Posts Tagged ‘tony l. marr jr.’

New Line’s Thoughtfully Staged “Dracula” Highlights Aesthetics, Strong Singing

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Dracula
Music by Frank Wildhorn
Book and Lyrics by Don Black & Christopher Hampton
Based on the Novel by Bram Stoker
Directed by Scott Miller and Tony L. Marr Jr.
Choreographed by Tony L. Marr Jr.
New Line Theatre
June 1, 2024

Kent Coffel, Cole Gutmann
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

I need to start out this review with a disclaimer–I am not a vampire fan. Although I grew up surrounded by family and friends who loved horror stories, and particularly vampires, for some reason I have never found these stories especially interesting or resonant to me personally. I’m OK with them in comic situations sometimes, but in general, vampire stories just aren’t my preference. Still, New Line Theatre is presenting Frank Wildhorn’s musical version of Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula, and I was determined to see it with an open mind. My conclusion is that, while vampires are still not my favorite, I can’t deny that this is a well-done show, with excellent production values, a striking aesthetic, a great cast, and the excellent singing I’ve come to associate with New Line. I imagine that anyone who loves classic horror tales, and particularly vampire tales, will love this show.

The show, scored by Wildhorn in a modern pop-rock style, follows the story of Stoker’s novel fairly closely, with a degree of dramatic license to make it fit into something of a “gothic romance” framework. I don’t see a lot of romance, personally, since Dracula (Cole Gutmann) basically decides to stalk Mina (Britanny Kohl) through telepathy upon simply seeing a picture of her, and they don’t physically meet for quite a while. There’s also Jonathan Harker (Ian McCreary) who is engaged to Mina, and also seems to have a loving relationship with her. This “love triangle” of sorts is at the forefront of the plot as Dracula aims to travel to England and feed his hunger for blood, while his minions, the Weird Sisters (Ann Hier Brown, Chelsie Johnston, and Sarah Lueken) continue to haunt his Transylvania castle. Meanwhile, mental patient Renfield (Rafael DaCosta) also appears to have a psychic connection with Dracula, and he announces the impending arrival of his “Master” to the head of the asylum, Dr. Jack Seward (J.D. Pounds). Seward is also one of three suitors who propose marriage to Mina’s friend Lucy Westenra (Vanessa Simpson), along with Texan Quincey Morris (Christopher Strawhun) and her “boring” childhood friend Arthur Holmwood (Alex Vito Fuegner). When Lucy suddenly starts acting strangely after Dracula’s arrival, Seward calls in his former professor, Abraham Van Helsing (Kent Coffel), and the vampire hunt is on! Mina, who struggles between her feelings for Jonathan and her burgeoning desire for Dracula, joins the men in their hunt, but what will happen when she does finally see the Count face-to-face?

The look, sound, and atmosphere of this production is top-notch, especially considering the relatively small space at the Marcelle. Rob Lippert’s set is suitably dark and gothic, as well as versatile, with its most prominent feature being a large cryptlike platform that serves various purposes throughout the story. Matt Stuckel’s lighting is also eye-catching, setting just the right ominous tone as the story unfolds, and the costumes by Zachary Thompson are simply fantastic, with Victorian styling and hints of modern influence, such as Dracula’s shiny black leather-like pants, and the detailed dresses for Mina and Lucy, as well as the more fantastical garb of the Weird Sisters. There’s also an excellent band led by music director Jenna Lee Moore, filling the space with Wildhorn’s memorable score.

Performance-wise, directors Scott Miller and Tony L. Marr Jr. have cast well, with Gutmann making a convincing, brooding Dracula, who has a sense of presence that projects quiet confidence, as well as a strong, resonant voice. As Mina, Kohl is the biggest standout, convincingly portraying her character’s intelligence, compassion, and internal struggle between her established love for Jonathan and her new, initially unwelcome attraction to Dracula (even before she has actually met him in person). McCreary is also impressive as the earnest Harker, and DaCosta is terrific as the Dracula’s frenzied, devoted disciple Renfield. There are also excellent turns from Simpson as the tragic Lucy, Coffel in especially strong voice as the determined Van Helsing, and Pounds, Fuegner, and Strawhun as the three suitors-turned-vampire hunters. Brown, Johnston, and Lueken are also suitably creepy and bloodthirsty as the Weird Sisters. The ensemble is especially cohesive, with particularly impressive singing all around. 

Overall, I’m impressed in an aesthetic, dramatic, and vocal sense. Even if vampires aren’t exactly my cup of tea, I can’t deny that New Line has done a great job with Dracula. This is a well-paced, thoughtfully staged, impressively designed production. I would think that vampire aficionados will love this show.  

Kent Coffel, Ian McCreary, Brittany Kohl, J.D. Pounds
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre is presenting Dracula at the Marcelle Theatre until June 22, 2024

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“Queens” Entertain with Energy, Southern Humor at New Line

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Sweet Potato Queens
Book by Rupert Holmes, Music by Melissa Manchester, Lyrics by Sharon Vaughn
Based on the Bestselling Books of Jill Conner Browne
Directed by Scott Miller and Tony L. Marr Jr.
Choreographed by Tony L. Marr Jr.
New Line Theatre
March 1, 2024

Mara Bollini, Talichia Noah (standing), Ann Hier Brown, Victoria Pines
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

Sweet Potato Queens seems at once like an ideal show for New Line Theatre as well as being a bit of a surprise, since it’s focused to a degree on promoting a real organization. The danger with a show like this is that it could come off as a schmaltzy TV movie or commercial. Still, the show doesn’t really come off as a marketing pitch especially as staged by New Line, with its focus on strong characterization and vocals, with vibrant costuming and some over-the-top moments, with an emphasis on Southern style and humor, with particular focus on being a source of encouragement and bonding for women. 

The Sweet Potato Queens are real, with many chapters around the world, but they were begun in 1982 by Jill Conner Browne, played here by Talicia Noah. Browne has written a series of books over the years expounding the SPQ philosophy, and this show is essentially a combination of an origin story and a testimonial, expounding on Browne’s philosophies while explaining how the SPQ movement began, featuring some representative characters that Browne meets and inspires, including three women all named Tammy (Mara Bollini, Ann Hier Brown, and Victoria Pines), along with a waiter named George (Aarin Kamphoefner) who forms a bond with these women, along with other important figures in Browne’s life such as her Mama (Bethany Barr), her Daddy (Kent Coffel), and her husband Tyler (Jeffrey M. Wright). As Jill, who has recently left her stable-but-boring job at Sears, ponders what to do with her life and how to pursue a career as a writer, she deals with her personable but evasive unemployed husband’s efforts to find a job, Mama’s nagging to go back to Sears, and listens to advice from Daddy to “Do What Makes Your Heart Sing”. She also finds herself hanging out at the local Chinese restaurant and encouraging the Tammies and George to do likewise, while Too Much Tammy (Brown) deals with body image issues and her relationship with food, Floozie Tammy (Bollini) tries to find a healthy balance in her relationships with men, and Flower Tammy (Pines) deals with an abusive marriage, while George deals with the struggles of being a gay man in what can be a restrictive and isolating Southern culture. Meanwhile, Tyler continues to be mysterious and secretive, and Jill wonders whether or not the frequent rumors about his apparent philandering ways are true. 

The story features a score of mostly upbeat songs, some of which are contagiously catchy (such as the maybe too-oft-reprised “Do What Makes Your Heart Sing), and others not as memorable. The overall message of “sisterhood” and empowerment is communicated with a Southern flair and bright, colorful costumes by Zachary Phelps that are inspired by the original SPQ outfits, as well as more toned-down but realistic outfits for the “origin story” scenes. There’s also a bright, abstract runway-type set by Rob Lippert that is reminiscent of a 1970’s game show with its bold colors and complimented by Matt Stuckel’s vibrant lighting. The set painting and construction look better in the pictures than in person, though, coming across as kind of rough around the edges up close. Marr’s choreography is energetic and fun, and the band led by music director Dr. Tim Amukele provides a good soundtrack for the story and performers. 

The performances are strong across the board, with Noah making an ideal and personable narrator/protagonist as the determined Jill. Noah has a strong voice, as well, and her co-stars also shine in the vocal department, with the always-great Coffel a standout as Daddy; Bollini, Brown, and Pines all getting their moments to shine as the Tammys; and Wright making the most of his somewhat annoying character as Tyler. Barr also has excellent comic moments as Mama, including the standout song “Sears”, and Kamphoefner gives an amiable performance as George. The group numbers are memorable, as well, for the most part, although it can be difficult to decipher the lyrics sometimes when everyone is singing at once. 

Overall, Sweet Potato Queens at New Line is an entertaining, energetic, in-your-face ode to female empowerment, even though there is a bit of stereotyping where men are concerned. This strikes me as the type of story that some may relate to more than others, but at New Line, the enthusiastic performers put their all into this tale full of over-the-top, occasionally raunchy Southern humor with a few well-placed moments of poignancy along the way. It’s an enjoyable evening with a memorable cast. 

Aarin Kamphoefner (center) and cast of Sweet Potato Queens
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre is presenting Sweet Potato Queens at the Marcelle Theatre until March 23, 2024

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New Line’s Original “Appleweed” Has Its Holiday Highs and Lows

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on December 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller
Original Orchestrations by John Gerdes
Directed by Scott Miller and Tony L. Marr Jr.
Choreographed by Tony L. Marr Jr.
New Line Theatre
December 1, 2023

Kay Love, Terrell Thompson
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line is a theatre company that’s not afraid of taking risks. They’ve staged some excellent, smaller-scaled productions of musicals from the well-known to the obscure, and occasionally, like with their latest production, original works. Their latest production, written and co-directed by New Line’s artistic director Scott Miller, is a holiday show with a twist. Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holly Rollin’ Family Christmas is a world premiere musical parody that’s got a lot of potential, even though it’s still a bit rough around the edges.

The show is a sort-of sequel to Miller’s earlier original musical Johnny Appleweed, which was staged by New Line in 2006. I didn’t see that show, so I can only go by what I’ve read about it. This show features some characters from that show, but in the format of kind of an extended adaptation of A Christmas Carol, featuring a seemingly typical white-bread American Family, the Goodsons, led by the stuffy, traditionalist father Harry (Terrell Thompson), who in the first act spends an evening being surprised and shocked by his family members, who all have secrets that they reveal under the influence of some pot-spiked Christmas cookies. Narrated by a group of “Stoner Carolers” (Robert Doyle, Matt Hill, Stephanie Merritt, and Lauren Tenenbaum), the show follows as Harry’s kids Chip (Tony L. Marr Jr.) and Tammy (Marlee Wenski), brother-in-law Hugh (Tawaine Noah), and wife Bess (Kay Love) take turns singing about their lives in ways that increasingly disturb Harry. And then, in the second act, Jesus (also Marr) shows up as the “Jacob Marley” figure, warning Harry–who has passed out on the couch after eating a bunch of the cookies–that he will soon be visited by three ghosts, like Ebenezer Scrooge but with more of an herbal influence. Noah, Wenski, and Love play the ghosts, with Love appearing as the titular Johnny Appleweed, and bringing a great deal of energy to a show that’s a bit overlong, even though it gets better as it goes along.

The show gets off to a slow start, and it could deal with a good bit of trimming, as the first act is all set-up and the plot doesn’t really get moving until Jesus shows up in Act Two. There are some fun songs and some compelling points being made about the clash between the idealization of  1950s America and reality, as well as the encroaching social rebellion of the 1960s. The music is hit-or-miss, with some songs that basically stop the action to tell a long story, and others that are especially clever–especially in the second Act when the weed humor ramps up, which surprised me somewhat, since I’m not usually a huge fan of stoner jokes. Still, this show is at its high point (pun intended) when it leans into the pot jokes, and especially after the energetic Love shows up as Johnny Appleweed, leading the Carolers and the cast in what is probably the show’s most catchy song “That Stick Up Your Ass”. There are also some clever re-writings of traditional Christmas carols, sung with excellent harmonies by the Carolers. 

As for the rest of the cast, Wenksi is also hilariously energetic as Tammy and as movie star Sandra Dee, whose intro song is a fun nod to Grease. Thompson struggled with his lines a bit in the first act, but gained more energy and confidence in the second. Noah, as Hugh and the first of three Christmas ghosts is also fine, and Marr–a last-minute replacement as Chip–moves well and has a good sense of presence, but struggles a bit with the vocals. Marr is also the choreographer and co-director for this production,  providing some fun moments of dancing especially in the show’s livelier moments. 

In terms of technical elements, this show looks great, filling the stage at the Grandel Theatre with a vibrant Mid-Century Modern influenced set by Rob Lippert. The costumes by Lauren Smith Bearden are also colorful and stylish, with the props by Erin Goodenough also adding much to the satirical tone of the show. There’s also excellent lighting by Matt Stuckel and a lively band led by music director/keyboardist Mallory Golden.

Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holly Rollin’ Family Christmas isn’t a perfect show, but it’s new and it has a good deal of potential. The cast members seem to be enjoying themselves a great deal, and there are some memorable moments and an excellent sense of theme. If you like crass humor, and especially stoner jokes, this show should be a fun “alternative” holiday production. 

Marlee Wenski, Terrell Thompson, and Carolers
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre is presenting Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas at the Grandel Theatre until December 16, 2023

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