Posts Tagged ‘insight theatre company’

John & Jen at Insight is an Intriguing Character Study

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on July 21, 2016| Leave a Comment »

John & Jen
Book by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald
Lyrics by Tom Greenwald, Music by Andrew Lippa
Directed by Trish Brown
Insight Theatre Company
July 15, 2016

Spencer Davis Milford, Jenni Ryan Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Spencer Davis Milford, Jenni Ryan
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

Brother and Sister. Mother and Son. These are important relationships to which many theatre goers will be able to relate, dealt with in Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald’s two-person musical John & Jen, which is currently being presented by Insight Theatre Company. The production is well-cast, for the most part, and provides an intriguing look at one woman and two important relationships in her life.

The story features two performers playing the characters at various ages and stages of their lives. Jen Tracy (Jenni Ryan) is six years old when her brother John (Spencer Davis Milford) is born, and we get to see the dynamics of their relationship as both grow up and learn to deal with the world around them and with a domineering, sometimes violent father. Jen’s wish to protect her brother conflicts with her desire to get away from her hostile home environment, and as she goes to college in the 1960’s and gets caught up in anti-war activism, John stays home under the influence of his father and eventually finds his own views about the war and life conflicting with Jen’s. This relationship has a profound impact on Jen, who later names her own son (also Milford) after her brother. We get to watch as Jen becomes a loving but sometimes overprotective mother, and as young John grows and learns to assert his own independence. The mother-son relationship is alternately strong and strained, as Jen learns to deal with her own personal issues regarding her brother and how she relates to her son.

There isn’t a lot more detail I can go into without spoiling too much, but essentially this is a character study. The primary focus is on Jen, with relationships with her brother and son providing insight into her own issues of attachment, guilt, and conflict about how to be a good mother to her son. The two performers give strong performances, with both convincingly portraying the characters at different ages, and with Milford especially doing an excellent job distinguishing between the two characters he plays, both named John. Milford also has a strong singing voice, performing the show’s songs well and displaying a great deal of energy on songs like “Dear God”, “Little League”, and “Bye Room”. Ryan, while giving a convincing acting performance, sometimes struggles with the singing, particularly as many of the songs seem a little to high for her range. Both performers portray convincing relationships, first as brother and sister, and then as mother and son, and the conclusion of the play is particularly affecting.

The show is performed on a minimalist set designed by Kyra Bishop–consisting of a series of ramps, platforms, a wall, and a swing– that provides an effective backdrop for the action of the show. There’s also excellent use of projections–also designed by Bishop and filmed by David Sanford–and Leah McFall’s excellent costumes to effectively portray the changing times as the story moves from the 1950’s and eventually into the 1980’s.  There’s also excellent lighting from Oliver Littleton and sound by Brett Harness.

John & Jen provides a lot for audience to think about, although the underlying message can be unclear at times. For the most part, though, this is a vivid, interesting character study looking at three people over the course of four decades of American history. Although the history is there as a backdrop, this is primarily a personal story, and as that it’s compelling to watch.

Spencer Davis Milford, Jenni Ryan Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Spencer Davis Milford, Jenni Ryan
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

Insight Theatre Company is presenting John & Jen at Nerinx Hall’s Heagney Theatre until July 31, 2016.

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A Complex, Thought-Provoking “Company” at Insight

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on June 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Company
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by George Furth
Directed by Doug Finlayson
Insight Theatre Company
June 17, 2016

Cast of Company Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Cast of Company
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

Insight Theatre Company has begun its 2016 season with the classic Stephen Sondheim “concept musical”, Company. A look at marriage and singleness in New York, the show has been staged in various venues around the world since its Broadway debut in 1970. Now, at Insight, the show has been given an ambitious production that, for the most part, is an intriguing and thought-provoking character study, although the script is starting to seem a bit dated.

In this production, Martin Fox plays Robert, or “Bobby” to most of his friends. As his 35th birthday approaches, the perpetually single Bobby is challenged by his married friends to examine his choices and consider the idea of marriage. The married friends range in ages and degrees of happiness and compatibility, and through a series of vignettes we get a glimpse into their lives, as well as Bobby’s life as he interacts with the couples and goes on dates with three different women.  Through the means of Sondheim’s insightful songs and George Furth’s witty script, we are shown the merits and challenges of romance and marriage in modern day New York City.

Actually, “modern day” is one of the problems with this show as it is currently staged. Although Insight’s production is clearly set in the present with its meticulously detailed modern loft set by Peter and Margery Spack, and costumes in a varied range of current styles designed by Laura Hanson, the script and situations seem more closely tied to the early 1970s than to today. With 1970’s slang still intact, and with a picture of marriage as something of a social compulsion more so than it is generally viewed in much of today’s culture, the 2016 setting of this show ends up being somewhat jarring. Conventions such as Bobby’s listening to his answering machine messages have been portrayed as voicemails on his smart phone, although they still seem more appropriate to the earlier setting. Although the show still has timeless truths and concepts with universal appeal, I still wonder if this show would be best if staged as a period piece rather than trying to update the setting.

Still, the show is still a strong piece, with excellent songs like the iconic “Being Alive”, which is given a dynamic performance by Fox, and the acerbic “The Ladies Who Lunch”, which is sung here by Laurie McConnell as the snarky Joanne, in a strong interpretation emphasizing its sadness more than its ferocity.  There are also some excellent production numbers that superbly feature the whole cast, such as the excellent Act 2 opening song-and-dance “Side by Side by Side”. Other songs suffer from the difficult acoustics in the venue, such as the title song that opens the show, and Samantha Irene’s (as Marta) more lackluster rendition of the show’s normally dynamic ode to New York, “Another Hundred People”.

The cast here ranges from ideal to OK, but for the most part does an excellent job. The standouts are Fox in a charming performance as the conflicted Bobby, McConnell as Joanne, and Stephanie Long as the anxious Amy, who delivers a superb rendition of “Getting Today” supported by the ensemble. Matt Pentecost as her intended, Paul, gives a convincing and amiable performance as well. There are also memorable performances from Bailey Reeves as one of Bobby’s girlfriends, somewhat ditzy flight attendent April, and Jonathan Hey and Cherlynn Alvarez as David and Jenny, who spend an awkwardly funny evening smoking pot and sharing uncomfortable truths with Bobby. Generally, it’s a strong cast, although due to the aforementioned sound problems it’s sometimes difficult to understand what people are singing, especially in the more wordy group songs.

Company is a well-respected classic show that was a game-changer in the musical theatre world in its day. Despite some dated language and concepts, it’s still a strong show, with a top-notch score by one of the all-time great composers and lyricists in musical theatre. Although Insight’s staging isn’t perfect, it hits a lot more than it misses. It’s a worthwhile opener for their new season.

Martin Fox (center) and Cast Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Martin Fox (center) and Cast
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

Company is being presented by Insight Theatre Company at Nerinx Hall’s Heagney Theatre until July 3, 2016.

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Insight Presents a Timely, Thought-Provoking “Spinning Into Butter”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on September 4, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Spinning Into Butter
by Rebecca Gilman
Directed by Trish Brown
Insight Theatre Company
August 29th, 2015

John Contini, Kurt Knoedelseder, Jenni Ryan, Erin Kelley Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

John Contini, Kurt Knoedelseder, Jenni Ryan, Erin Kelley, John J. O’Hagan
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

Insight Theatre Company’s season-ending production, Spinning Into Butter, deals with important issues that are more timely than ever in today’s world. It’s a well-structured play given an impressive presentation at Insight. With a strong cast and excellent production values, this play is sure to make audiences think.

In this play, playwright Rebecca Gilman has set this very issue-oriented story into specific context. The central figure, Sarah Daniel (Jenni Ryan), the Dean of Students at a small Vermont college, deals with the struggles of how to confront various situations that arise among students of color at her predominantly white college. There’s Patrick Chibas (Rahames Galvan), who qualifies for a scholarship but is uncomfortable with the categories regarding ethnicity on the application form. There’s also the unseen Simon Brick, an African-American student who has been receiving hateful anonymous messages.  When Sarah brings in her fellow academics to deal with the crisis, their answers are problematic, to say the least. These situations set in motion a series of events that eventually leads to Sarah’s confronting herself and her own attitudes.

This is a well-structured play, presenting Sarah as a well-meaning but somewhat confused academic official surrounded by others who don’t help the situation. There are two figures who serve as more reasonable sounding boards–professer Ross Collins (John J. O’Hagan), who has complicated personal relationship with Sarah; and Mr. Meyers, the campus security officer who acts as something of an unofficial spokesperson for Simon. The antagonists are Deans Catherine Kenney (Erin Kelley) and Burton Strauss (John Contini), who often appear to be more concerned with the college’s reputation–or their own–than the needs of the students.  There’s also a young student, Greg Sullivan (Elliot Auch), who presents something of an enigma, in that his role in the story turns out to be much different than I was expecting. The issues raised here are complicated and vital, but the purpose here seems more to be a cause for reflection than anything else. Gilman doesn’t give easy answers, presenting subjects for drama and thought rather than offering easy solutions, since there are none to give.

The performances here are strong, led by the personable Ryan as Sarah, who goes on an obvious emotional journey through the course of the story. As the character begins to ask some extremely tough questions of herself, Ryan makes this process believable. She plays well opposite O’Hagan, who is likable as the conflicted but concerned Ross. Contini and Kelley are both memorable, giving a measure of depth to their roles as stuffy academics. Galavan, Auch, and Knoedelseder are all convincing in their roles, as well, with Knoedelseder emerging as probably the play’s wisest voice, and Auch convincingly portraying a character whose motives change in a somewhat surprising way.

As is usual for Insight, the technical aspects of this production are strong. The set, by Jeffrey Behm, is an appropriately detailed representation of a well-appointed academic’s office.  Tracey Newcomb’s costumes suit the characters well, the the sound (by Robin Weatherall) and lighting (by Paige Seber) are suitably effective.  The scene changes can occasionally last a little too long, but I hope that’s a detail that can be ironed out as the show’s run continues.

The most important conclusion that can be drawn from this play is that these topics require honest thought and dialogue. A show like this is there to simply help start the discussion. Insight’s well-staged production does that about as effectively as I can imagine, with a strong cast and staging that manages to take issues out of the realm of the theoretical and make them effectively personal.

John J. O'Hagan, Jenni Ryan Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

John J. O’Hagan, Jenni Ryan
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

Insight Theatre Company’s production of Spinning Into Butter runs at the Heagney Theatre at Nerinx Hall in Webster Groves until September 13th, 2015.

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Insight Brings the Laughs in “Moon Over Buffalo”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on July 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Moon Over Buffalo
by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Edward Coffield
Insight Theatre Company
July 25, 2015

Will Bonfiglio, Alan Knoll, Jenni Ryan Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Will Bonfiglio, Alan Knoll, Jenni Ryan
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

“All the world’s a stage”, Shakespeare wrote, but for some people, the stage is their world. Insight Theatre’s latest production, Ken Ludwig’s outrageous backstage farce Moon Over Buffalo, depicts a couple of past-their-prime stage stars for whom show business is their life, although family conflicts and the lure of Hollywood complicate that life. Insight has brought this play to life in a fast-paced, laugh-a-minute production that calls to mind the theatre world of yesteryear while managing to emphasize some timeless themes as well.

Backstage at the Erlanger Theatre in Buffalo New York, celebrated stage performers George (Alan Knoll) and Charlotte Hay (Jenni Ryan) are leading a company of actors on the latest stop of a tour. They’re performing two plays in repertory–Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac and Noel Coward’s Private Lives. Their daughter, Rosalind (Sam Auch) used to perform with the troupe but has left showbiz for the “real world”, and returns to visit so she can introduce her parents to her new fiance, star-struck TV weatherman Howard (Will Bonfiglio). That’s only the start of the story. The rest is a comedy of many surprises, involving Rosalind’s ex-boyfriend Paul (Pete Winfrey), who still loves Rosalind; her feisty grandmother Ethel (Tommy Nolan), who rarely remembers her hearing aid; company member Eileen (Kara Overlein), who may or may not be having a fling with George; and Richard (Eric Dean White), the Hays’ lawyer, who is harboring a not-so-secret romantic interest in Charlotte.  What follows is a hilarious, slapstick farce involving love triangles, mistaken identity, mixed up performances and costumes, and in a vein similar to another famous backstage comedy,  Noises Off, lots of running in and out of doors.  It’s a story that doesn’t make a lot of sense if you take it seriously, but fortunately “serious” is about the last word you can use to describe this play–unless of course you mean “seriously funny”, because Moon Over Buffalo certainly is that.

The delightful cast has no weak links, and is led by Knoll in a memorable performance as the bombastic, vain George. He’s got the timing down to a science, especially excelling in his drunk scenes. Ryan matches him as the somewhat jaded Charlotte, who seems to be a little more grounded than her husband. Auch is fine as Rosalind, as well, especially pairing well with Winfrey as the still lovestruck Paul. Winfrey has a goofy, energetic charm about him and plays the physical comedy well. There are also strong performances from Nolan as the confrontational Ethel, White as the more subdued Richard, Overlein as the emotional Eileen, and Bonfiglio in a scene-stealing performance as the delightfully goofy Howard. This play depends a great deal on comedic timing, and these players execute that well. There’s a particularly side-splitting section in Act 2 involving a mixed-up stage performance that highlights most of the performers comic abilities and keeps the audience laughing out loud.

The scene has been set ideally by means of Peter and Margery Spack’s remarkably detailed set. The backstage of a 1950’s theatre has been meticulously recreated and decorated with all sorts of theatrical paraphernalia and Margery Spack’s excellent period-specific props.  The costumes, designed by Erin Reed, are colorful and well-suited, as well, from the 1950s clothes to the theatrical costumes for Cyrano and Private Lives. It’s a very strong technical production, providing the appropriate whimsical atmosphere for the chaotic goings-on of the show.

Laughter is the number one goal of a show like this, and Insight’s production achieves that goal with zeal and gusto.  It also provides a little window into the world of theatre in the middle of the 20th century, when television was starting to emerge as an important force in entertainment, and films had already become predominant. The main reason for a show like Moon Over Buffalo, though, is to make its audience laugh, and it does that well. It’s a zany, charming farce that holds the audience’s attention from the beginning and holds it until the end.

 Insight Theatre Company’s Moon Over Buffalo runs at the Heagney Theatre at Nerinx Hall, Webster Groves, until August 9th, 2015.

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Insight Presents an Intensely Powerful American Classic

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on September 13, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Death of a Salesman
by Arthur Miller
Directed by Wayne Loui
Insight Theatre Company
September 11, 2014

Susie Wall, John Contini, Matthew Linhardt, Jason Contini Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Susie Wall, John Contini, Matthew Linhardt, Jason Contini
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

Death of a Salesman is one of the most celebrated works in the history of American theatre. Originally produced in 1949, it has been produced many times over the years and made into several film versions.  Strangely enough, even though I had read the play in high school and watched the 1985 TV movie starring Dustin Hoffman, I had never actually seen the play on stage before seeing this new production at Insight Theatre Company. Even though the production is set in the era in which it was written, it’s a surprisingly timely play with many themes that still resonate as strongly today as they must have 65 years ago.  This production, the closing entry in Insight’s 2014 season, is more than a fitting introduction to this masterpiece of a play. It’s a masterpiece in itself, with stirring performances and a very strong sense of time, place, and message.

Here, John Contini takes on the much-coveted role of Willy Loman, a life-worn traveling salesman at the end of his career.  Although he’s in his 60s and not as physically able as he used to be, Willy insists he’s still on the top of his game, clinging to unrealistic dreams for both himself and his disillusioned son Biff (Matthew Linhart).  Willy also has a devoted, long-suffering wife, Linda (Susie Wall) and a younger son, Happy (Jason Contini) who are concerned for him, but Willy’s hopes and dreams are tied up mostly with Biff, and with grandiose thoughts from his younger life represented by visions of his much older and long gone adventurer brother Ben (Joneal Joplin), who represents opportunity and success for Willy. Exhausted, disillusioned, but still holding onto his unrealistic dreams, Willy has taken to talking to himself and reliving his past, especially his family life in better times with his hero-worshiping sons, not understanding why Biff doesn’t look up to him the way he used to, or why Biff never lived up to the high ideals Willy had for him.  Willy’s family, in turn, worries about him and wonders what to do about Willy’s increasingly self-destructive behavior, while Biff searches to discover his own identity, Happy copes with being mostly ignored by his father, and Linda desperately hopes for peace between her husband and their sons.  Also in the mix are Willy’s successful neighbor Charley (Tom Murray) and his son Bernard (Michael Pierce), who serve as a contrast to Willy as well as an object of jealousy for him, as he wonders why they seem to have a much more fulfilling life.

There’s a lot going on in this play, and it makes a theatre geek and writer like me extremely tempted to write a long, academic essay, but that’s not what reviews are for.  There’s so much here, though, and much of it is still relevant to today, with the ideals of the elusive “American Dream” and the eternal struggle to define “success” and fulfillment in life.  It also deals with common and powerful themes of parental expectations, family responsibilities and personal integrity vs. the urge to get ahead in life.  It’s a great American tragedy, although there are glimmers of hope as well, and much to think about and discuss.  It’s not a philosophical work, though–it’s a consummately structured play, with strong, gripping and memorable dialogue and an expertly crafted plot that builds to a powerful conclusion.  It’s a heavy play, but not without moments of humor, and Insight’s production handles the pacing particularly well.

The cast here is first rate. John Contini makes a strikingly real, unquestionably self-centered but still sympathetic Willy.  His very walk shows his weariness–a shuffling, slightly limping gait that becomes more confident and energetic in the flashbacks to earlier days.  His voice can be whiny or hopeful, and his face lights up noticeably with an almost childlike glee when he’s reflecting on his dreams, and his better times with Biff, making his complete deflation in later scenes all the more poignant.  As Biff, Linhart has the right look of a former promising athlete along with a palpable weariness, confusion, and simmering anger that comes to the surface in a memorable confrontation with Willy in the second act. Jason Contini (son of John) brings a strong combination of ingratiating ambition and underlying disappointment as the more upbeat but ignored son, Happy, and Wall is devastatingly effective as the ever-devoted Linda, standing by her man and showing growing concern as he slowly but surely comes unglued.  Her last speech in the play is astonishingly effective.  There’s also strong work from Joplin as the confident, idealized Ben, Murray as the weary but supportive Charley, Pierce as the studious and eventually successful but compassionate businessman Bernard, and by Taylor Pietz as a woman Willy meets in his travels to Boston.  The entire ensemble is well-cast and on form, adding to the overall mood of of this dynamic  production.

Also adding to the overall drama of this show is its remarkable production values.  The marvelously detailed,  multi-level set, designed by Kim Wilson, caught my attention immediately, and there’s so much depth to it that each time you look, there seems to be more to see. The 1940’s atmosphere is maintained very well through the use of this incredible, richly appointed set with a muted color palette, period furniture and excellent costumes by Tracy Newcomb.  Mark Wilson’s very precise lighting adds much depth to many of the scenes, as well, and a the sparing use of atmospheric music helps set and maintain just the right mood throughout the production.

Even after all the shows I’ve seen, I still feel so privileged to witness such a consummate, immediately affecting production of a much-honored classic of theatre.  This is the kind of show that doesn’t leave me when I leave the theatre. It sits in my brain and makes me ponder and remember the sheer depth of emotion presented on stage. Director Wayne Loui and his cast and crew have done such a remarkable job of bringing a real sense of urgency to this time-honored show.  It’s the undisputed highlight of Insight’s season–a brilliant and memorable piece of theatre not to be missed.

Matthew Linhardt, Joneal Joplin, John Contini, Susie Wall Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Matthew Linhardt, Joneal Joplin, John Contini, Susie Wall
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

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Insight’s “Grill” Serves Up A Quirky, Inspirational Tale

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on August 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The Spitfire Grill
Music and Book by James Valco, Lyrics and Book by Fred Alley
Based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff
Directed by Maggie Ryan
Insight Theatre Company
August 23, 2014

Janet Wells, Troy Turnipseed, Jenni Ryan Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Janet Wells, Troy Turnipseed, Jenni Ryan
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

Insight Theatre Company’s latest musical offering is a charming little musical called The Spitfire Grill, which is somewhat loosely based on the 1996 film of the same name. It’s an inspiring story of second chances, reconciliation and redemption, with engaging characters and an engaging story. It’s a small,somewhat quirky show, and for the most part, Insight has presented it in an entertaining way, emphasizing its memorable characters.

Set in the rural town of Gilead, Wisconsin, The Spitfire Grill follows Percy Talbott (Sam Auch), a young woman from West Virginia who has just been released from prison and who comes to Gilead to start a new life.  Her parole officer, Sheriff Joe Sutter (Pete Winfrey) helps her get a job as a waitress at the town’s only restaurant, after which the show is named. Along the way, we meet such characters as the grill’s widowed and disillusioned owner, Hannah, and her embittered nephew Caleb (Troy Turnipseed), who feels unappreciated by his family. There’s also Shelby (Jenni Ryan), Caleb’s neglected wife who finds a new sense of purpose working at the grill; as well as the earnest town sheriff Joe (Pete Winfrey), who finds himself attracted to Percy;  Effy (Amy Loui), the town’s postmistress and chief busybody; and a mysterious Visitor (played at this performance by Paul Balfe), whom Percy befriends. The grill has been put up for sale by its widowed and disillusioned owner, Hannah (Janet Wells), who hasn’t been able to find a buyer in ten years, but when Percy suggests a raffle/essay contest with the prize being the grill, a sense of renewed hope begins to build, many long-kept secrets are revealed, and various relationships are challenged.

This is a show that’s about its characters more than anything else, this production has cast them well. Auch gives a strong, sympathetic and vulnerable performance as Percy, displaying a strong, clear voice with a country-style twang on her songs, such as he wistful “A Ring Around the Moon” and the hopeful “Shine”.  She also harmonizes well with Ryan on perhaps the show’s best number “The Colors of Paradise”. Auch, Ryan and Wells’ gruff but kindhearted Hannah form the backbone of this show, displaying a convincing bond as their characters’ friendship grows. Winfrey gives an amiable performance as Joe, and Turnipseed manages to infuse the difficult Caleb with some sympathy.  There’s also a strong comic performance from Loui as the meddlesome Effy, and Balfe shows a strong, gentle presence in his silent role as the Visitor.  Even though the story takes a little while to get moving, the cast manages to find their energy and make these characters and this story interesting and intriguing, with some memorable moments including the Act Two opening number “Come Alive Again”, various character-establishing songs and a stirring finale.

I find the show somewhat strangely structured, in that the first act is mostly sung-through while the second act has more spoken dialogue, and the plot doesn’t really get moving until about the middle of Act One.  Also, some songs are more memorable than others. Still the cast performs well and the story gets more and more involving as the show goes along.  The technical aspects are handled well, too, for the most part. Aside from the issues with volume (especially in the singing) that have been apparent at every Insight show I’ve seen, the look and atmosphere of the show is portrayed well. Kyra Bishop’s set and Jeff Behm’s lighting, along with Tracy Newcome’s costumes, work together well to set the tone of the piece. There’s also an excellent band led by Catherine Kopff, making the most of show’s score even though they do occasionally overpower the voices of the singers.

I didn’t know much about this show beyond its basic premise before seeing this production at Insight.  I think director Maggie Ryan and her cast and crew have done a commendable job in bringing out the most important aspect of this show–the humanity of its characters. It’s not a big, flashy show. It’s a simple story simply told, with an inspiring message of hope and redemption for these quirky and complex characters. It’s a story with warmth, music, a lot of personality, and most of all, heart.

Pete Winfrey, Sam Auch Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Pete Winfrey, Sam Auch
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

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Insight’s Charming New Production is All About Family

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on July 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Over the River and Through the Woods
by Joe DiPietro
Directed by John Contini
Insight Theatre Company
July 10. 2014

Ariel Roukaerts, Matt Pentecost, Tom Murray, Jerry Vogel, Tommy Nolan, Maggie Ryan Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Ariel Roukaerts, Matt Pentecost, Tom Murray, Jerry Vogel, Tommy Nolan, Maggie Ryan
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

“Tengo famiglia!” That’s an oft-repeated phrase in Joe DiPietro’s very family-focused comedy, Over the River and Through the Woods, the second show in Insight Theatre’s 2014 season. This is a show all about the importance of family and how a person’s family helps shape one’s own personal identity, and how different generations of a family can learn from one another.  It’s a funny, heartwarming and charming story told very well by Insight’s excellent cast.

Nick Cristano (Matt Pentecost) is a marketing executive from Hoboken, New Jersey, who still has dinner with all four of his grandparents every Sunday.For his proud Italian-American grandparents, the most important things in life are the “three F’s”–family, faith and food.  Although they can be overbearing and occasionally embarrassing to Nick, they clearly care about him in their unique and frequently loud manner, with lots of food cooked by maternal grandmother Aida (Tommy Nolan), music and mild bickering from maternal grandfather Frank (Jerry Vogel), and lots of stories of the “old days” and personal questions from bubbly paternal grandmother Emma (Maggie Ryan) and boisterous paternal grandfather Nunzio (Tom Murray).  When Nick surprises his older relatives with his announcement of an exciting job promotion that will require him to move to Seattle, they become determined to do everything they can to make him stay, including setting him up with a friend’s young, single niece, Caitlin (Ariel Roukaerts).  Although this seems like something of a sitcom setup, it’s a little more complicated than that, as Nick and all four of his grandparents learn lessons about the importance of family, individuality and above all, real communication.

The overall atmosphere here is one of a large, loving a loud family whose most important need is to communicate their love for one another in ways that both generations will understand.  The setting is extremely well-defined, as Chris Regelsen’s detailed set evokes the homey atmosphere of the maternal grandparents’ house, and Laura Hanson’s costumes suit the characters well.  The use of classic Italian-flavored pop music like Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore” to set the tone also adds to the experience.  Although most of the action takes place in the 1990’s, that early era of the 1940’s and 50’s is a clear influence on the lives and personalities of the grandparents, which the music helps make clear.  It also helps build a bridge between grandparents and grandson in the play’s most memorable scene.

The characters are well-written and vividly portrayed by the excellent ensemble cast.  Pentecost plays the exasperated young Everyman with ease, and he works very well with his four very colorful castmates. including Vogel as the stubborn Frank, Nolan as the sweetly overprotective and always cooking Aida, Ryan as the enthusiastic and maternal Emma, and Tom Murray as the energetic storyteller Nunzio, who shares a heartwarming, bittersweet scene with Pentecost in the second act that is one of the highlights of the show.   Roukaerts has a lot of warmth and energy in her two scenes as Caitlin, as well, but the real focus here is on Nick and the grandparents, so the Caitlin character sometimes seems extraneous.  It would be very easy with a show like this for these characters to come across as one-not caricatures, and it’s a great credit to this cast that nobody falls into that trap.  It’s a strong, easily relatable cast that brings real warmth and dimension to the characters.

Although the family portrayed here is Italian-American, and there are a lot of specific situations that those with Italian heritage will certainly relate to, the message here is also universal.  I think a lot of people have that experience, as Nick has here, of having to get to know relatives they always thought they knew well.  It’s listening, and sharing stories rather than simply viewing someone as a collection of idiosyncrasies that is important, as Nick learns in the positively delightful scene in which he and his grandparents sing and dance to the song “Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby”.  The grandparents, in turn. have to learn that Nick is an adult who needs to be able to make his own choices in life, and both generations are reminded that family is family no matter how close by you live.

There’s a lot of breaking the fourth wall, in which the characters talk directly to the audience and recall moments from their past. This works well for the most part, although it becomes a little too much in the play’s epilogue. Still, even with its few minor flaws (mostly in the writing, not the production itself), this is a thoroughly winning production with a great cast and excellent staging by director John Contini, who displays a personal understanding of the subject in the director’s notes in the program.  It’s not a big or flashy show, although its fully realized characters give it a larger-than-life tone much of the time.  This very strong cast has been brought together to present a very credible family dynamic and some very real warmth and emotion, in addition to a whole lot of laughs.  I’m left with the impression that I was really able to get to know this family, and it’s a pleasure to have met them.

Tom Murray, Matt Pentecost Photo by John Lamb Insight Theatre Company

Tom Murray, Matt Pentecost
Photo by John Lamb
Insight Theatre Company

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Insight’s Oliver! What Shall We Do?

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on June 9, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Oliver!
Book, Music and Lyrics by Lionel Bart
Directed by Edward M. Coffield

Choreographed by James Compton and Libby Salvia

Insight Theatre Company

June 6, 2014

Ronan Ryan, Spencer Davis Milford Insight Theatre Company

Ronan Ryan, Spencer Davis Milford
Insight Theatre Company

Oliver! is the classic musical, based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, that tells the story of an earnest young orphan who escapes life in a workhouse to explore life in 19th century London, eventually falling in with a gang of child pickpockets led by the devious and charming old scoundrel Fagin.  Featuring memorable characters like the Artful Dodger, Nancy and the villainous Bill Sikes, Oliver! has been produced many times over the years on Broadway, in London’s West End, and in various regional and school productions over the past few decades, in addition to its adaptation into the very well known and much-beloved Oscar-winning film. I had been looking forward to seeing Insight Theatre Company’s current production, because I had heard and read wonderful things about this theatre company, and this is a show I know fairly well. This is a company that often features some of the best of St. Louis theatrical talent, and I do wish to see more productions from Insight in the future. Still, it’s unfortunate to have to write that I was disappointed, but that’s what I have to do. While this production looks great and has several good points, for the most part I find it to be problematic at best.

To start with the good, I must say that from a purely visual perspective, this production looks stunning.  With a richly detailed unit set by Margery and Peter Spack, delightful costumes by Laura Hanson, and excellent atmospheric lighting designed by Seth Jackson, this show is a treat for the eyes. There’s also some excellent, energetic choreography by James Compton and Libby Salvia, and it’s in several of the ensemble numbers such as “It’s a Fine Life” and “Oom Pa Pa” and the second half of “Consider Yourself” that this production is at its best.  There are also some standout performances by Spencer Davis Milford as a particularly energetic and likable Artful Dodger (even if he does seem a bit old for the role) and, especially, Jennifer Theby-Quinn in a scene-stealing performance as opportunistic workhouse matron Mrs. Corney.  Ryan gives a generally appealing performance as Oliver, especially in his scenes with Dodger and Fagin’s gang. There’s also a very convincing bond between Dodger and Nancy (Cherlynn Alvarez), which lends a degree of poignancy to some moments.

Even with this production’s strengths, I think they are overshadowed by its problems. First of all, the sound quality is very muddled.  It’s difficult to understand what many of the performers are saying or, in the solo musical numbers, singing.  Also, several of the leading performances strike me as confusing and oddly unfinished, coming across as more of a first run-through kind of characterization rather than a complete performance. Alvarez shows a lot of potential as Nancy, with a great voice and a very good rapport with the kids in the scenes in Fagin’s lair, as well as a very strong performance of “Oom Pah Pah” with the adult ensemble. Her most famous number, “As Long As He Needs Me” is mostly very good if lacking in volume.  Her stage presence, however, is hit-or-miss, and her later scenes are oddly paced and lack dramatic weight. Amoroso comes across more as an ineffectual bully than a truly menacing Sikes, as well, and Marc Strathman as the workhouse beadle Mr. Bumble lacks energy and presence, as do several of the other cast members. The most problematic performance, though, comes from Knoll as Fagin.  He performs the role with two very different voices, for one thing–a higher, reedy-sounding voice in some moments of the songs, and a somewhat lower voice for his speaking and some singing moments. This ends up sounding disjointed since he just jumps between the two sounds with very little attempt to blend them. His best moments are with his gang of pickpockets. “Be Back Soon” has its moments, especially, but his big solo “Reviewing the Situation” is just strange. The pacing is off and he even changes the melody and rhythm of parts of it, which is jarring and distracting.  He seems like an actor playing Fagin rather than simply the character.

I also find the overall pacing of the show to be uneven.  The first act ends abruptly and without the sense of suspense that the scene calls for, and all of the scenes between Nancy and Bill Sikes come across as rushed and unconvincing.  The climactic scene also seems cluttered and confusing, and two major character exits end up losing their dramatic impact as a result.  At other times, such as in the scenes with Mr. Brownlow (Troy Turnipseed), the pacing seems to drag.  The usually delightful “Who Will Buy” is a bit of a mess, as well.

While this production has its good moments and great visual appeal, overall I find it mostly unfulfilling, especially in the direction, pacing, and overall lack of energy among most of the leading performers.  Browsing through the production photos on the company’s Facebook page, I’m again struck by how vibrant this production looks. Unfortunately, that vibrancy is only superficial, and while there are some bright spots in this production, the overall impression is, sadly, one of style over substance.

Cherlynn Alvarez (center) and children's ensemble Insight Theatre Company

Cherlynn Alvarez (center) and children’s ensemble
Insight Theatre Company

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