Robert Barossi - Page 7

Robert Barossi

Robert Barossi has worked in just about every possible job in professional theater, from actor to stage manager to company manager to box office and house manager. This has included time spent immersed in the theater and arts scenes in places like Philadelphia, D.C., Boston and Rhode Island. He has also been a staff writer for Motif Magazine in Rhode Island, writing reviews, previews and features, for six years, leaving the publication just recently. Though not working in professional theater currently, he continues to work on being an aspiring playwright and getting to as much theater as possible.






BWW Reviews: Great Storytelling At the Center of One-Man AN ILIAD at The Wilbury Group
BWW Reviews: Great Storytelling At the Center of One-Man AN ILIAD at The Wilbury Group
January 28, 2014

When it comes to plays with a single actor, there are generally two types. The first is the "Look at me!" category, where the actor basically spends ninety minutes shouting "Look at how funny and talented and awesome I am!" The second category is the type of show where the story takes center stage and the actor is simply the conduit through which that story is told, often with stunning results. The Wilbury Group's well-executed production of An Iliad is a perfect example of that second, far superior, kind of one-man show.

BWW Reviews: Fantastic Ensemble Brings Dark, Witty THE LYONS to Life at 2nd Story
BWW Reviews: Fantastic Ensemble Brings Dark, Witty THE LYONS to Life at 2nd Story
January 26, 2014

"Family is conflict and it's something that we all relate to," according to Bill Cosby, who has made a very long career out of finding the humor in family conflicts. His television shows and standup routines probably never had anything quite like the family conflicts found in Nicky Silver's play The Lyons, now playing at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren. Even though the drama and conflict is ratcheted pretty high in this production, there are still many moments every audience member can and will relate to, whether they want to admit it or not.

BWW Reviews: Wilbury Group Offers Something Different with A VERY MERRY UNAUTHORIZED CHILDREN'S SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT
BWW Reviews: Wilbury Group Offers Something Different with A VERY MERRY UNAUTHORIZED CHILDREN'S SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT
December 13, 2013

Every holiday season, along with all the usual theatrical suspects, there are always a few unique and surprising choices that pop up on area stages. There's usually some kind of strange or twisted take on A Christmas Carol. There's often some kind of musical revue, or two, featuring favorite holiday tunes. Oftentimes, there's a comedy show, or four, usually sending up much of what happens during the season. This year, one such non-traditional offering can be found at The Wilbury Group, where they are presenting A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant.

BWW Reviews: Ocean State Delivers Undeniable Holiday Spirit with MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, THE MUSICAL
BWW Reviews: Ocean State Delivers Undeniable Holiday Spirit with MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, THE MUSICAL
December 7, 2013

There are a million different holiday traditions and every person has one of their own. Similarly, there are countless options for holiday entertainment, and everyone has a favorite. Many of the most beloved holiday movies have, over the years, been turned into musicals for the stage. From Dickensian classics to Capra's sentimentality to modern pitch-black dark comedies, there's something for everyone, now in musical form. Among these most cherished of holiday film-to-stage offerings is the classic Miracle On 34th Street, and the musical version is now making its New England premiere at Ocean State Theatre Company in Warwick.

BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Theatre's SAINT JOAN Falls Short of Miraculous
BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Theatre's SAINT JOAN Falls Short of Miraculous
December 2, 2013

There are those plays that, one way or another, rest primarily on the shoulders of a single actor. It's true that no play, unless it's a one-man or woman show, is completely about just one person, one character. On the other hand, there are plays where everything is so tightly connected to a single character that they are the show's life, breath and blood. A play like Hamlet, for example, Streetcar Named Desire or A Doll's House. You simply must have the right actor playing Hamlet, Nora and Stanley to make those plays become what they might be. Unfortunately, 2nd Story Theatre's current production of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan just doesn't have what it needs at its center, in the all-important title role.

BWW Reviews: Durang's VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE Reboots Chekhov at Trinity Rep
BWW Reviews: Durang's VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE Reboots Chekhov at Trinity Rep
November 25, 2013

These days, it is said more and more often that there are no new ideas under the sun. These accusations of a lack of originality are especially directed at Hollywood and the television studios. Every weekend sees the opening of a new sequel or reboot or re-imagining. While there are, in reality, some great original ideas coming out of Hollywood and television, there is also no shortage of originality in the world of live theater. Unfortunately, Christopher Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, playing at Trinity Rep, feels like little more than a needless attempt to update and reboot Chekov while using as many modern day and mostly unnecessary pop-culture references as possible.

BWW Reviews: Trio of Young Actors Will Rock You in Counter-Productions' NICO WAS A FASHION MODEL
BWW Reviews: Trio of Young Actors Will Rock You in Counter-Productions' NICO WAS A FASHION MODEL
November 18, 2013

What's in a name? A rose by any other name...well, you know the rest. A name can, in truth, mean everything or it can mean nothing at all. For some people, their name is everything, their entire identity. For something like a play, for example, a name or title can be a little perplexing. Counter-Productions Theatre Company's current play, Nico Was a Fashion Model sounds a bit like it might be a reality show. But to let the unusual name dissuade you from seeing it would be a mistake. This is a fine production of a thought-provoking play populated by three stellar young actors.

BWW Reviews: Epic Theatre's THE OTHER PLACE Doesn't Live Up to the Hype
BWW Reviews: Epic Theatre's THE OTHER PLACE Doesn't Live Up to the Hype
November 16, 2013

Lately, more and more new theater companies are appearing in our area. This can be a blessing and a curse. While it's great to have so many excellent theatrical offerings, it can also make it hard for audience members to choose which show to attend or theater to support. For newer, younger companies, everything they do can make or break their future as a professional theater. One young company may or may not have done itself a favor with its very name, Epic Theatre Company.

BWW Reviews: Gamm's Fantastic GOOD PEOPLE Perfectly Examines America's Economic Crisis
BWW Reviews: Gamm's Fantastic GOOD PEOPLE Perfectly Examines America's Economic Crisis
November 15, 2013

Recently, a friend mentioned his girlfriend's exciting new "big promotion and raise." Providing more details, he added that she would now be making close to thirty-five thousand per year. This could not help but make me wonder about the state of our country's current economic and employment crises. It is clear that a "new normal" has been established in the United States, where the vast majority scrape by, just surviving, mostly by working hourly-wage, low-paying jobs. Where once the dream was a comfortable, secure, middle-class or even upper-middle-class-life, that life no longer exists for many, if not most. It's been replaced by a much less secure or comfortable existence that fewer and fewer have the hope to climb out of. This predicament is perfectly brought to very real life by David Lindsay-Abaire's play Good People, playing at the Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre.

BWW Reviews: OSTC's LOMBARDI Offers a Terrific, Timely Glimpse Into America's Favorite Game
BWW Reviews: OSTC's LOMBARDI Offers a Terrific, Timely Glimpse Into America's Favorite Game
November 9, 2013

Any play that's worth its salt contains themes, ideas or messages that stand the test of time. They pose relevant questions and provoke dialogue regardless of the present moment in time. Sometimes, the events of the day can make a play's relevance even more immediate and fascinating, taking a good play and helping it become a great one. Such is the case with Ocean State Theatre Company's production of Lombardi. Premiering on Broadway in 2010, Lombardi is written by y Eric Simonson, who based it on the book When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss. Focusing on one week in 1965, the play explores the life of legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers to multiple world championships and is to this day considered one of the greatest coaches in the game's history.

BWW Reviews: Excellent Ensemble Shines in Shallow SONS OF THE PROPHET at 2nd Story
BWW Reviews: Excellent Ensemble Shines in Shallow SONS OF THE PROPHET at 2nd Story
November 8, 2013

A recent converstion with a friend included the topic of just how much theater there is right now in Rhode Island. There's no denying that theater lovers have many excellent choices, with many plays and musicals of almost every kind. One of the many great aspects of this phenomenon is the fact that even with so much theater happening, there are so many talented performers in this area that the product is not watered down or less enjoyable just because there is so much of it.Take 2nd Story Theatre, for example. They have not one, not two, but three shows opening and running during November. The first one to open, the second show of the DownStage season, is a perfect example of how even with so many shows running, audiences can still see a fantastic ensemble of actors working together perfectly.

Dreadful, Disappointing GHOST: THE MUSICAL Makes an Appearance at PPAC
Dreadful, Disappointing GHOST: THE MUSICAL Makes an Appearance at PPAC
October 23, 2013

There are many good rules pertaining to the creation of a new Broadway musical. Two of them are, 1) Just because you have the technology to do something doesn't necessarily mean that you should do it and 2) Some movies just shouldn't be made into musicals. The first U.S. national tour of Ghost: The Musical, playing at Providence Performing Arts Center is an excellent example of what happens when both of those are thrown out the window.

BWW Reviews: Broadway's Outstanding ONCE Kicks Off National Tour at PPAC
BWW Reviews: Broadway's Outstanding ONCE Kicks Off National Tour at PPAC
October 3, 2013

There is no denying that the transition from film to musical can be a tricky one. It's likely even trickier when the film was a small-budget, minimalist piece, with only two main characters and a fairly somber, melancholy tone. It helps, though, when the film includes amazing, award-winning music, which will translate perfectly to the stage. In this case, the movie is Once, an Irish musical/film which was released in 2007, became an indie darling and then went on to become a major mainstream success. That success included an Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Made for around $150,000 and shot in 17 days, it went on to gross twenty million dollars worldwide and earned critical raves. It was then developed as a musical at the American Repertory Theater in Boston and eventually opened on Broadway in 2012, winning that year's Tony Award for Best Musical.

BWW Reviews: Wilbury Group Lights Up the Stage with High-Energy DETROIT
BWW Reviews: Wilbury Group Lights Up the Stage with High-Energy DETROIT
September 24, 2013

In terms of longevity and legacy, The Wilbury Group is still one of the newest kids on the block in the Rhode Island theater community. Founded only three years ago, in 2010, they have been growing quickly, moving last season into a new space where they have settled in very nicely. Along with finding their home as far as the physical space is concerned, they also have begun to find their groove, artistically and technically. If the first play of this season is any indication, they are ready for another big growth spurt and area audiences are in for some exciting, riveting works of theater. Detroit is a play that begins with a simple enough premise. A couple living in an upper middle-class suburb have invited their new neighbors over for a barbecue. The suburb could be just outside of the titular city or it could be anywhere in the United States. Middle-aged and seemingly well-off, the first couple are either the picture of suburban harmony or they are trying very hard to fake it. The other couple, younger and definitely lower in class, are just recently out of rehab and everything about them indicates a struggle and desire to make their lives work, if they can only figure out how.

BWW Reviews: Gamm's Impressive Double Bill A NUMBER and FAR AWAY Gets Season of to Exciting Start
BWW Reviews: Gamm's Impressive Double Bill A NUMBER and FAR AWAY Gets Season of to Exciting Start
September 20, 2013

One of the many great aspects of Rhode Island's theater community is the presence of companies and artists who are willing to take some risks. They don't always play it safe. They don't just do shows that are easy or simple or uncomplicated. There are at least a few area theaters that frequently put on productios of complicated, difficult, disturbing or thought-provoking works. The Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre is one of those companies and they have begun their season with another complex and even puzzling production. This time, it's actually two plays, a double bill from English playwright Caryl Churchill, A Number and Far Away.

BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Opens New Space with Funny, Thoughtful LOBBY HERO
BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Opens New Space with Funny, Thoughtful LOBBY HERO
September 16, 2013

As a theater company grows in success and reputation, expansion is to be expected. Whether it's growth into new and different types of productions, educational programs or physical spaces, change is only natural. For 2nd Story Theater in Warren, growth and expansion have arrived this season, in the form of a new, smaller, more intimate space downstairs in their Market Street home. For the first show in the new downstairs space, they have chosen Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero, which turns out to be a pleasing and safe way to begin the life of a new theatrical stage.

BWW Reviews: Theater By the Sea Ends 80th Season with Flawed LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
BWW Reviews: Theater By the Sea Ends 80th Season with Flawed LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
August 18, 2013

For those outside of theatrical circles, La Cage Aux Folles might be best known as the basis for the hit movie The Birdcage. While that's all well and good, the musical has been a major force in the theater world since it premiered in 1983, when it won a number of Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show has been revived on Broadway twice and both revivals won a Tony Award for Best Revival. It's the only show to ever win that award twice. On the surface, it seems like the perfect show to end a successful summer at Theater By the Sea in Matunuck.

BWW Reviews: Turbulent Waters at the Second Wave of Artists' Exchange's ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL
BWW Reviews: Turbulent Waters at the Second Wave of Artists' Exchange's ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL
August 2, 2013

A one-act play can be a tough nut to crack, as they say. Ranging anywhere from ten minutes to an hour long, they present a very particular challenge to a playwright, not to mention the rest of the creative team. While full-length plays have much more time at their disposal, one-acts must get a full story, beginning, middle, and end, into a condensed period of time. They must be concise and succinct. And most importantly, they must succeed in telling a story that is compelling, interesting, entertaining, or all three. Artists' Exchange in Cranston has been presenting a festival of one-acts every summer for some time. In fact, this year's festival, presented in two "waves," is their eighth annual production of this type. Each wave provides audiences with a different set of short plays, two very different theatrical experiences. While I did not get to see the first wave, the second is a mixed bag which, by the standards mentioned above, cannot be considered either a complete failure or a complete success.

BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Finds Hilarious Absurdity in THE MURDER ROOM
BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Finds Hilarious Absurdity in THE MURDER ROOM
July 22, 2013

One of the tricks to great satire, and great comedy in general, is the ability to play it straight. The ability, or talent, of acting as if what's happening is perfectly normal. As if the zany craziness is just another typical day, nothing out of the ordinary. There is much zaniness to be had, and a lot of playing it perfectly straight, to hilarious effect, in 2nd Story Theatre's production of The Murder Room. 2nd Story is spending the hot summer months showcasing some cold blooded murderers. The two plays they are showcasing in repertory, Mousetrap and The Murder Room, are prime examples of their type. One, Mousetrap, is a taught, suspenseful whodunit, written by the master of mystery herself, Agatha Christie. The other, The Murder Room, is a spot-on spoof of murder mysteries just like the one it shares a stage with. As dark, suspenseful and tense Mousetrap is, The Murder Room is equally hilarious and endlessly fun.

BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Pieces Together Entertaining, Mysterious MOUSETRAP
BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Pieces Together Entertaining, Mysterious MOUSETRAP
July 19, 2013

Typically, summer theater is a place for big, bright, fluffy musicals. Most summer stock theater companies fill their seasons with bright, cheerful musical theater extravaganzas, which is not a bad thing, not at all. Musicals can be a perfect lighter, summertime entertainment. On the other hand, it's also nice that some theaters provide an alternative to the typical summer theatrical fare. One such theater is 2nd Story Theatre in Warren, which is offering a unique pairing of shows. 2nd Story's 'Murder in Rep,' features not one but two murder mystery plays. But like any good murder mystery, there's a twist. The first show is Mousetrap, an Agatha Christie mystery which is also the longest running play in history. The second show, The Murder Room, is actually a spoof of thrillers just like the one it's sharing the stage with.



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