Review: Jonah and the Whale at Stoneham Theatre (Stoneham, MA)

A new musical with book by Tyler Mills, and music and lyrics by David Darrow and Blake Thomas, this Jonah and the Whale contemporizes the biblical story. Jonah is a happy young man, married to the love of his life and is always willing to help out his neighbors and friends. An unexpected turn of events changes Jonah’s world and rocks him and his beliefs to the core. He is heartbroken; feeling completely lost, he leaves his town to wander the world.

Cast of "Jonah and the Whale" at Stoneham Theatre. Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

Directed by Weylin Symes, with music direction by Bethany Aiken and choreographed by Ilyse Robbins, the ensemble worked together wonderfully to bring this story to life. The cast never left the stage and was responsible for moving all the props and set pieces around. A circular, elevated, center section of the stage was manually rotated by the cast during the show. A square of metal pipes encased a smaller circular section that remained stationary in the middle of the rotating section. From this, a tall, metal ladder led up to a clock with various sizes of light bulbs hanging down around it. The scenic design was created by Katheryn Monthei and was complimented nicely by the lighting design by Christopher Fournier. With the four piece band sitting off to the side, the entire stage was visually interesting to look at.  

Cast of "Jonah and the Whale" at Stoneham Theatre. Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

There are many themes addressed in this musical including faith, love, loss, and forgiveness. The characters are likeable and relatable. The music often has a folk and blues feel to it. A few highlights include, “Lordy Mine” that was incredibly sung by Nick Sulfaro as the Pastor. It was upbeat with a Southern Gospel feel to it and was highly enjoyed by the audience. Sarah Elizabeth Pothier beautifully played Jonah’s wife Susan. Her performance was heartfelt and her vocals were clear and pure. Her interactions with Taavon Gamble, who played Jonah, were sweet, loving and believable. “Children, Children”, another upbeat number, was nicely led by Christopher Chew. Kathy St. George was feisty and funny as the Captain and sang “Captain Song”. The final two songs, “Lord, Am I Dying?” and “Prayer” were genuinely and powerfully sung by Taavon Gamble. As Jonah realizes the error of his ways, he asks “Lord, give me time” and knows he must return home. His performance really touched the audience. The prayer for more time is universally common: more time to make things right and more time to spend with family. The final minutes of this musical left many in the audience teary-eyed and in search of tissues.

The audience gave this show a standing ovation and they seemed to really enjoy it.

© Jonah and the Whale is a family friendly production that runs 90 minutes with no intermission and plays at Stoneham Theatre, 395 Main St. Stoneham, until March 12^th. Tickets range $50- $55 Adults, $45-$50 Seniors and $20 Students (with valid ID). For tickets or more information visit www.stonehamtheatre.org or call the box office at 781-279-2200.

Review: William Forsythe’s Artifact 2017 performed by Boston Ballet (Boston, MA)

Reina Sawai & Nicholas Champion in Artifact 2017. Photo credit Rosalie O'Connor

William Forsythe’s Artifact 2017, a ballet in four parts, is a revamped version of the original production that world premiered in Germany in 1984 as danced by Ballet Frankfurt. Part III is completely new.  Part IV was redeveloped by Forsythe as he worked with the Boston Ballet company dancers. Subsequently, this gives Boston Ballet audiences the first look at this unique and stunning work.

Boston Ballet in Artifact 2017. Photo Credit Rosalie O'Connor.

The production is set against a simple, black backdrop and no wings on the sides of the stage, allowing for a vast, open space for the dancers to use. In the second half, white flats with simple graphics painted in clean, black lines are placed across the rear of the stage. Forsythe not only created the choreography for this four-part ballet, but also the set, lighting, and costume designs, in addition to the music for part III and the text spoken throughout by the “Woman in Historical Dress” and the “Man with Megaphone”. The technical aspects of the show were kept simple, which truly showcased the stunning dancers and complex choreography.

The “Woman in Gray”, Caralin Curcio, started the show slowly walking diagonally across the stage gracefully moving her arms as she walked. The house lights remained on as the chatter of the audience gradually decreased while they focused their eyes towards the stage. The
“Woman in Historical Dress”, guest artist Dana Caspersen, glided onto the stage as the “Woman in Gray” exited and as she started her opening monologue the house lights dimmed. Once she arrived at upstage center she clapped her hands together and two chandeliers lit up over the audience. The “Man with Megaphone”, guest artist Nicholas Champion, made his way through a space in the black backdrop and began to talk to the audience using his megaphone. His words were at times muddled by the megaphone or eaten up by the theatre space itself; many in the audience seemed to have difficulty understanding what he said during the performance.

Fascinatingly, the “Woman in Gray” improvised her dancing. Her movement was often angular and very precise. It matched the music so well that the audience would have no idea it wasn’t set choreography while watching her. This makes each performance unique because multiple times during the show the ensemble dancers must mirror her movement without knowing what she’ll do. Even though they were completely in the moment following along, their movements were wonderfully in unison. The pas du deux sections danced by Kathleen Breen Combes with Eris Nezha and Misa Kuranaga with Patrick Yocum were exceptional and each pair danced together beautifully.   

Boston Ballet in Artifact 2017. Photo Credit Rosalie O'Connor.

The ensembles’ dancing was crisp and clean with majestic lines. The males were sharp and powerful while the females gracefully melted from one motion to the next. Many of their sequences were done in a ripple effect with each person or group starting a count or two after another. It made even some of their simpler, positional dancing that much more interesting and captivating to watch. When they were in unison it was absolutely mesmerizing. While some of their movement was very staccato, others were smooth and fluid. The sections of back and forth clapping were really well done. The male dancers had a few connected line sequences that were exquisitely executed. At one point, as the male dancers were walking around the stage, most led with their heels making quick, purposeful steps, however, I noticed a few of them leading with the ball of their foot and rolling through their foot as they walked, causing them walk more gracefully than the others.

Boston Ballet in Artifact 2017. Photo Credit Rosalie O'Connor.

During part II, the audience was jarred by the curtain that would quickly drop to the floor while the music continued to play. When it ascended moments later, the lighting would be different and the dancers would be in different positions. This happened multiple times and while it worked creatively, it seemed to confuse much of the audience. Part III opened with the male company on one side, the female company on the other and the “Woman in Historical Dress” and the “Man with Megaphone” sitting in between them. What transpired next was incredibly fast and ever changing. She quickly spoke to him and the company members interjected with tapping of their feet, clapping of their hands, slapping of their knees, and vocalizations of their own. Both groups kept their own tempo and clashed with the other, but remarkably the contrasting rhythms blended nicely. This went on for a while, but because it kept changing in some way, it continued to enthrall the audience. Joining together, with staggered counting and moving through ballet positions, they transformed from two separate clashing groups to one magnificent dancing ensemble. It was impeccably done. Moments later, the bickering of the man and woman as they walked through the dancing company amused the audience; though it was a bit difficult to hear them both.

William Forsythe’s masterful choreography is so detailed and intricate it’s stunning to watch. I couldn’t take my eyes off the stage. He perfectly mixes classical ballet technique with fresh, bold and innovative choreography that push the boundaries of what people think ballet is or should be.

Boston Ballet in Artifact 2017. Photo Credit Rosalie O'Connor.

Artifact 2017 is an incredibly creative and complex ballet. While I encourage readers to attend, it is not a story ballet so having a previous knowledge or love of dance will certainly help audience members more fully appreciate the production. This riveting ballet is unlike any I have seen before. It was truly an amazing two hour experience that flew by far too quickly. © Artifact 2017 performs at the Boston Opera House (539 Washington St, Boston, MA) through March 5^th. Tickets and more information can be found at www.bostonballet.org or by calling the Box Office at 617-695-6955.

Review: Women In Jeopardy! at Merrimack Repertory Theatre (Lowell, MA)

The marketing of this play as a “riotous comedy about solving crimes in middle age” gives the audience much to expect as they take their seats for “Women In Jeopardy!” at Merrimack Repertory Theatre. To their delight it is everything you want in a comedy: brilliant writing, fantastic comedic timing, outstanding actors, amusingly relatable to real-life and of course some unexpected twists and turns. Director Sean Daniels informed the audience before the show that our performance was the first sold out opening night performance MRT has had in at least ten years. That alone tells me the word is spreading, after only a few preview performances, that this show is hit!

L to R: Julia Brothers, Gail Rastorfer, Jessica Wortham. Photo Credit MRT.

Wittily written by Wendy MacLeod, the play focuses on three women living near Salt Lake City, Utah and finding their way through the challenges of middle age. Mary and Jo are desperately trying to hold onto their friendship with Liz, who is head-over-heels about her new boyfriend, Jackson, whom they find creepy. When one of his employees goes missing they instantly think he may have had something to do with it, yet Liz will hear none of their concerns however genuine or crazy they may seem. So, it’s up to Mary and Jo to solve the crime and save their dear friend from a potentially disastrous fate.  

Before the show, fun and upbeat music plays getting the audience ready for an entertaining evening. The mood was electric from the moment the lights went down. The pulsing music instantly captured the audience and geared them up for what was expected to be a good show. Sound designer David Remedios did a great job selecting music that fit the “mood of the moment” throughout the production. The tunes were familiar and when added to a bit of dancing in some of the scene transitions, the audience was clearly amused. Scenic designer Michael B. Raiford and lighting designer Brian J. Lilienthal kept the set simple, but with many small details that enhanced the overall design. These included tall birch tree trunks set against a dark blue sky-like background that stood on either side of the stage. In between them, was a comfortable kitchen space where much of the action took place. In act two, additional panels of sky and trunks were moved across the stage covering the kitchen and turning the stage into the starlit outdoors of the Utah mountains. The panels were seamlessly moved into place and tiny lights in the blue background were illuminated to create the outdoor feeling.

Daniels, who also directed the world premiere production at the Geva Theatre Center in New York a few years ago, creatively uses the space within each scene to guide the audience’s attention. His staging was well executed by the cast. The cast of six featured two actors returning to roles they’d played before: Julia Brothers as Jo, and Ashley Shamoon as Amanda. The cast also includes Jessica Wortham as Mary, Gail Rastorfer as Liz, Lou Sumrall as Jackson/ Sgt. Kirk Sponsüllar, and Jacob York as Trenner. The chemistry and comedic timing of the cast was fantastic. Each nuance of their characters and their relationships with each other was superbly played and there wasn’t a weak link among them. Their facial expressions spoke volumes and perfectly matched their characters and lines. The audience clearly found this show hilarious, laughing aloud almost continuously throughout and jumping to their feet at the end to give the cast a well-deserved standing ovation.

This hysterical show is one of the best I have seen at MRT and the best comedy I’ve seen anywhere this season! © Running at about two hours with one intermission, “Women In Jeopardy!” is comedy at its best and plays at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, located at 50 East Merrimack Street Lowell, MA, until March 12^th, 2017.  Tickets are bound to sell fast so get yours while you can. Tickets range from $70-$26 with discounts available for groups, students, seniors, Lowell residents, and military service members. To purchase tickets or find more information visit www.mrt.org or call 978-654-4678.

L to R: Lou Sumrall, Jacob York, Ashley Shamoon, Julia Brothers, Jessica Wortham, Gail Rastorfer. Photo Credit MRT.