Though Julie Wilson was certainly not the first and by all means not the last great singer to have her heart stomped upon by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's 'Surabaya Johnny,' there is no one I can name more deserving to claim it as their signature song. (Okay, maybe Lotte Lenya, but you know that's a special case.) Though for many years now the 83-year-old beloved cabaret star has been singing songs less and less and speaking them more and more, there are few who can match her for painting vivid word pictures and bringing complex dramatic subtext to a lyric. With pianist Christopher Denny doing a marvelous job of softly supporting her many pauses and tempo changes, Wilson's crushing performance of Marc Blitzstein's translation, played to a pin-drop silent crowd on opening night of her new show at The Metropolitan Room, is an emotionally striking portrayal of a woman who can explode with anger at the mistreatment she endures from her faithless lover while moments later barely control a sob at the admission that she still loves him. Through the years I've seen Julie Wilson sing 'Surabaya Johnny' many times but her performance that night was the best I've ever seen or heard from anyone. (And as is typical of her modesty, she actually introduced the song by complimenting Donna Murphy's performance of it on Broadway in LoveMusik.) She follows it with a devilishly humored 'Mack the Knife' (also Blitzstein's translation) that builds so slowly and precisely that she goes through the entire song twice in order to hit the climax. I heard no complaints.
T. Charles Erickson News
Two River Theater Co. has decided-due to popular demand-to extend their run of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by artistic director Aaron Posner. The show will now run until November 15, 2009.
Tony Award-winners Jane Alexander and Stockard Channing take the stage in the final show of 2009! From the acclaimed writer of Plenty, The Blue Room and Stuff Happens comes a powerful story of transformation. On a small island off the coast of England, two women with a shared history meet for the first time.
Tony Award-winners Jane Alexander and Stockard Channing take the stage in the final show of 2009! From the acclaimed writer of Plenty, The Blue Room and Stuff Happens comes a powerful story of transformation.
Ibsen's The Master Builder plays Yale Rep's University Theatre (222 York Street) through October 10, 2009. Translated by PAUL WALSH and Directed by EVAN YIONOULIS
The Lincoln Center Theater production of BROKE-OLOGY, a new play by Nathan Louis Jackson, directed by Thomas Kail will open on Monday, October 5, at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater (150 W. 65 Street).
The Breath of Life: Spiced to Perfection, and With Just the Right Blend of Ingredients
The Breath of Life: Spiced to Perfection, and With Just the Right Blend of Ingredients
Mark Lamos directs 'That Championship Season' at Westport Country Playhouse, his first production since being named artistic director in February 2009 at the historic theater in Westport, Connecticut.
Two classic American plays by iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights, two audacious plays by contemporary mavericks, a world premiere musical by one of America's greatest living singer/songwriters and the bonus option of a delicious spoof of a 1935 movie are set for Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum's 2010 season at the Los Angeles Music Center, it was announced today by Michael Ritchie, CTG's Artistic Director.
Artistic Director Nicholas Martin presented the final Nikos Stage show of the 2009 Williamstown Theatre Festival season, Caroline in Jersey by Melinda Lopez (Sonia Flew, Alexandros) and directed by Amanda Charlton (WTF Artistic Associate, Dissonance), which played August 5 through 16.
Closing the season is Quartermaine's Terms by Simon Gray. Tony-nominated director Maria Aitken (Broadway and West End's award-winning production of The 39 Steps) directs this production which will play in Williamstown from August 12-23.
The Torch-Bearers by George Kelly was the third production. Tony-nominated stage and screen actor Dylan Baker (November, Mauritius, Revolutionary Road) adapted and directed this production which played from July 29 through August 9.
Westport Country Playhouse will reunite six audience favorites---playwright Alan Ayckbourn, director John Tillinger, and cast members Paxton Whitehead, Cecilia Hart, Geneva Carr and Carson Elrod---in the classic comedy, 'How the Other Half Loves,' playing July 28 through August 15. Over the past two seasons, the popular team brought to the Playhouse the smash hit comedies 'Time of My Life' and 'Relatively Speaking.' Darren Pettie and Karen Walsh will round out the cast of 'How the Other Half Loves.'
Artistic Director Nicholas Martin presents the second Nikos Stage show of the 2009 season, What is the Cause of Thunder? by Noah Haidle (Saturn Returns, Mr. Marmalade) playing through August 2.
On the Main Stage at Williamstown Theatre Festival is True West, by Sam Shepard, directed by former Boris Sagal Directing Fellow Daniel Goldstein (Walmartopia, Godspell). True West opened July 15 and runs through July 26, 2009.
Artistic Director Nicholas Martin opened the 2009 Nikos Stage season directing the world-premiere of Knickerbocker by Jonathan Marc Sherman (Women and Wallace, Sophistry, Things We Want), which played July 8-19.
The Westport Country Playhouse and the Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) presented Children by A.R. Gurney.
Guthrie Director Joe Dowling, known throughout Ireland and the United States as a preeminent director and scholar of Brian Friel's work, honors the legendary Irish playwright's 80th birthday by returning to his acting roots to play the title role in this powerful play about faith healer Frank Hardy, his wife Grace and talent manager Teddy.
Beginning July 2009 Alley Theatre will produce Sherlock Holmes and The Crucifer of Blood during its popular ExxonMobil Summer Chills series. The perfect summer outing for Houstonians seeking a cool respite from the summer heat, ExxonMobil Summer Chills is a great way to introduce live theatre to first-timers, giving them an opportunity to thrill in suspenseful moments and unexpected revelations.
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