Amy Zipperer - Page 4

Two-time Tony Award nominee Christopher Sieber is back in Atlanta where he's taking on the roles of Dr. Pangloss and The Narrator in Leonard Bernstein's 1956 operetta, Candide, a collaboration between Alliance Theatre and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. BroadwayWorld caught up with Christopher Sieber to talk about the project.

Sordid Lives, a dark comedy by Del Shores, is playing at Out Front Theatre Company this month. BroadwayWorld caught up with T.K. Habtemariam, an Atlanta-based actor who plays Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram in Out Front's upcoming production, to talk about the show. I haven't seen this show before, but I've done a little bit of reading. So, it's about a woman named Peggy who trips over her lover's wooden legs in a hotel room and dies. Yeah. Exactly. And it's funny that her name is Peggy, too. It is? Yeah. I mean, because the fact that she dies because of the wooden legs. Peg-gy. That's really funny. I'm interested to know how your character figures into this story. Brother Boy…Earl Ingram… probably was a little bit before his time, and at the age of 18, he was kicked out of his household for being one big old queer boy. And he was actually put into a mental institution for wanting to either impersonate women or for liking someone of the same sex. And, essentially, back when I was 18, I had a friend named Wardell, and he found out that I had a crush on hi, and he beat me up to a bloody pulp, and my mother, Peggy, who ends up tripping over her lover's wooden legs, put me in a mental institution because she believes the world is not ready for me and my place in this world. But Wardell, 20 years later, ends up busting me out of the mental institution. This is kind of interesting because when I read about the show online, it sounded like a straight silly comedy, but now it sort of sounds like it tackles some real issues. Oh, it's definitely a black comedy, and it definitely tackles a lot of issues. It's traditionally an all-white cast, and we color-flipped the main family, and we've kind of found ourselves in a new definition of the kind of topics that it tackles It was written in the 90s, and it kind of reflects the Southern mentality form the 90s, but now that we're putting it in the context of a black family, there are so many other social issues that are underlying that wouldn't have been beforehand. That was one of the questions that I was going to ask was how the story has changed because of this casting. This is the first all-African-American cast ever, right? Yes. It is. And it's such an honor for me to say I'm the first African-American Brother Boy because Leslie Jordan originated the role, and I remember seeing this movie in high-school and revisiting, I was like "Oh, my goodness. I actually did see this movie." And it is definitely a fantasy in the sense of what anyone of color could get away with. If there was anyone who was queer and of color in a mental institution for being gay, I don't know if that person would still be alive. And Wardell, who busts into the mental institution, comes in with a gun and busts me out, and we both tell this white lady to get the hell out of this place. If that were to happen in the 90s in South Texas, I promise you they wouldn't be alive. And, you know, it does bring in the idea of the interracial relationship, but that's kind of at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to all of the other issues that we cover. Even though I would like to say that Brother Boy has access to mental healthcare and someone who's queer and of color…that's kind of like the last group of people who get healthcare. And also there are moments where black women talk back to white men. There are moments when a black woman tells off a white man. There are moments, when it comes to social diversity back then… You know, we think of period pieces like To Kill a Mockingbird where we are so used to saying, "Okay. Well, at this time, black people were called niggers, so we're just going to have to expect it, you know?" But when it comes to things like I'm a black male in a mental institution for fantasizing about country queens like Tammy Wynette, and I do believe that my character would probably identify as a trans person but back then "trans" wasn't in our vocabulary, so there's the interesting discussion there to happen. So, it just kind of flares up a lot of things that couldn't have happened back then, but today we're using theatre as a way to tell a story that probably wouldn't have ever happened to bring up discussions today. We've had lots of conversations as a team about what these things mean to us today, and a lot of things have to be dug up. For instance, there's a line where a character calls somebody a mulatto. When we think of a white-trash family, we kind of accept the fact that they're going to poke fum at somebody being mixed, but how does it look when a white person says that to a black person? There have been some modifications, of course, with the generosity of Del Shores, where we've kind of said, "Can you rework this or find a way to make this…" And he was into that? He was willing to make those changes? Oh, yeah! He had to think about the script and rework it and rewrite some lines. There are some lines where - I am a black person, and we have to take into consideration that I wouldn't just idolize Tammy Wynette, you know? There are so many other queens at that time. We found moments where I can bring up Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner because that would be reflective of the culture and of the time. When you first auditioned for the role, what was it about the role that really resonated with you? I think that number one is my character type. You always have to think about what kind of roles you are peaked for, in all honesty. I'm usually someone who's taking someone down or who is being taken down. My character-type is the "betrayer" or the "betrayed." And Brother Boy is that kind of character. And then, I do drag as a little side passion project here in Atlanta, and I work with a predominantly queer POC group called Southern Fried Queer Pride, and I've had opportunities to perform in drag, write drag shows, and the play is kind of an amalgamation of both theatre and drag. And it's a cult classic role! Why wouldn't I want to be a part of it? And once I started meeting my castmates and we had rehearsals and what not, the bigger picture started panning out and I stated to see, "Oh, okay. This is what this is really all about." Do you have any projects coming up this summer that we need to know about? There's a passion project that I'm working on. It's kind of like the second installation of it. It's called Weavestock, and it's going to be through Country Fried Queer Pride. It's going to be hopefully happening sometime in August, and it's a project that I'm writing, directing, and being a part of. It's kind of like a play on Woodstock and Wigstock, a phenomenon that happened in New York in the late 80s and early 90s. Lots of drag icons used to perform at Wigstock. Weavestock is basically a celebration of all-black drag. It moves like a jukebox musical where there are written scenes with drag performances. A lot of times, you know, you have to create your own opportunities. Right now, I'm working on cultivating my writing skills and my directing skills and just hoping to create more opportunities for myself herein Atlanta. Sounds like you're on the right track! Looking forward to seeing the show.

The Flower Room, a world premiere by Atlanta-based playwright Daryl Fazio, is as good as it can be.  The acting is fine.  The direction is adequate.  The set by Kristina White is superior. Unfortunately, the script, which was showcased last year in the AE Threshold Festival of New Plays, is seriously undercooked, making this an evening of theatre with little intellectual or emotional payoff.  

The Alliance Theatre is making another stop on the road, this time at the Fulton County Southwest Arts Center where they're presenting a pair of one-act plays, Hospice and Pointing at the Moon, both by celebrated playwright Pearl Cleage.  BroadwayWorld caught up with Pearl Cleage to talk about her work. 

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a musical farce based on the 1988 film of the same name, opened on Friday evening at Atlanta Lyric Theatre, and despite the fact that the book by Jeffrey Lane doesn't manage the governing tension of the story as well as its film predecessor and that the music by David Yazbek is mostly forgettable, the production represents a decidedly successful outing for the Atlanta Lyric Theatre. A great cast, boasting standout performances by Chase Peacock in the role of Freddy Benson and Jessica De Maria in the role of Muriel Eubanks, and designed-to-impress choreography by Lauren Brooke Tatum provide all the makings for a fun evening at the theatre.

Maytag Virgin, a Southern drama by Audrey Cefaly, is making its Southeast regional premiere at Aurora Theatre this month, and BroadwayWorld sat down with director Melissa Foulger to talk about the production.

Halloween month brings with it some of our favorite things. Jack-o'-lantern carving. Falling leaves. Pumpkin spice well everything. And it also brings with it one of Atlanta's most buzzed-about spooktacular events: The Sleepy Hollow Experience at Serenbe Playhouse. Now enjoying its fifth season, The Sleepy Hollow Experience perfectly showcases Serenbe Playhouse's incredible adeptness at creating unforgettable site-specific theatre. The production, recognized in 2014 as one of the Top Five Halloween Plays in the Country, deserves both the national recognition as well as the sold-out crowds that flock to The Horseman's Meadow in Serenbe each year for a chance to see Washington Irving's Headless Horseman come to life. This year, with its dazzling cast pillared by Brian Clowdus's fantastic adaptation, it's must-see theatre that'll leave you feeling delightfully freaked out.

David Harrower's celebrated 2005 play, Blackbird, is coming to 7 Stages Theatre. The play, which The New York Times lauded for its powerful emotional nakedness, tells the story of Una, a young woman, who shows up at the office of Ray, her former lover, who, after having been imprisoned at the age of 40 for his illicit relationship with the 12-year-old Una, has tried to make a new life for himself. A new name. A new relationship. Needless to say, Ray's not that excited when Una pops up 15 years later to rehash the details of their former love affair after seeing his picture in a trade magazine. BWW recently caught up with Rebeca Robles to chat about her turn as Una in the self-produced run.

Young playwright Kate Hamill is the best thing to happen to Jane Austen since Colin Firth. Her wonderfully witty and whimsical adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility are the best stage adaptations of Austen's work to date. Anyone who saw Bedlam's rapturous production of Sense and Sensibility that landed at the Gym at Judson last year where it enjoyed extension after extension knows this. Hamill's adaptations are all about invention, about making a magical world that supports the condensing of a 400-page novel to a two-hour play. And that invention is tricky business. Synchronicity Theatre, with their production of Sense and Sensibility, have turned out a lovely and engaging production that offers up some excellent storytelling.

When the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love trotted away with seven Academy Awards, including one celebrating the original screenplay by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman, nobody could have been particularly surprised. The nimble script and lavish period design made it a veritable shoe-in for Oscar gold. Now, under the capable pen of Lee Hall, the stage adaptation, which made its much-anticipated premiere on this side of the pond at the Stratford Festival in 2016, is poised to enjoy a long and lively life in regional theatre. And we need no ghost come from the grave to tell us this. The Alliance Theatre's charming and well-acted production, running through September 24 at the Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University, tells the story of this play's prospects for an illustrious future as it adeptly showcases the play's delicious explorations of both the Elizabethan theatre and the craft of writing and previews the possibilities for inventive staging that the script welcomes.

In June, the New York Post reported that Colin Firth, who is rumored to have turned down the role of Henry Higgins in the upcoming, highly-anticipated 2018 Lincoln Center revival of My Fair Lady, might still be considering the role.  Just a few days ago, they claimed that Lauren Ambrose could be our next Eliza Doolittle. These recent tidbits come on the heels of at least a dozen other Post articles over the last several years speculating on casting and direction for the slow-starting revival.  And why does New York's love-to-hate chatterbox keep landing on My Fair Lady gossip?  For the same reason everybody else wants to hear it.  It's a story that we can't get enough of.  And why can't we get enough of it?  Easy.  We are obsessed with the familiar Pygmalion story:  boy meets plain old girl, boy molds plain old girl into new-and-improved perfect girl, boy is fabulously happy.  The thing that makes My Fair Lady a Pygmalion story that rises above its mythological predecessor, as well as many other pop culture retellings, is that the plain old girl in this one, once she is transformed into new-and-improved perfect girl, recognizes what she has lost in the bargain and actually holds the boy accountable for it.  That's a good story. A relevant story. An important story.  And Atlanta Lyric Theatre, in their current production under the direction of Scott Seidl, tells the story quite well.  With an excellent cast, led by popular Atlanta actor Galen Crawley in her gorgeous turn as Eliza Doolittle, and some of the best music to hit the Atlanta stages this summer, the production is definitely one to celebrate.

It's hot out at Serenbe Playhouse this month.  But the heat isn't coming from the oppressive Georgia-in-August sun.  It's coming from the racy and enthralling production of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret on display at the Kit Kat Club, a neon-framed outdoor cabaret club, complete with cabaret tables flanking a long runway stage, very scantily clad cocktail waitresses, and an elevated first-rate orchestra.  This impressive site-specific setting dazzlingly supports a talented cast, and celebrated visionary director Brian Clowdus, who takes on the role of The Emcee in this production, powerfully showcases the unsettling relevance of the beloved 1966 musical.

In our family album, there is a photograph of me at around 18 months old, and I'm crying. Though I have no memory of the moment that's been captured for posterity, I've been told that I had just gotten a smidge of dirt on my pink dress. I try not to think about this as I traverse the muddy embankment, heading for the forest clearing where Serenbe Playhouse's immersive, site-specific production of Robin Hood, a new adaptation by Rachel Teagle under the direction of Paul McGill, plays throughout the summer. I decline the bug spray at the check-in point. In retrospect, that's probably a mistake. I approach the clearing and find my seat on a wooden bench. In front of me, dozens of children have taken spots on the ground on appropriately Robin Hood-y colored blankets. It's clear to me that they are ready for a grand adventure. A little girl in yellow jelly sandals lies on her stomach with her chin propped in her hands. She is ready. A little boy with a cowlick doles out goldfish crackers from a plastic baggie to the children sitting near him. He is ready. They are all ready. And what they get is a very pleasant morning of theatre.

When Aurora Theatre announced that its 22nd season would open with a production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a production offered in partnership with Theatrical Outfit, screams of giddy delight could be heard in the Broadway-themed living rooms of theatre nerds all across Atlanta. The 2014 tuner, showcasing the only collaboration between musical theatre legends Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, seemed destined for Broadway, but, despite the mostly favorable reviews coming out of its premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse and its subsequent transfer to the Papermill Playhouse, a prime destination for shows on the Broadway fast-track, the production just never made it to the Great White Way. Given that disappointing history, it's safe to say that theatergoers' appetities have been whetted for regional premieres of this highly-anticipated musical, and this powerful production, with Justin Anderson at the helm, definitely satisfies those cravings.

Funny man John Cleese will take the stage for a conversation and Q&A after a special screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail on the big screen at Atlanta Symphony Hall on November 12 at 7:30 p.m. Cleese will tell stories of his life and career, and you may finally find out the air-speed of an unladen swallow. This promises to be one unforgettable evening.

The regional premiere of Eclipsed, Danai Gurira's play that opened at the Public Theater in 2015 to significant critical praise before transferring to Broadway in 2016, is currently running at Synchronicity Theatre through June 25. The play, which garnered six Tony Award nominations, tells the story of five Liberian women and their struggles to survive during the Second Liberian Civil War. I caught up with Tinashe Kajese, a notable Atlanta actor and the director of Synchronicity's production of Eclipsed, to talk to her about her experience with the show.

The live-action remake of Disney's Beauty and the Beast that opened in March of this year has made over $1 billion at the box office so far. That's nine zeros, which easily makes the film the highest earning movie musical of all time. And if all those gold coins in the studio coffers are any indication, there's something about this story that keeps us coming back. That something - let's call it the promise of a world where deep and meaningful connectedness between two lovers is built on important things like mutual interests and selflessness - is on full display at Atlanta Lyric Theatre in Robert Adams' production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which boasts a stellar cast as well as a buffet of delightful magic.

Funnyman Brad Zimmerman has come to 7 Stages Theatre in Atlanta with his critically acclaimed one-man show, My Son The Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy.  Zimmerman calls the show a hybrid.  Part stand-up.  Part theatre.  And the stand-up part is funny.  Really funny. That's not surprising given that Zimmerman has spent much of his professional performance career opening for comedy giants like Joan Rivers and George Carlin.  As the title suggests, a good deal of the comedy hinges upon stereotypes of the overbearing Jewish mother, and Zimmerman has realized a sharply honed portrait of his own Jewish mother that generates an abundance of laughter.  But this isn't what earns the show its most substantive praise.  The theatre part is what's particularly worthy of note, and, setting aside a few moments that fall a bit too far from the carefully drawn thesis of the piece which maintains that the best life is the one in which fear has not been an inhibitor of running after one's dreams, Zimmerman achieves a level of truth-bearing intimacy that makes this piece feel like a beautifully executed motivational speech. 

The summer months usher in all the things we love about summer in Atlanta: visits to the Atlanta Zoo, Braves baseball, evening strolls through the Atlanta Botanical Garden. This year, the summer months are also playing host to some of the best theatre offerings of the year, and there are so many that you might need help narrowing the playing field.

Brad Zimmerman is bringing his highly praised solo show My Son The Waiter:  A Jewish Tragedy to 7 Stages Theatre from May 18-June 18.