Posts Tagged ‘kevin corpuz’

Tesseract’s Engaging “Mad Ones” Features Strong Cast, Great Singing

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on November 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The Mad Ones
by Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk
Based on an Idea by Zach Altman and Bree Lowdermilk
Directed and Choreographed by Kevin Corpuz
Tesseract Theatre Company
November 3, 2023

Melissa Felps, Grace Langford
Photo by Florence Flick
Tesseract Theatre Company

Tesseract Theatre Company’s foray into musical theatre continues to be a resounding success. Having produced a few impressive musicals so far, the company’s new focus is continuing with an excellent production of a smaller show with a big heart. The Mad Ones–written by Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk–isn’t one I had heard of before, but after seeing the first-rate production at the Marcelle, directed and choreographed by Kevin Corpuz, I’m sure I’ll remember it for some time to come.

The plot isn’t particularly unique, featuring the reasonably familiar formula of the young, rule-following protagonist trying to figure out the direction of her life, influenced by the more carefree attitude of her more outgoing, rebellious best friend. There’s also a caring but sometimes overprotective parent and a sweet but unadventurous boyfriend, who the best friend thinks is boring. There’s even a twist that’s fairly easy to figure out early on in the show. Still, while in some ways seems like a story that’s been told before, what makes it work is the sheer believability and likability of the characters, and the relatability of the situations. Recent high school graduate Samantha, her friend Kelly, her mom Beverly, and boyfriend Adam have a story to tell that’s thought-provoking and well-constructed. There’s also a  good balance of humor and drama, as well as a memorable score of songs that fit the story well and express the characters’ motivations and emotions with clarity.

The show is staged in an eye-catching way with an abstract set by Todd Schaefer that consists of series of platforms and performance areas, and a minimalist approximation of a car that features prominently in the story. There’s also vibrant lighting by Brittanie Gunn that adds to the atmosphere and tone of the story. The sound by Jacob Baxley is well-balanced, and there’s a great band led by music director and keyboardist Joe Schoen, doing justice to the score and supporting the performers well without overpowering the singers. The staging and choreography by director Corpuz are also well-paced and engaging.

What’s most engaging of all here is the wonderful cast. Led by the eminently likable Melissa Felps as Samantha, the story is given just the right degree of emotional resonance, and the singing is excellent from all. Felps has a strong, emotive voice, and the rest of the cast is just as good, with Grace Langford as the impulsive, party-loving Kelly working especially well with Felps in their many scenes together. There are also pitch-perfect performances–both acting-wise and vocally–from Sarah Gene Dowling as the statistics-minded Beverly and Cody Cole as the kindhearted Adam. It’s a strong ensemble all around, with cohesive chemistry and exquisite vocal harmonies. 

Overall, The Mad Ones may not be the most well-known of shows and its premise might not seem entirely original, but it’s well worth checking out for its emotional resonance, well-drawn characters, and relatable message. At Tesseract, it’s also a showcase for a marvelous cast and some truly magnificent singing. It’s more evidence for Tesseract that the decision to focus more on musicals was the right one.

Grace Langford, Cody Cole, Melissa Felps, Sarah Gene Dowling
Photo by Florence Flick
Tesseract Theatre Company

The Tesseract Theatre Company is presenting The Mad Ones at the Marcelle Theatre until November 12, 2023

This review was originally published at kdhx.org

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Tesseract’s “Last Five Years” is a Poignant Musical Showcase

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on February 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The Last Five Years
Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Taylor Gruenloh
Tesseract Theatre Company
February 19, 2023

Grace Langford, Kevin Corpuz
Photo: Tesseract Theatre Company

The Tesseract Theatre company is staging its second musical, Jason Robert Brown’s semi-autobiographical two-hander The Last Five Years, at the .ZACK Theatre. It’s a mostly sung-through show that’s known as a showcase for excellent singers, and director Taylor Gruenloh has chosen the leads well, in prolific local performers who have the voices, the presence, and the chemistry to carry this emotional roller-coaster of a show. There are also some inventive directorial choices that add to the drama and characterizations. 

Some of the drama of this show is provided by its structure, as its tale of a failed relationship is told in two directions at once. Cathy, an aspiring musical theatre performer played by Grace Langford, starts at the end of the relationship and progresses backwards. Jamie, a successful young novelist played by Kevin Corpuz, begins at the beginning, shortly after he and Cathy have met, and moves forward in the story. Their narratives catch up in the middle, at their wedding, and then move further apart.  

It’s an intriguing structure, and in most productions–like the last one I saw, twelve years ago–Jamie and Cathy spend most of their moments apart from one another, trading songs and stories but only interacting in the middle, when their narratives meet. Here, director Gruenloh has staged it differently, so both characters are frequently onstage together, as Jamie will be there reacting to Cathy’s songs, and Cathy reacts to Jamie’s. They are able to respond to one another more directly, which adds to the drama and adds a degree of depth to the relationship. I still find myself sympathizing with Cathy more, as Jamie often comes across as an a self-centered jerk, although this production seems to bring out Jamie’s charm a little more, especially in the first half of the show, and we also get to see more nuance in Cathy’s perspective. 

The casting is excellent. I already knew Langford and Corpuz had great voices and strong acting skills from seeing them in a variety of previous productions. Here, it’s just the two of them together, and they are matched well, with strong chemistry and excellent voices. Jason Robert Brown’s music is memorable and challenging, and both of these two performers rise to the challenge. Josie Schnelten is also strong in a brief, wordless appearance later in the show. 

The staging is fairly simple in terms of set, since the action takes place on a mostly empty stage, with evocative lighting by Gruenloh and Brittanie Gunn, along with projections by Gruenloh that help the audience keep track of what year it is in each scene. Both performers are simply dressed, as well, with Langford in red and Corpuz in black and grey. The band, led by music director Leah Schultz, is onstage above and behind the actors, and they sound great, although the acoustics of the venue make it so the band can sometimes drown out the performers as they sing, making it difficult to understand the lyrics at times.

For the most part, though, this is a highly effective, moving production that benefits greatly from the inventive direction and the dynamic performances of the two leads. The Last Five Years runs about 90 minutes with no intermission, and there are no dull moments here. It’s another impressive musical production from Tesseract. 

Grace Langford, Kevin Corpuz
Photo: Tesseract Theatre Company

The Tesseract Theatre Company is presenting The Last Five Years at the .ZACK Theatre until February 26, 2023

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