical, unmatched quintessential lyrics like:

Some enchanted evening
When you find your true love,
When you feel her call you
Across a crowded room,
Then fly to her side,
And make her your own
Or all through your life you
May dream all alone
                                            
I highly recommend seeing Drury Lane’s production of “South Pacific” for the many wonderful vocal performances of spectacular songs like “Some Enchanted Evening”, “Bali Hai” and “Younger than Springtime” and also for the wonderfully warm, inviting and joyful interpretation of this enduring classic about true love.

“South Pacific” is being performed at Drury Lane through June 17th. For more show information visit www.DruryLaneTheatre.com.