The world premiere of The Realness: A Break Beat Play at MRT (Lowell, MA)

After the success of his first break beat play, How We Got On, playwright Idris Goodwin has brought us again into the world of hip-hop with his new work: The Realness: A Break Beat Play. Set during the school year of 1996 and 1997 it follows a student named T.O. as he explores the world of hip-hop, questions his identity, and falls in love with a MC. Before we get to the play itself you may be wondering: what exactly is a break beat play? Break beat plays contain similar elements to those found in hip-hop music. Just as an MC would lay rhymes over a hip-hop beat, this play is underscored by beats. Goodwin’s play is not geared just towards those who know, understand and love hip-hop; it is also meant for those who enjoy a good story or like to laugh. It’s for those who remember what it’s like when you’re young and falling in love. And, finally, it’s for those who have ever been inspired by an artist, in any medium, and have felt the world disappear when they watch him or her do what they do best.

As mentioned earlier, this story’s central character is a young man named T.O. who is wonderfully portrayed by Terrell Donnell Sledge. His authentic and likeable character had the audience rooting for him from the start. Over the entire 90 minute production, I don’t recall him leaving the stage once; due to the fact that when he was not involved in a scene he was narrating and guiding the audience through the story. Throughout, he was steadfast and brought both heart and laughter to the production.

Prima, a MC & love interest of T.O., was terrifically played by Diomargy Nuñez. Her multiple rap sections were supremely done and her interactions with T.O. showed both the independent and sweet sides of her character. Joy Hooper played Professor Brown, who guided T.O. down his path of further discovery of hip-hop and himself. She also played a few very different supporting characters and all were well performed. Jessie Prez also played a number of supporting characters in addition to his main role as Roy, a friend of Prima and fellow MC. While his characterizations were great, his rapping was where he really shined.  Segun Akande played Lord Style, mentor to Prima and a rapper who makes it big. His characterization of Lord Style was dynamic and interesting to watch over the course of the production. He, like Prez, also shined when rapping. Overall, the cast had great chemistry and brought wonderful energy to their characters and this story.

Terrell Donnell Sledge & Diomargy Nuñez (Photo Credit: MRT)

While the cast was great, I also must mention the incredible set designed by Lee Savage. In short, it is a giant wall of speakers from the 1960s to the 1990s collected from patrons of MRT. Enhanced with lighting by Brian J. Lilienthal, this wall of speakers was the perfect design for this play. Add in the sound design by Joshua Horvath and it completes the package of a well done production. 

Remarkably directed by Wendy C. Goldberg The Realness: A Break Beat Play is on stage at Merrimack Repertory Theatre until April 10^th. Tickets range from $60-$23. To purchase tickets or find more information check out www.mrt.org or call 978-654-4678.

Review of Boston Ballet’s Kaleidoscope

To say that Boston Ballet’s latest production, Kaleidoscope, is a spectacular fusion of four masterfully choreographed ballets, would be an understatement. From the minute the curtain opened through the very last moment of an extensive standing ovation; the audience was enthralled by the beauty, strength and incredible talent that danced across the stage. Each of the four ballets showcased various techniques and styles, but as a whole they offered the audience a perfect glimpse into the vast repertoire of the Boston Ballet and its company of versatile, dynamic and stunning dancers.

Boston Ballet in George Balanchine's Kammermusik No. 2 ©The George Balanchine Trust; photo by Rosalie O'Connor, courtesy of Boston Ballet

The show opened with a genius creation by legendary choreographer George Balanchine: Kammermusik No. 2. It features two couples and a corps of eight men who dance to neoclassical music by Paul Hindemith. The two couples were fantastically danced by Seo Hye Han partnered by Patrick Yocum and Rachele Buriassi partnered by Eris Nezha. They, along with the male corps, were fully energized and showed a wonderful understanding and knowledge of the fast, complex and specific stylized movement created by Balanchine. It was a great piece to open the show.

 

Boston Ballet in Leonid Yakobson's Pas de Quatre; photo by Rosalie O'Connor, courtesy of Boston Ballet

The second number was a beautifully danced Pas de Quatre choreographed by Leonid Yakobson with music by Vincenzo Bellini. Dancers Dusty Button, Rachele Buriassi, Diana Albrecht and Lauren Herfindahl began by holding hands and as the dance progressed, they effortlessly moved together through various formations not letting go until almost midway through the piece. Their lovely, white romantic tutus flowed around them as they moved gracefully around the stage during each of their solos. Their movement throughout was joyful, fluid and the perfect example of classical ballet.  

 

William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, costumes by Stephen Galloway; photo by Rosalie O'Connor, courtesy of Boston Ballet

The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude masterfully choreographed by William Forsythe to Franz Schubert’s Symphony No.9 was exquisitely danced by Lia Cirio, Shelby Elsbree, Misa Kuranaga, Isaac Akiba and Lawrence Rines. Every moment they were on stage they were moving right along to the up tempo music with energized excitement. They were superbly in sync and brought many in the audience to their feet during their bows.

Boston Ballet in Léonide Massine's Gaîté Parisienne; photo by Rosalie O'Connor, courtesy of Boston Ballet

The final ballet performed was Léonide Massine’s Gaîté Parisienne with music by Jacques Offenbach. This ballet is bright and colorful from the scenic design to the many costumes. While all the dancers portrayed their characters and danced delightfully, there were a few who stood out from the rest. Firstly, was John Lam who was both charismatic and immensely amusing as The Peruvian. Secondly, was the beautifully danced pas de deux between the glove seller, Anaïs Chalendard, and the baron, Eris Nezha. Their chemistry and storytelling was incredible not only in their pas de deux, but throughout the ballet. Last, but in no way least, is the Dance Master, Patrick Yocum, and his exuberant Can-Can Dancers. They were clearly an audience favorite as their routine was met with thunderous applause. Overall, this ballet was sheer perfection and is the epitome of when great dancing meets great storytelling.

 

Patrick Yocum in Léonide Massine's Gaîté Parisienne; photo by Rosalie O'Connor, courtesy of Boston Ballet

Boston Ballet’s Kaleidoscope performs at the Boston Opera House until March 26^th and it is a must see for any dance lover! I loved every minute of it and found it to be one of the most enjoyable productions I’ve seen in years! Tickets and more information can be found at www.bostonballet.org.

Review of Shrek: The Musical by J-ART at the JCC (Springfield, MA)

‘Shrek: The Musical’, directed by Jasmine Joy Kearse and produced by J-ART, recently played at the Jewish Community Center of Springfield. This well-known story first hit Broadway stages in 2008 after the success of the films; the first premiering in 2001. Since then the story about self-acceptance, friendship and finding true love has been a favorite for kids and kids at heart. While the director’s note promised a creative spin on the show, whatever it was, landed among the multiple things that missed the mark, but that didn’t stop the audience from laughing and thoroughly enjoying the production.

The set was kept simple which allowed for the colorful and detailed costumes to shine and bring the story book characters to life. The creation and movement of the large dragon puppet was very well done. The voice of the Dragon was performed as a duet (offstage) by Taylor Rose Minkens and Stephanie Simon Norman who delivered a strong rendition of “Forever”. Having two vocalists perform as the Dragon allowed for more power and dynamics to come through and both Taylor and Stephanie did a wonderful job.  Casey Crowther, as Pinocchio, had good vocal characterization throughout the show. 

The lighting could have used more attention, as numerous times throughout the production the performers were standing in darkness in certain areas of the stage. Based on my observation there were two possibilities for this: the lights were not hung at the correct angles therefore leaving parts of the stage with no light or the lights were not cued correctly in which case the board operator should have manually adjusted the light upon seeing full sections downstage with no light and performers singing in the dark.

Lord Farquaad, portrayed by Peter Vaiknoras was amusing and delivered solid vocals. Vaiknoras, successfully met the physical demands of his character throughout the lengthy production.  Shrek, played by Courtney Stewart, was enjoyable to watch and played off the quirkiness of Donkey very well. Katie Fitzpatrick, who played Donkey, delivered a solid comedic performance and though her diction could have been clearer, she performed with wonderful energy that made her an audience favorite.

 Disappointingly, a technical problem with Fitzpatrick’s microphone caused many of her vocals during the musical numbers to go unheard and her spoken lines to often be muddled. Considering how much of the show Donkey is in, that microphone should have been correctly leveled before each performance and new batteries installed. All that being said, there were a number of other sound issues throughout the performance including feedback through the speakers, microphones being left on when actors were backstage and incorrect microphone levels which leads me to the conclusion that sound is an area in need of attention and  improvement for future productions.

The highlight of the first act came from the Fiona trio singing “I Know It’s Today” with Madison Goodman as Young Fiona, Sydney Goodman as Teen Fiona and Savannah Fitzgibbons as Fiona. These ladies delivered wonderful vocals on their solos and blended beautifully when singing together. They all looked alike, which helped sell the Fiona ageing process, their similar characterizations and vocal tones guided the audience into believing they were really watching Fiona grow up.

The choreography, at times well done, was more often than not, poorly executed by the dancers. My suggestion is that the choreographer should create the dances based on the skills of the dancers they have, in order to deliver a polished number for the audience. A higher degree of difficulty is nice to have (i.e. an illusion or tour jeté), but if the dancer is unable to execute the moves correctly and cleanly; then it is best to use simpler moves that the dancer can perform well.

There were multiple times when many in the ensemble lacked the appropriate facial expressions and looked rather bored and tired during the group numbers. However, Nicole Hines, the dance captain who portrayed multiple characters throughout the production, was consistently engaged and energized. Interestingly, the number with the most energy from the cast was “I’m A Believer” which was performed at the end of the show after the curtain call. 

Overall, this amusing production was one the audience highly enjoyed. For more information about upcoming productions at the Springfield Jewish Cultural Center visit https://www.springfieldjcc.org