A Star Is Born At Feinstein's 54 Below - Billy Recce Rocks The House

Let me try to put into perspective the significance of what occurred Friday evening at Feinstein's 54 Below. This is my favorite cabaret venue in NYC. I usually go there to see and to hear well-established Broadway stars perform. In recent months I have enjoyed the song stylings of Jeremy Jordan, Corey Cott, Laura Osnes, the cast of "Newsies" - you get the picture. Friday night's 9:30 show featured "The Perks of Being A Snowflake: Songs by Billy Recce." Mr. Recce is a 19 year-old undergraduate at Fordham University. To call him a prodigy and a wunderkind would be to understate the case. He is the youngest ever composer to have shows produced by the New York Musical Festival -  "Balloon Boy: The Musical" and "Rachel Unraveled."

To highlight the poignancy and irony of his barely legal status headlining in the upscale boite that is 54 Below, Billy recounted his experience in approaching the bar to cash in the drink coupon that they give to performers. He was handed a Capri Sun, which he gleefully slurped from the bench of the baby grand.

It is difficult to encapsulate Mr. Recce's writing style, since it covers so many genres and nuanced flavors. The most obvious comparison is with Tom Lehrer, who wrote and sang political and social parodies in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, there are elements in his writing that remind me of Jonathan Larson, as well as Duncan Sheik, composer of "Spring Awakening." It is hard to conceive of how someone of such tender years has been able to develop a worldview that allows him to write songs that are so sweetly sardonic, such as "My Roommate (Is A Neo-Nazi)" and "Go Into Finance" - performed with great aplomb by Rachel Ravel. While purporting to eschew tackling issues of politics, the songwriter invited to the stage Alexa Joseph to sing the "Betsy Devos' Song" in which our beleaguered and verbally-challenged Secretary of Education croons about saving all of the Caucasian children - not just those wearing jeans.

Other highlights of the evening included Lindsay Nicole Chambers kvetching over the ubiquitous Gwyneth Paltrow in the hilarious "Pain (Gwyneth Paltrow)." In several of the numbers, Mr. Recce was supported vocally by a talented cohort of his friends and classmates that included Laura Laureano, Victoria Duffy, Alexa Joseph, Sarah Rachael Lazarus, Rachel Ravel, Lynn Craig, Patrick Swailes Caldwell, and Roger Dawley. The band consisted of Rocco Recce on Trumpet, Adam Mastrocola on Drums, Vinny Carlino on Bass, Jimmy Ble on Guitar, and David Moses on Violin.

"Filter It! - All" reminded me a bit of "Turn It Off" from "Book of Mormon." And the gorgeous "Morning Is Coming Soon (Wally Weasel's G.O.P. Jamboree!) has elements reminiscent of the finale from "Spring Awakening" - "Song of the Purple Summer."

Mr. Recce has a strong following on his YouTube channel. Check out some of his clips here, and subscribe.

Billy Recce YouTube Channel

Remember this name.  Billy Recce shows strong promise of being his generation's answer to Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Jonathan Larson, or Lin Manuel Miranda. I can't wait to see and hear what he will produce next. This is one Caucasian manchild I hope that Betsy Devos will find a way to save!

Enjoy!

Al

BabsonARTS Presents Jeremy Jordan in Concert - Mr. Jordan Escalates His Love Affair With Boston Area Audiences

Under the inspired leadership of Steve Maler, BabsonARTS pulled off a major coup in bringing Broadway, film and TV star, Jeremy Jordan to the Babson Wellesly campus for a night of his solo concert entitled "Breaking Character."  I reviewed an earlier version of this concert when Jeremy premiered it at 54 Below in NYC  I suggest that you take a moment to read the comments that I made after that inaugural concert.

Blog Review of Jeremy Jordan at 54 Below

All of the comments that I made about the 54 Below concert apply to the rendition he gave to Boston area audiences last weekend in Wellesley.  Much of the material was the same, but there were several significant differences. Mr. Jordan has been presenting this concert around the country since last November.  As the months and the miles have accumulated, it is clear that Mr. Jordan has become much more comfortable and confident in being himself on stage.  In his interactions with his wife, Ashley Spencer, who joined him for several numbers, he was playful.  It was clearly that they enjoy performing together and playing off of one another's remarkable vocal gifts.

Another difference is that he was now willing to talk about his experience in playing the lead role of J. M. Barrie in the A.R.T. version of "Finding Neverland."  He alluded to the  drama surrounding the decision to replace him in that role with Matthew Morrison when the show moved to Broadway.  He talked about his summer spent in Cambridge as a time of real growth for him as an artist and as a person.  He mentioned the irony of the fact that while playing the role of a man who never really grew up, Jeremy himself did some significant maturing.  He talked of his love of playing before Cambridge and Boston audiences, and then he delighted the audience sitting before him with the signature song from that show.  His rendition of "Neverland" was the most poignant moment of the evening for me.  The song speaks of going to a place where one can escape from pain.  Clearly the "Finding Neverland" experience for Jeremy Jordan was one of both triumph and pain, and those conflicting emotions came through loud and clear in his moving rendition of this gorgeous song written by Gary Barlow and Elliott Kennedy.

The audience response was what it should have been - enthusiastic clapping and cheering. It was a special moment in the growing love affair that exists between Mr. Jordan and Boston area audiences. He will be putting together a new concert to be first presented this summer at 54 Below.  We all look forward to continuing to watch him grow as an artist as new challenges will await him on Broadway, film and TV projects.

Al

"Finding Neverland" and The Lost Boys Find A Home On Broadway - Audience Response Trumps The Critics

I am writing this review of "Finding Neverland" on the day in which this musical failed to received a single Tony Award nomination.  I fear that many of the critics and Tony voters were not able to calibrate their sextants and find the "second star to the right - and straight on 'til morning."  I think they missed seeing the show that I have fallen in love with, and I am unashamed in writing in praise of this remarkable musical.

Before you read much further, you may wish to consult my review of the A.R.T. production of "Finding Neverland" that played to record-breaking audiences last summer in Cambridge.  There have been significant changes since the show has moved to Broadway, but many of my comments and observations about the show remain germane.

Blog Review of the Cambridge Production of "Finding Neverland"

I will assume that you have now read my review of the earlier iteration of the play.  Allow me summarize the most significant changes as the show moved from Cambridge to NYC:

• There are dramtict cast changes.  Matthew Morrison replaces Jeremy Jordan as J.M. Barrie, Kelsey Grammar replaces Michael McGrath as Producer Charles Frohman/Captain Hook.  Porthos is now an actual canine, rather than a human actor.  Teal Wicks now plays Mary Barrie.
• The opening number and the closing number have been changed - for the better.
• A quirky scene early in Act I that showed Mary Barrie's OCD tendencies has been cut.
• New songs have been written for the four Llewelyn Davies boys, further highlighting their talents.

How do I feel about the changes?  For the most part I agree with them, for they make for a cleaner and tighter story.  Matthew Morrison is a perfectly fine J.M. Barrie, but that role will always belong - in my mind and in my heart - to the incomparable Jeremy Jordan who brought a warmth and vulnerability to the role that is not always in evidence in Mr. Morrison's interpretation of the role. Who can argue with casting Kelsey Grammer, who seems to being having a wonderful time as Captain Hook.

Laura Michele Kelly and Carolee Carmello continue to be luminous in their mother and daughter roles of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and Mrs. Du Maurier.

The four Llewelyn Davies boys came intact as a package from the Cambridge production, with the addition of a few actors to spell them for the eight-show-a-week endurance test that is a Broadway schedule.  The new faces are Jackson Demott Hill, Noah Hinsdale and Christopher Paul Richard. These newcomers to the cast have been added to the pioneering quartet of Alex Drier, Aidan Gemme, Sawyer Nunes and Hayden Signoretti.  These young actors do not seem at all intimidated to have made the leap to the big stage of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, and they work the crowd at the Stage Door with the confidence of Broadway veterans.  Selfies, screaming girls and autographs abound.

Cast of "Finding Neverland"
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

I have a good friend who is a Tony Award winning producer as well as a director, writer and actor. After seeing "Finding Neverland," my friend wrote me and said: "Diane Paulus is a genius!"  I would agree enthusiastically with his assessment.  In the case of this musical, she has assembled disparate elements - including composers and a choreographer new to Broadway - and from those parts has fashioned a cohesive narrative of a classical story that still has the power to move all except those whose hearts have been hardened.  This show moves me each time I see it.  My own reaction to the musical and my observation of the enthusiastic response from each audience I have been part of  leads me to the conclusion that this is a show that is "critic proof."  I believe it will run for a long while on Broadway and touch the hearts of those who live in NYC and who travel there to be enchanted.

Clap if you also believe - in the power of story and fairy tales well told!  And click on the link below to book your ticket to Neverland!

A Harvard professor has weighed in on the power of this musical to tell a vibrant story that is part myth and part dramatized biography.  Her Op-Ed piece for Variety is linked below.

Variety Op-Ed Piece about "Finding Neverland" by Harvard Professor

Enjoy!

Al

Finding Neverland Website

Jeremy Jordan at 54 Below: "Breaking Character" - Rolling The Dice and Winning the Bet!

I first became aware of Jeremy Jordan and his extraordinary talents when I saw him in the short-lived Broadway musical "Bonnie and Clyde," in which he originated the role of Clyde.  I next saw him in "Newsies," as he played the role of Jack Kelly.  He went on to star in the second season of the TV show "Smash," and most recently played the role of J.M. Barrie in the American Repertory Theater's pre-Broadway production of "Finding Neverland."  I also saw him perform along with Bernadette Peters and Norm Lewis in a Sondheim mash-up entitled "A Bed and A Chair"  at the New York City Center.

When Mr. Jordan took the stage at the 54 Below cabaret, he was taking a risk he had never taken before: performing solo as himself and not as a scripted character.  Hence the title of his show: "Breaking Character."  Once he broke through that barrier of fear, he continued "Smashing" through several more layers of protection, sharing personal reflections of a troubled childhood, the fear of never being "good enough," and performing for the first time some songs that he has written. In fact one of those songs, "Good Enough," tells of his pilgrimage from feeling inadequate to do what he was doing on the stage to arriving at a point of realizing that he was indeed good enough to command a place like 54 Below and to send audience members home feeling as if their money had been well spent.  Another song he has written and that he performed is the humorous "Chipotle" inspired by a tune from "Avenue Q."

While the audience was applauding one of the early numbers in the set, I turned to my left and realized that sitting at the next table was Jeremy's wife, Ashley Spencer, whom I had met when Jeremy was in residence in Cambridge this summer and fall.  Sitting with Ashley was Jeanna de Waal, who played J.M. Barrie's wife, Mary, in "Finding Neverland."  Ms. de Waal is currently appearing in "Kinky Boots."  Also sitting at the same ringside table was Keke Palmer, who is currently appearing in the title role in Broadway's "Cinderella."  Ashley joined her husband on stage in a medley of "Heaven," "More Than Words" and "To Be With You."  She later returned to join Jeremy in a medley of songs from "Smash."  Keke then joined Jeremy in a duet version of "Maybe I'm Amazed."

Two of the highlights of the evening were Mr. Jordan's rendering of "Broadway, Here I Come!"  and "Santa Fe."  He introduced the song "Broadway, Here I Come!" with some transparent comments about how tough it can be to ride the emotional roller coaster of show business, including the disappointment of seeing a project like "Smash" close after its second season.  At the end of this song, as he sustained the word "come," the note hung in the air and resonated with a purity that is seldom heard on any stage.  It was a magical moment.   The final song of his set came from his role as Jack Kelly.  He talked about being a fan of the Disney film as a young man and dreaming of some day being someone as courageous a leader as the rough hewn New Yorker.  So, his being cast in the Broadway version of the show was in many ways a dream come true.  His rendition of the song combines the two versions from the show. The first occurs early in Act I and the second -  and more pathos-filled - closes Act I as Kelly, beaten down and discouraged seeks to find a refuge to which he can flee and hide after his efforts at leading a strike had ended in utter failure.  I can never hear Mr. Jordan sing that song without experiencing chills and tears.  It was a fitting ending to remarkable evening.  The encore of "Over The Rainbow" and "Home" was icing on the cake.

In this solo concert, Jeremy Jordan took some enormous emotional risks, and it was clear that allowing the audience to gain a degree of access to the man behind the actor was a gamble worth taking.  The audience was warmly enthusiastic in the ovation that followed the encore.

There are still several opportunities through November 13 to catch "Breaking Character." You won't regret it.

Enjoy!

Al

54 Below Website

Broadway-Bound "Finding Neverland" at the A.R.T. Sends Cambridge Audiences Soaring

Thayne Jasperson as Porthos
Alex Dreier as Michale Llewelyn Davies
Hayden Signoretti as Jack Llewelyn Davies
Jeremy Jordan as J. M. Barrie
Sawyer Nunes as George Llewelyn Davies
Aidan Gemme as Peter Llewelyn Davies
"Finding Neverland" at the A.R.T.
Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

PREAMBLE:

I have just returned from a trip to Neverland.  As I sit to compose myself and to compose this review, I realize that as I write my thoughts about the play, I am compelled to write in two different voices. The first voice you will recognize as that of an allegedly mature man with some degree of objectivity and technical knowledge of the theater, able to analyze, describe, deconstruct, criticize and evaluate aspects of this work of art.  The second voice you will recognize as that of the Universal Lost Boy speaking in an unfiltered way from his pierced heart.  For the creators of  "Finding Neverland" have collectively launched an arrow that has found purchase in the bulls eye that is this Lost Boy's heart. The arrow has landed at a most vulnerable and primal spot -  that hidden place that longs for perpetual youth, the freedom to fly, and permission to follow wild contrails of imagination.  And when I speak with that voice, you may discern just the slightest hint of a Neverlandish brogue.

The artistic gold mine that is The American Repertory Theater in Cambridge has produced another wonderful nugget in the form of the current World Premiere production of "Finding Neverland."  Using the 2004 film of the same name both as a foundation stone and a launching pad, Diane Paulus and her amazing creative team and cast have taken the story of J.M. Barrie and his relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family to new heights and depths.

The long and arduous journey of transforming this film into a musical began with the vision of Producer Harvey Weinstein.  Having successfully produced the film, directed by David Magee and starring Johnny Depp, Weinstein had a dream of telling the story in a new way through the medium of a musical play.  An earlier iteration of a musical version of the story took the stage in England in 2012, but was less than a complete success.  Weinstein decided to start again.  He had been inspired by the work of Diane Paulus when he come to Cambridge to see a performance of "Pippin" before it moved on to Broadway.  He asked Ms. Paulus to helm a new attempt at telling the story on stage with music and dance as the elements that would enhance the compelling narrative of the real people who inspired the timeless story of Peter Pan.

The creative team began to come together.  James Graham, best known for his political plays, was brought in to write the book.  UK pop composers/lyricists Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy were asked by Weinstein to write one song to show him if they could write for the musical stage.  18 songs later, audiences are already humming tunes that will live forever!  The "Neverland" theme is hauntingly beautiful.  Paulus reached out to Choreographer Mia Michaels, from "So You Think You Can Dance" to bring a fresh approach to dance to enrich the telling of this quirky tale.

The result of these collaborations is a show that has audiences leaping to their feet as they wipe from their eyes and cheeks tears of empathy, nostalgia, joy and wonder .  Beginning with the very solid keel of Allan Knee's play "The Man Who Was Peter Pan" and the 2004 Miramax film, Paulus as Wendy has built a ship that sails and soars, and she has led her tribe of Lost Boys on a creative voyage that has teased open some emotional buds that were hinted at in the film. She has allowed those buds to fully blossom in this telling of the story of Barrie and the Davies family.  Credit for this full flowering of the layers of emotional texture that have been added to the story must be shared among members of the creative team and the remarkable cast.  (Cast and creative team are all listed at the end of this review.  Anyone not singled out in the body of the review is only omitted because of lack of space and time for me to wax rhapsodic about each person's efforts in this play.)

Anchoring the cast are some remarkably talented actors.  

• Jeremy Jordan is wondrous in the role of Scottish playwright J. M. Barrie.  As Mr. Jordan uses his finely honed acting skills to develop the character, the audience sees many nuanced facets of this complex man - creativity, self-doubt, fragility, imagination, recklessness, courage, fear, compassion.  And then using the luster of his singing voice, Mr. Jordan paints additional brush strokes that add further highlights and textures to this fascinating man/boy who created the timeless Peter Pan.  There were times when Jordan's voice rang with such purity - especially in the delicate upper register portions of several songs - that the performance space at the Loeb was momentarily transformed into a gigantic bell that reverberated with the harmonics of the note that he had just sung.  It is a performance that is a strong component of the arrow that pierces the hearts of audiences members.  And it is certainly a performance that is award worthy.

Jeremy Jordan as J.M. Barrie
Laura Michelle Kelly as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies
Singing "What You Mean To Me"
 from "Finding Neverland"
Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

• Laura Michelle Kelly portrays the widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies with the same artist's touch that earned her the Olivier Award for her depiction of Mary Poppins in London.  She brings to the surface many intertwined aspects of this single mother of four boys, struggling to allow her sons to grieve the loss of their father while getting on with life and with the work of childhood: play and imagination.  All the while, she tries to hold at bay the persistent intrusions of her mother, Mrs. du Maurier, a society maven with a need to control.  Ms. Kelly weaves together acting and singing skills that together create a fully formed character who grows stronger emotionally just as her body begins to succumb to an illness that is much more than a summer cold.  The moment in the play when she follows Peter Pan to Neverland left the audience members transfixed and slack-jawed.  It is a coup de theatre that has upon it the fingerprints of Diane Paulus and Air Sculptor Daniel Wurtzel.  It is in every sense a magical moment of storytelling of the highest order.

• Carolee Carmello is the aforementioned Mrs. du Maurier.  She is frosty, imperious and haughty, in many aspects an inverse Mary Poppins, finding a way to inject a spoonful of castor oil into every attempt to force her daughter and grandchildren to act "normally" and responsibly.  In the very capable hands and voice of Ms. Carmello, the character of Mrs. du Maurier follows an arc of development that is an important part of this narrative.  Through the global warming influences of her daughter, grandsons, Mr. Barrie and the cast of "Peter Pan," this formidable iceberg begins to melt into human form.  Her reaction to the shenanigans in the "Neverland Reprise" number is both shocking and heart-warming.

• Jeanna de Waal has taken on the very difficult task of humanizing the character of Mary Barrie, the playwright's wife who no longer takes delight in playing that part..  As written, the role of Mary is that of a woman desperate to create perfection and control - the very picture of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  The musical number "Rearranging the Furniture" establishes that aspect of her character, and also highlights the brilliance of Mia Michaels' choreography.  The grotesque physical contortions of the servants serve to both mirror and spotlight the twisted emotions that drive Mary to achieve perfection in every corner of her life.  The fact that Ms. de Waal is able to avoid turning Mary into a caricature is a tribute to her considerable skills as an actor.

• Tony Award winner Michael McGrath tackles the dual roles of Producer Charles Frohman and Captain Hook.  The character of Frohman and his relationship with Barrie are established early in the play with the musical number "Better."  We see Frohman cajoling Barrie to write a new play that will be a hit while we also see Barrie berating himself for his failure to write a better play.  Mr. McGrath - a native of Worcester, Massachusetts! - has protean talent.  It took me halfway through his rousing "Hook" tour de force number before I realized that the same actor was playing both roles.  He is menacing as Barrie's hidden and dormant primal Id.

ichael McGrath as Captain Hook
Jeremy Jordan as J.M. Barrie
from "Finding Neverland"
Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

• The Llewelyn Davies boys - played by four gifted young actors who make us believe that they are brothers who alternately annoy one another and deeply care for one another.  In the wake of their father's death, they are truly Lost Boys - especially Peter.  Played  evocatively and convincingly by Aidan Gemme, Peter is the counterpoint to Barrie.  Barrie is the man who will not grow up; Peter is the boy who is forced to grow up too soon.  The Yin-Yang nature of their relationship is implicit throughout the play, and becomes very explicit in the moving duet "When Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground." Young Master Gemme is confronted with the daunting challenge of matching Jeremy Jordan's vocal acrobatics, and he holds his own beautifully in singing about why he must keep himself grounded to deal with multiple layers of grief and loss. This song is the emotional center and pivot point of the show and is carried out with subtlety and grace by both Gemme and Jordan.  Oldest brother George, as played by Sawyer Nunes, responds to the challenge of becoming the "man of the house."  The young actor shines in his confrontation with his grandmother, asserting his right and that of his mother to handle their own affairs.  Hayden Signoretti plays Jack, who stands out in a scene with Mrs. Barrie in which she has tried to guess the names of the four boys.  His irreverent "Nice try!" breaks the tension and adds a needed laugh.  Alex Drier is lovable as the youngest brother Michael.  His turn as an usher in the backyard theater, and as Lady Ursula in Peter's play are delightful.  The brothers are given their own special musical moment to shine in "We're All Made of Stars."  The song is one of the many highlights of this special evening at the theater.

Alex Drier as Michael
Aidan Gemme as Peter
Sawyer Nuner as George
HAyden Signoreti as Jack
from "Finding Neverland"
Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

• /Thayne Jasperson is Porthos, Barrie's faithful dog.  He is a favorite of the Llewelyn Davies boys - and of Cambridge audiences.  The athleticism of his tongue and of the rest of his canine corpus must be seen to be believed.  His performance is an unexpected highlight of the show.
• Stuart Neal is Elliot, Mr. Frohman's Right Hand Man and Jack of All Trades.  He often serves as a calming influence amid the many storms that rage in the Frohman Empire.  Mr. Neal plays the role in an appealing and understated way that is just right.
• The Servants in the Barrie household.  These dancers bring to life the innovative choreography that Mia Michaels has imagined.  Twirling, whirlng, jetteing, plieing, pirouetting and arabesquing until they are ready to drop, these gifted dancers are the secret sauce of this production.  I have already mentioned their contortions in the "Rearranging the Furniture" number.  They are equally impressive in the uproarious "Dinner Party" scene.  They are Melanie Moore, who also beautifully dances the role of Peter Pan, Mary Page Nance, Emma Pfaeffle, Jonathan Ritter, Julius Anthony Rubio, JC Schuster, Ron Todorowski and Jaime Lynn Verazin.
• The Cast of Barrie's play "Peter Pan."  As a troupe, they are universally skeptical and resistant to the new fantasy play that Barrie has written.  Barrie and Frohman and Mrs. Llewelyn Davies bring them around to understand the meaning of "Play" in a rousing dance number set in a pub.  In this case, Barlow and Kennedy have written a number that sounds like Dropkick Murphys!  The recalcitrant players are Courtney Balan, Dana Costello, Rory Donovan, Gaelen Gilliland, Josh Lamon, and Paul Slade Smith.  Mr. Smith is hilarious as the self-important and overly histrionic cartoon of an actor, and Mr. Lamon shines as the actor portraying Michael and who is afraid of heights and refuses to go to bed. 
• In an otherwise thankless role of Lord Cannan, Mary Barrie's lover, Tyley Ross makes his mark in a delicious little bit in which he demonstrates how Mary has traded up to a "mature man."

Mention must be made of the artful and often stunning scenic design by Scott Pask, the costume design by Suttirat Larlarb, the magical lighting by Philip S. Rosenberg, the lush sound design of Jonathan Deans and the subtle and judiciously used projections by Gilles Papain.

I have already praised the work of composers and lyricists Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy.  Each song serves a dramatic purpose, either establishing a character or a relationship or signalling a change in the advancement of the narrative.  These men have chosen to write songs from a rich variety of genres, and they work well together.  One musical number I have not yet mentioned that deserves its own accolade is the pulse-quickening finale to Act I entitled "Stronger."  Supported by much of the ensemble, Barrie climbs the gangplank aboard a pirate ship and proclaims who he has determined to be.  It is a visually stunning moment with soaring vocals to match.  It is a signature moment in the play and prepares the cast and audience to set sail in new directions in Act II.

The songs synch well with the book by James Graham which contains some very clever writing.  As she always does, Diane Paulus has added some of her trademark personal touches - having actors break the fourth wall and interact with the audience, using performance spaces outside the stage, integrating art forms that are new to the musical stage or re-imagining standard ones.  But she always brings a freshness and new "syntax" to the use of her familiar theatrical vocabulary.

"Finding Neverland" will play at the A.R.T. through September 28, before it heads to Broadway for a Spring 2015 opening.  I suggest strongly that you act soon to secure your tickets for they are in short supply and will go quickly once the buzz spreads.  Be aware that there are a few "obstructed view" seats, which are a wonderful bargain, for they are hardly obstructed at all.  There are also a handful of standing room tickets sold for most performances, beginning when the box office opens at 12:00 the day of the show.

If you have never been to the A.R.T. in Harvard Square, you may be wondering how you will find it  The voice in my head says: "Click on the link just below and it will take you to the A.R.T. website."  The voice in my heart says, with a wee Neverlandish brogue, "Just follow your imagination, or find the second star on the right and straight on 'til morning!"

America RepertoryTheater website

Enjoy!

Al

Creative team

Book	James Graham
Music and Lyrics	Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy
Director	Diane Paulus
Choreography	Mia Michaels
Scenic Design	Scott Pask
Costume Design	Suttirat Larlarb
Lighting Design	Philip S. Rosenberg
Sound Design	Jonathan Deans
Projection Designer	Gilles Papain
Air Sculptor	Daniel Wurtzel
Illusions	Paul Kieve
Music Supervisor	David Chase
Orchestrations	Simon Hale
Vocal Designer	AnnMarie Milazzo
Music Director/Conductor	Mary-Mitchell Campbell
Associate Music Director	David Gardos
Music Copying	Emily Grishman Music Preparation
Associate Director	Nancy Harrington
Casting	Telsey + Company
Production Stage Manager	Chris Zaccardi

Cast

Miss Jones	Courtney Balan
Mrs. du Maurier	Carolee Carmello
Miss Potter	Dana Costello
Mary Barrie	Jeanna de Waal
Mr. Turpin/Sir Edward	Rory Donovan
Michael Llewelyn Davies	Alex Dreier
Peter Llewelyn Davies	Aidan Gemme
Miss Bassett	Gaelen Gilliland
Porthos/Dancer	Thayne Jasperson
J. M. Barrie	Jeremy Jordan
Sylvia Llewelyn Davies	Laura Michelle Kelly
Mr. Cromer	Josh Lamon
Charles Frohman	Michael McGrath
Servant/Peter Pan/Dancer	Melanie Moore
Servant/Dancer	Mary Page Nance
Elliot	Stuart Neal
George Llewelyn Davies	Sawyer Nunes
Servant/Wendy/Dancer	Emma Pfaeffle
Servant/Dancer	Jonathan Ritter
Lord Cannan	Tyley Ross
Dance Captain/Swing	Julius Anthony Rubio, Jaime Lynn Verazin
Servant/Dancer	JC Schuster
Jack Llewelyn Davies	Hayden Signoretti
Mr. Henshaw	Paul Slade Smith
Servant/Dancer	Ron Todorowski

Band

Bari Sax/Clarinet/Bass Clarinet	Bob Bowlby
Trombone/Bass Trombone/Euphonium	Peter Cirelli
Violin/Viola	Emily Dahl
Flute/Piccolo/Alto Flute/Penny Whistle	Peggy Friedland
Trumpet/Cornet/Flugelhorn/Piccolo Trumpet/Musical Contractor	Rick Hammett
Keyboard Sub/Rehearsal Piano	Tom Hojnacki
Acoustic/Electric Bass	Greg Holt
Guitar	Scotty Johnson
Keyboard	Tom Lamark
Violin	Tara Novak
Drums	Vinny Pagano
Percussion/Drums	Nate Tucker
Synthesizer Programming	Jeff Marder and Jim Jaywardena

Additional staff

Assistant Stage Manager	Sharika Niles, Raynelle Wright
Assistant Director	Mia Walker
Assistant Choreographer	Jaime Lynn Verazin
Dramaturg	Christian Ronald
Hair and Wig Desinger	Charles G. LaPointe
Associate Scenic Designer	Orit Jacoby Carroll
Assistant Scenic Designers	Jeff Hinchee, Jerome Martin
Associate Costume Designer	Martin Schnellinger
Assistant Costume Designer	Elizabeth Donelan
Associate Lighting Designer	Joel Shier
Moving Light Programmer	Alex Fogel
Lighting Design Fellow	Laura Hildebrand
Associate Sound Designer	Brian Hsieh
Assistant Projection Designer	Marie Jumelin
Video Supervisor and Programmer	Matthew Houstle
Dialect Coach	Dawn-Elin Fraser
Music Assistants	Haley Bennett, Ian Weinberger
Production Assistant	Sammi Cannold
Child Wranglers	Taylor Adamik, Stephanie Holmes

FINDING NEVERLAND INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Makulumy Alexander-Hills, Stanford University ’16, Music
Garrett Allen, Harvard University ’16, Stage Management**
Michelle Betts, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts*
Grace Brakeman, Dana Hall High School ’15, Artistic
Christopher Conway, Amherst College '18, Props
Christabel Fry, Western Australian Academy of Performing Art*
Matthew Good, Boston College ’14, Sound
Megan Jones, Harvard University ’16, Directing**
Ally Kiley, Harvard University ’15, Choreography**
Cei Lambert, Colorado State University MFA ’15, Costumes
Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence, Harvard University ’16, Music**
Max McGillivray, Harvard University ’16, Stage Management**
Sam Pottash, Harvard University ’16, Music**
Jacob Stepansky, Harvard University ’17, Stage Management**
Florence Tudgay, De Montfort University ’15, UK, Costumes
Corey Webster, Nomad Two Worlds Foundation, Sound
Mallory Weiss, Harvard University ’15, Dramaturgy**
Susanna Wolk, Harvard University ’14, Directing

**With support from the Harvard University Office of Career Services
*The Jackman Furness Foundation for the Performing Arts (JFFPA) and the Minderoo Foundation

"The Heart of Robin Hood" Hits A Bullseye At The A.R.T - A Holiday Treat for The Family

There has been quite a bit of advance buzz about this production of "The Heart of Robin Hood" currently playing at the A.R.T. in Harvard Square (through January 19, 2014).  Please indulge me for a few paragraphs of personal confession and reflection before I launch into the heart of my review of this extraordinary play.

The main thing I had heard was that the play had been written to make "Maid Marion" the real hero.  That small part of me that still harbors elements of the crusty old curmudgeonly male chauvinist reacted by grumbling inwardly "Come on; give me a break!  Just tell the story as we have come to love it." 

But then the better angels began to win the battle, and subsequent reflections followed this train of thought.  "Diane Paulus is still the Artistic Director at A.R. T.  You have come to trust and be delighted by her and by her artistic judgment.  She won't let you down.  Besides, the thing you love about art is that it is ever new, inventing new ways of telling the old stories.  Give this thing a chance."

And then I read the notes by the author, David Farr.  Part of his motivation for writing this play with the focus on Marion was to give his daughters a credible female role model who does something on the stage other than "kiss the hero, swoon, cook pretty pastries, and sew"!  How could I argue with that noble fatherly impulse.

And then they opened the doors to the Loeb Theater, and I walked into an enchanted forest and was instantly transported to another place and another way of telling a beloved classic tale.  The old English oak trees that make up a large part of the set (brilliantly designed and executed by Iceland's Börkur Jónsson) contain gnarled limbs, branches and leaves that extend as an enormous canopy across the ceiling of the theater - cocooning the audience inside Sherwood Forest and inviting us to be part of the action.

An integral part of the telling of this tale is the vibrant music provided by the amazing Connecticut-based bluegrass band, Poor Old Shine.  Band members include Antonio Alcorn, Chris Freeman, Harrison Goodale, Erik Hischmann and Max Shakun.  

Poor Old Shine website

The show opens with these musicians on the apron of the stage, setting the mood that helped us leave behind the slush of Cambridge and to fully enter into the lush of the forest.  At frequent intervals throughout the show, band members leave their grove/orchestra pit and enter into the action of the play.  The effect is delightful.

I will not reveal too much of the plot, for there are surprises in store for those who only know the traditional telling of the Robin Hood legend.  The stagecraft throughout is pure magic.  I want you to make the trip to the A.R.T. and to Sherwood Forest to be charmed by Mr. Farr's story, which is skillfully directed by another gifted Icelandic artist, Gisli Örn Gardarsson. (In last evening's performance, Mr. Gardarsson filled in for an injured actor, playing the role of Much Miller.  In subsequent performances, that role will be played by local Boston actor Daniel Berger-Jones).  Let me simply add that in terms of the writing, Mr. Farr's use of language has a vibrancy and poetic quality that make it invigorating, ennobling and uplifting.

Jordan Dean (Robin Hood), Christina Bennett Lind (Marion/Martin),
Christopher Sieber (Pierre,) Zachary Eisenstat (Will Scathlock)
Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

The cast is nothing short of wonderful.  They each deserve mention for the part that they play in weaving this web and spell of magic:

• Moe Alafrangy - Henchman/Soldier/Prison Guard
• Claire Candela - Sarah Summers
• Andrew Cekala - Jethro Summers
• Jeremy Crawford - Little John
• Jordan Dean - Robin Hood
• Zachary Eisenstat - Will Scathlock
• David Michael Garry - Duke of York/Bishop
• Christina Bennett Lind - Marion/Martin
• Laura Sheehy - Rebecca Summers
• Christopher Sieber- Pierre/Peter
• Louis Tucci - Makepeace/Friar/Robert Summers, et al.
• Katrina Yaukey - Lady Falconbury
• Damian Young - Prince John

Among this solid company of actors, several performances stood out to me.

• Zachary Eisenstat, Jeremy Crawford are Robin Hood's constant companions, and their energy, physical stamina and dexterity create just the right atmosphere for Robin's "Merry Men."
• Moe Alafrangy's martial arts moves and balletic entrances and exits add a level of kinetic energy to the show that are essential.
• Andrew Cekala continues to impress each time he steps on the stage.  Recently returned home to Weston from his six month stint as Theo in "Pippin" on Broadway, Andrew's Jethro is nuanced and sympathetic as he struggles to care for and protect his traumatized sister in the wake of their mother's death and father's execution.
• Damian Young's Prince John is deliciously evil, plotting to overthrown his brother, over-tax the peasants and seduce poor Marion.  He virtually drips with malice and is a villain we love to hate.
• Christopher Sieber's Pierre is a tour de force of foppery.  As Marion's servant and companion who reluctantly joins her in the forest, he would rather accessorize than burglarize!  He has his macho  moment in the sun that is a wondrous transformation.
• Jordan Dean is simply perfect as Robin Hood.  He has enough of the swashbuckling swagger some of us remember from the Errol Flynn portrayal to have the girls and women (and Pierre - but that's another story!) in the audience swooning.  His stubbornness about women gives way to a touching vulnerability as he allows Marion to teach him that a woman can be multi-dimensional and every inch a match for a strong man.
• Christina Bennett Lind as Marion and Martin, Marion's male persona, is the heart of this story.  She not only shows her own stalwart and intrepid heart, but she wins the heart of Robin and of every member of Robin's crew and every member of the audience.  She is perfectly cast, and carries much of the emotional burden in the telling of this lovely legend.

The picture below depicts a scene near the end of the story.  Having overcome the many barriers and forces that sought to keep them apart, Robin Hood and Marion discover and declare their love for each other. They are married in the forest, and perform this lovely aerial pas de deux, literally rising above the mundane forest floor, and simultaneously raising the emotional response level of the audience to new heights.

Jordan Dean and Christina Bennett Lind.
Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

As I sat in the theater and let the spectacle of "The Heart of Robin Hood" wash over me, I felt like I do each time I watch "Peter Pan."  The magic of the story and the artistry of the telling of the story turn me back into an awe-struck little boy again.  It is a wondrous and magical transformation that lies at the very heart of great theater.  During the Second Act, I kept thinking, "When can I return to see this show again, and whom should I invite to join me on the adventure?"

I invite you to treat yourself to the same journey many of us took last evening - a journey that ended with us rising as one to our feet to acknowledge and to applaud the remarkable artistry we had seen on  display.

American Repertory Theater - The Heart of Robin Hood

The production runs through January 19.  Tickets are going fast, so act now.  Tickets to this and subsequent A.R.T. shows make great stocking-stuffer gifts for the family, friends and business colleagues.  This show is suggested for children 10+.

Enjoy!

Al