BWW Reviews: A NIGHT IN HAVANA

The night of May 30th was a very special one for Buzzards Play Productions, as upon the stage of the company's beautiful black-box theater was a special array of talent that did well to absolutely thrill those who came out to experience A Night in Havana. In collaboration with Music of the Bay and Cranberry Costal Concerts, this one night extravaganza of a concert brought together loyal theater patrons and newcomers alike for a wonderful cause: to raise money for Camp CCC, a performing arts summer organization located in Onset. Led by the very talented Michelle Bowlin (who served as half of a very impressive clarinet/piano duet performing "Habanera" from Carmen), this camp welcomes musicians and performers of all levels, grades 2-8, and teaches them to hone their musical abilities; scholarships are also offered, and this concert was able to raise money towards that fund.

Judging by the immense talent that graced the stage at the Wareham theater Saturday night, it is without doubt that Buzzards Play Productions founder Janice Rogers is beyond thrilled with her choice to treat this one audience to an eclectic and exciting selection of wonderful music from some very talented folks - an array of talent which, when put together, made all experience the wonders of A Night in Havana.

With the theme of 1950's Havana in mind, the stage is set with a pair of bongos stage left, two pianos sharing center and red curtains towards the back moving gracefully in the breeze as the first performing enters to begin the night's performance. The first half of the concert was dedicated to the youth of Camp CCC, allowing both staff and students alike the chance to showcase their musical talents and proving to the audience why this camp in particular is the place to be this summer; anyone who had doubts of this camp being the best was certainly put in their place!

The first to perform was Victoria Burgess, a student at Camp CCC whose angelic voice sang selections from The Wizard of Oz and My Fair Lady; later on she elegantly danced to a song entitled "Maria en la Playa," and with her entire performance did she demonstrate how great a performer she is, and how admirable it is for someone so young to already have such great talent. It truly is an inspiration to everyone to go out and join a dance class or take vocal lessons, and the next performer was no less convincing. Brandon Manter, a counselor/teacher at Camp CCC, treated the audience to a medley of "dream" inspired songs that were accompanied by him on the guitar. Again, such an amazing ability to not only possess, but also to be able to pass onto those who are younger and less experienced. He was beyond talented, but what is beautiful in my eyes is how what he knows will inspire others to strengthen their passion in the performing arts, as watching both of these performers can do nothing but peak one's interest in such a beautiful art form.

Next up was James Dolan, who should simply never stop playing the piano. His performance included more classical works by Chopin, then switching to the works of Cuban/Spanish composers Lecuona and Granados, ending with a whimsical selection composed by Kirk Whipple (you shall hear more about him sure enough!) which he performed without any sheet music in front of him. Watching James perform was mesmerizing as his fingers moved adeptly over the keys and played music that even experienced adult performers might have trouble with. To say that his performance was inspiring is an understatement, and anyone in the audience who ever contemplated at one point or another taking piano lessons was no doubt persuaded to do so after James' performance.

This camp must be doing something right to have such talented individuals as part of its team, and that no doubt includes the aforementioned, fearless leader of Camp CCC, Michelle Bowlin, who followed James' epic performance. The end of the first half of the showcase ended with Bowlin's very upbeat and fun clarinet/piano duet with Kirk Whipple, concluding the first "act" with a bang.

The second part of A Night in Havana focused on the bizarrely talented couple of Kirk Whipple and his wife, Marilyn Morales. Morales, a Cuban born musician, joined her comically witty husband Saturday night to give a breathtaking performance; making use of the two pianos that were just waiting for their time to shine, the two concert pianists wowed the audience (and even at times literally swept people off their feet in the form of an epic conga line) by performing an impressive repertoire of songs - some of which they composed together. The couple are the Executive and Artistic Directors of The Unconservatory and Cranberry Coast Concerts, have toured and performed in 32 states and abroad and have also released piano books of holiday arrangements and numerous CDs of their performances. If you have not already surmised, Satuday night's performance was truly something wonderful to behold.

Now, to play the piano is one thing, but watching both Whipple and Morales perform was something beautiful. The amount of energy needed to perform the fast paced music and make it exuberant and exciting looked physically exhausting, but the passion they put into their performance was unbelievable; there was massive applause each time, and it was well deserved. Not to mention that Whipple cracked a joke every few minutes, which made this very professional performance a bit funny, which makes everything better. What an honor it was to have both performers grace the Buzzards Play Productions stage!

Buzzards Play Productions should pat itself on the back for hosting this wonderful event, and no doubt there will be many people returning for other concerts to be held there, in addition to the theater's summer theater season which includes Shakespeare on Vacation, this time with a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Onset. Performances start in July, so be sure to check that out! Just be sure to keep this theater company in mind, as there is so much going on that you should certainly not miss out on. For more information on Buzzards Play Productions, please visit http://www.buzzardsplayproductions.com/.

So, whatever show you go and see next, enjoy! If they are anything like A Night in Havana, you'll have a wonderful time.

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