Godspell, Cain Park

This show, consisting of biblical parables and the lyrics of hymns set to rock and pop melodies, has been around for almost half a century. Still, many people never tire of it, probably because of the infectious energy with which it is usually presented.

Some naysayers might call it “spiritual Gruyere” (slightly pretentious cheese for the religiously inclined), or a cult training workshop (the wild-eyed devotion to a single individual’s every utterance, even Jesus Christ, can begin to feel a tad creepy at times). But naysayers be damned! (Not literally, of course.) This staging of Godspell at Cain Park’s Alma Theatre offers plenty of enjoyment along with the bite-size nuggets of behavior tips gleaned from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

It’s essentially a loose jumble of scenes that glide from one Gos-pearl of wisdom (“If a man steals your shirt, give him your coat.”) to another (“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also.”). But once the simple lessons are put to the music of Stephen Schwartz, it all takes on a patina of youthful innocence and universal love. We’ll leave our cynicism at the door, and pick it up again on our way out.

Co-directors Ian Wolfgang Hinz and Joanna May Hunkins throw everything into this mix—from audience participation via Pictionary and charades to non-stop running and dancing choreographed by Katie Nabors Strong. With some of the performers slipping down a half-pipe slide and dropping down on a fire station pole, the air is filled with smiling, amped-up performers who generate a definite feel-good vibe. To be honest, some of the parables are so inventively presented, the chopped up stories get a bit lost in the muddle of hyperkinetic staging.

It’s all led by Warren E. Franklin III as Jesus, clad in a “We are a Colony” t-shirt, in honor of Jim Brennan, the popular owner of Brennan’s Colony tavern in Cleveland Heights, who was killed one year ago in a robbery. Franklin is lean, limber and charming, with a warm singing voice. But his projection fades at times when speaking dialogue.

Each of the actors playing his apostles deliver stirring performances at times, even though they all wear pretty much the same Heaven’s Gate, true-believer grins from start to finish.

Among them, Douglas F. Bailey II generates some clever Jack Black-ish laughs, Treva Offut nails the mellow “By My Side,” and Eric Fancher pumps a lot of zazz into several of his characterizations. Scott Esposito lends his powerful baritone voice to the role of Judas, and Colleen Longshaw provides a reliable vocal foundation for show-stopping numbers such as “Bless the Lord” and “We Beseech Thee.”

It’s hard to resist the calories these actors are expending, supported by an able crew of musicians under the direction of keyboardist Jordan Cooper. And why bother to try? After all, as some say, a religion is just a cult with a century or so of history behind it. So relax, take in the up-with-people messaging, and ride the wave of these reliable tunes.

Godspell

Through June 28, presented by the City of Cleveland Heights at Cain Park, corner of Lee and Superior roads in Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3000.

A Little Night Music, Porthouse Theatre

(Left to right: Fabio Polanco as Fredrik, Terri J. Kent as Desiree and Jim Weaver as Count Carl-Magnus.)

There’s a lot of hanky-panky going on in this lush Stephen Sondheim musical, with an elegant and witty book by Hugh Wheeler. Set in Sweden around the turn of the 20^th century, it’s surprising that all these cool Nordic types are so hot to trot given the perpetual summer sun at this elevated latitude.

The talented Porthouse cast, under the direction of Sean T. Morrissey, gives this production a glossy texture that serves the material well. This includes an appearance by Terri J. Kent, producing artistic director of Porthouse, in the linchpin role of Desiree Armfeldt.

Suffice to say that pretty much every character in this upper-class Scandinavian community is eager for romance and the boffing that goes along with it. They’re all so focused on fitting their naughty parts into each other, it eventually feels like a horny Ikea assembly party, with lots of singing.

Here are the convoluted relationships in a big, messy nutshell: The older Fredrik is married to the 17-year-old virgin Anne, who is still virginal after 11 months of marriage, so blue-balled Fredrik visits Desiree, his former lover who offers him a pity boink. Frederick’s uptight son Henrik falls in love with his teenage step-mom while Anne herself is being schooled by her maid Petra, who’s been on Henrik’s tail, and then Desiree’s current man-toy Count Carl-Magnus gets wind of the relationship between Desiree and Fredrik while the Count’s acid-tongued wife Charlotte prods Anne to confront her hubby and Petra shares some time with the servant Frid and launches into her own fantasy.

As the night repeatedly smiles on these folks, love finds a way.  It’s all overseen by Desiree’s aged mother, Madame Armfeldt (Lenne Snively), who mostly sneers at the goings-on from her wheelchair.

Clear now? Of course not, and it really doesn’t matter that this is all a bit confusing. That’s because Sondheim’s glorious music is there to lubricate the proceedings, including the popular “Send in the Clowns.” Even if it takes you a while to plug into all the randy stuff, swathed in yards of luxe period costumes designed by S.Q. Campbell, it’s a journey you should be happy to take.

Standouts in the cast include Fabio Polanco, who struts his powerful vocal wares as Fredrik, a nubile Lucy Anders as Anne, and Kent in an often-affecting turn as Desiree. Shamara Costa is earthy as Petra and Jim Weaver postures pompously as the Count. Most of the laughs come from Amy Fritsche, whose Charlotte is a constant snarky delight.

Indeed, it’s a strong production from first to last, including the quintet that begins each of the two acts on a wave of Greek chorus-style singing, accompanied by conductor Jonathan Swoboda’s small but excellent string orchestra.

A Little Night Music

Through June 27 at Porthouse Theatre, Blossom Music Center campus, 1145 W. Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-672-3884.

Triassic Parq, Blank Canvas Theatre

There are two things most young boys are immensely interested in: dinosaurs and their own penises. And evidently, most males never completely lose their focus on those two objects of affection.

This is especially true with Triassic Parq, the Musical, now at Blank Canvas Theatre.  This almost-parody of the Jurassic Park movies delves into the dino culture of a similar fictional theme park, populated by all-female, test tube creatures (so there will be no unauthorized reproduction). But thanks to a wild strand of frog DNA, T-Rex 2 grows a penis, and the show goes off fully “cocked.”

Indeed, you might as well call this show “Triassic Phallus,” considering how dick-obsessed it is. The play’s grown-up boy creators—music by Marshall Pailet, book and lyrics by Pailet, Bryce Norritz and Steve Wargo—have a definite hard-on for “dude sticks.” And it’s all funny in a junior high locker room way, for a while.

But oddly enough, the whole enterprise loses some steam when it ventures into deep thinking. The dino leader, Velociraptor of Faith (Aaron Patterson), collides intellectually with the Velociraptor of Science (Eryn Reynolds), while the Velociraptor of Innocence (Weley Allen) gets confused in the process. Eventually, Innocence is boinked by the newly equipped T-Rex 2 (Neely Gevaart), a former female who now exhibits distressingly masculine traits.

If you laugh uncontrollably and repeatedly at dick jokes and chicks wearing strap-ons, this is the show for you. Just understand that the music is often of the nursery rhyme variety, and the lyrics are pretty basic. As T-Rex 2 laments (or celebrates?): “My beard will grow/I have no flow.”

As always, director Patrick Ciamacco keeps the pace sprightly and gets a lot out of his cast. Kate Leigh Michalski as T-Rex 1 and Gevaart have powerful singing chops. But Patterson is often hard to hear when speaking and Michael Crowley could do more to generate laughs as both the Mime-a-saurus and a putative Morgan Freeman narrator. Allen is a performer with immense magnetism and focus, and he almost makes you care about Innocence. But his singing voice too often veers into uncomfortable nasal regions. And at times, the ensemble singing is pretty brutal.

There are some stellar moments, such as two characters providing a remarkably concise definition of chaos theory, a cow dinner-on-a-string, and then there’s the staging of an orgasm that looks absolutely orgasmic. But this thinly-plotted Parq has a few too many one-note gags to remain fully erect for 80 minutes.

Triassic Parq, the Musical

Through June 27 at Blank Canvas Theatre, 78^th Street Studio, W. 78^th Street, 440-941-0458.

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea, Cleveland Public Theatre

(Kalim Hill as Dontrell)

Family legacy is a biggie for some clans, especially when their history has been as tortured as it has been for African-Americans. The result of this can be seen in most cities and towns in America, where some young black men clearly have a hard time connecting to the more inspiring stories of their forebears.

That is not the problem for the title character in Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea, an interesting and evocative play by Nathan Davis. Dontrell Jones III is a high-achieving young man on the brink of going to Johns Hopkins University on a full ride. But he has become entranced by the dream-story of his ancestor who jumped to his death off a slave ship. And he wants to pursue that dream, so he can experience and understand it as viscerally as possible.

This production by CPT offers stunning images thanks to Todd Krispinsky’s scenic design, featuring weathered planks and a Transformer-like set change, and luxurious, pulsing lighting design by Benjamin Gantose. And the seven-person cast, under the direction of Megan Sandberg-Zakian, is consistently superior, crafting distinct characters from Davis’ words.

As Dontrell prepares for his sojourn into the briny deep, he asks his cousin Shea (a pitch-perfect Laprise Johnson) to find him some scuba gear. Then he decides to teach himself how to swim by throwing himself into the deep end of a nearby pool. Fortunately, he’s rescued by a white lifeguard, Erika, who has family issues of her own. We learn about these in a scene that feels a bit forced, a “trust game” that she and Dontrell play before they get busy under the stars.

Back at home, the Jones family and one longtime buddy (Robby, played by an amusing Johnathan L. Jackson) are at various stages of confusion regarding Dontrell’s plans. His sister Danielle (Shayla Gordon) is snarky but loving, while his mom Sophia is stupefied and worried. The dad, Dontrell Jr., is mostly occupied watching TV, but he participates enough in the family discussions to give Dontrell plenty to think about.

As the parents, Sheffia Randall Dooley and Joseph Primes hit all the right notes, with Dooley getting all up in her son’s face about his crazy notions and Primes bellowing like a wounded lion from his den. His speech defending his wife for her protective nature towards their son gets a maximum “5-goose bump” rating.

As Erika, Rachel Lee Kolis does well with a part that feels underwritten and a bit rushed in its overly-efficient reveals of her past. Kalim Hill is exceptionally affecting as Dontrell, capturing the innocent desire of this young man to connect with his past. But due to some inconsistent enunciation and hurried passages, a few of his lines disappear into the ether.

For all the trappings of a new age theater—minimal set pieces, interesting aural design with actors providing many sound effects, fluid movement and even dance—this is for the most part a traditional “kitchen sink” play. The domestic situation is one any of us can relate to, especially when Dooley and Primes go at each other in a heated argument.

Towards the end, when Erika helps make Dontrell’s dream come true and the stage transforms, it’s a magical moment. Too bad that glow is dulled somewhat by some repetitive actions and aimless dialogue before the glorious, uplifting conclusion.

Indeed there are still some wrinkles to be worked out in this show, which is a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere—the play is being produced in roughly the same time frame in multiple cities by different local theater companies. It’s an exciting way to foster the growth of emerging playwrights, and Dontrell is a play well worth your time.

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea

Through June 6 at Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Avenue, 216-631-2727.

The Turing Machine, Theater Ninjas

Alan Turing has been enjoying quite a run in the past couple years, what with the movie The Imitation Game copping an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and Benedict Cumberbatch setting hearts a-flutter as the introverted and closeted Turing.

Sure, Turing probably saved more Allied lives than any other single human being during World War II, by using his primitive yet powerful computational machine to crack the Nazi’s Enigma code. But his other enduring legacy is as the father of the modern computer.

This is the part that fascinates Jeremy Paul and Ray Caspio, the authors of The Turing Machine, now having a short run produced by Theater Ninjas. With Paul directing and Caspio the only performer, the show is tight and often captivating.

However, the premise of the play presents a difficulty. The playwrights want to focus more on the Turing machine (his computer) rather than the man. Granted, this is an interesting intellectual exercise: Does such an intelligent machine think? Does it have a spirit, a soul? Or is it just matter. And (as the play itself wonders) does that even matter? Is it only humans who can be the subject of their own thoughts, or will machines be able to do that? Intriguing stuff.

The trouble arises from the fact that the audience is made up of carbon-based life forms that naturally gravitate to other human beings. We want to know their stories. Perhaps when computers can arrange their own transportation and go out for an evening and see a play, they will be more interested in the machine.

Some of the fiercely intelligent 90-minute script whips by at a blindingly rapid broadband pace, leaving those in the audience who are still at dial-up listening speed lost in the connectivity dust. The non-linear script touches on aspects of Turing’s life, and even deigns to give some direct exposition about his life—from his birth in 1912 to his fairytale-inspired suicide by poisoned apple in 1954.

The production is quite handsome, with engaging projections flashed on 13 mini-screens and across the whole set, designed by T. Paul Lowry. And the electronic sound design by Eric M. Gonzalez punctuates many moments effectively.

Unfortunately the play’s biggest asset, Ray Caspio, is a bit camouflaged in Paul’s direction. He is often hidden in shadows, peering through a gas mask, or speaking while not looking at the audience. Sure, we get that we’re supposed to be more interested in the computer, but it’s hard to relate to a disembodied voice and some projected flashes of computer innards. Caspio is a riveting, often almost magical performer, and it’s a shame he has to take a back seat in a show where he is the only person on stage.

The play makes the point that Enigma was broken due to human behavior: The Nazis insisted on beginning their daily messaging with obligatory “Heil Hitlers,” and that allowed the code breakers at Bletchley Park to get a starting point for their efforts. In a similar way, the humans in the audience pose a challenge for this play. That is, we have a fatal flaw, we want to know about people, not machines.

One hopes the fertile and innovative minds at Theater Ninjas will find a way, as they continue their search, to exploit that particular human quirk and use it to explore the compelling ideas at work in this play.

The Turing Machine

Through this Sunday, May 24, produced by Theater Ninjas at the 78^th Street Studios, 1300 W. 78^th St., theaterninjas.com.

PREVIEW: "Dirty Pop: The Millennium Mixtape"

("Dirty Pop," in semi-grimy rehearsal)

Did you ever wonder what local musical theater performers sing in the shower, when they’re not crooning ditties from West Side Story or Urinetown? Well, that question will begin to be answered on Sunday, May 24 when the Cleveland Stage Alliance produces “Dirty Pop: The Millennium Mixtape” at the Bop Stop.

Co-produced by Eric Thomas Fancher and Joanna May Hunkins, this is the first of what will be an on-going series of vocal concerts celebrating various aspects of the pop culture. As Fancher says, “We want to produce these concerts quarterly, using local Equity and non-Equity performers. These events will be similar to the very popular concerts in New York City that feature stage talent, one called ‘Broadway Sings’ and another that takes place at 54 Below.”

This inaugural concert will take us all back to the days when we weren’t sure if our computers would crash as the year 2000 rolled over. The songs will pay tribute to that era, with new arrangements of songs by Christina Aguilera, The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and more.

Some songs on the menu include “Bootylicious,” “Lady Marmalade,” and “I Want It That Way.” According to Hunkins, “The songs will be performed by 17 talented singers in new arrangements by musical director Jordan Copper. And since some of the arrangements will be quite different, we’ve borrowed the phrase ‘Dirty Pop’ from the NSYNC lyric and used it as the title for this show.”

Since the Bop Stop is now owned by the Music Settlement, all bar proceeds will help fund music scholarships.  So, drink up! Subsequent concerts will be staged at different venues and explore music in many genres such as disco, jazz, Disney, maybe even The Muppets.

The Cleveland Stage Alliance is an organization dedicated to providing theatergoers with up-to-date information regarding any and all locally produced theatre in the Northeast Ohio region (clevelandstagealliance.com). The Music Settlement offers music therapy, early childhood instruction and music instruction to people of all ages and levels of experience in the area (themusicsettlement.org).

“Dirty Pop: The Millennium Mixtape”

Sunday, May 24, 8-10:30 PM

The Bop Stop

2920 Detroit Avenue

Tickets: $15

Advance ticket purchase strongly recommended:

http://themusicsettlement.org/calendar/2015/05/24/cleveland-stage-alliance-dirty-pop-bop-stop

The Glass Menagerie, TrueNorth Cultural Arts

(From left: Isabel Billinghurst as Laura and Anne McEvoy as Amanda)

Gas is pretty cheap these days (relatively speaking), which is why you should invest some of that bargain-priced petrol in a trip to Sheffield Village to catch the last weekend of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

It is an elegantly-tuned production of this iconic script, a memory play that hides brass knuckles inside Williams’ poetic lines. As directed by Fred Sternfeld, this Menagerie is not overdone or undercooked. The characters pulse with honest, well-earned humanity and it is an untrammeled pleasure to watch these four actors negotiate the tiny, claustrophobic world of the Wingfields.

As matriarch Amanda, Anne McEvoy is delicate and understated, not as flamboyant as Amanda is sometimes portrayed. But McEvoy’s Amanda is equipped with the uncompromising will and crushing intent of a Prussian army battalion in full military gear. As she quietly berates and corrects her grown children Tom and Laura, the audience twists and contorts in involuntary response to this charming, southern force of nature. McEvoy has never been better.

Keeping pace with her is Corey Knick as the poet Tom, a lost soul trapped under the hazy glass bowl that is the recollection of his mother’s suffocating presence. Knick and Sternfeld veer away from having Tom be Tennessee-light and make him a gentle, tormented soul who narrates the play in a soft, Missouri accent that lulls you into his memories.

Much of the angst swirls around Tom’s older sister Laura (a fragile and sweetly tragic Isabel Billinghurst), who is hampered by a limp and an inability to deal with the outside world. So mom is focused on finding her a beau, and at this time (during the Depression) that begins with having a “gentleman caller.” So the second act is built around the dinner visit of Jim O’Connor, Tom’s friend from work who used to know Laura in high school. As Jim, Jeremy Jenkins has the look of an ex-jock gone to seed, since the real world has stomped on his dreams of success.

Indeed, this is a play about people who can’t deal with reality, and this production manages to find that truth without resorting to unreal characterizations. Like the empty frame that holds what is supposedly the smiling portrait of the deceased Mr. Wingfield, this Menagerie isn’t bold or obvious. It works its magic in the shadows, in the glint from characters who are as vulnerable as Laura’s precious glass figurines.

Don’t miss it.

The Glass Menagerie

Through May 17 at TrueNorth Cultural Arts, 4530 Colorado Ave., Sheffield Village, 440-949-5200.