You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12, http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
by Becca Kidwell
Our continuing look into the artists of The Cabaret Series.
Full Name: Cheo Bourne Continue reading
Jan
30
Category Archives: Interviews and Articles
Jan
26
PROFILES IN CABARET: Kami Rushell Smith
You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12, http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
by Becca Kidwell
As the members of The Cabaret Series prepare for their next show, they took a few minutes to share a few of their interests and passions with us. Continue reading
Jan
24
Life is a cabaret, old chum
You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12,
http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
Interview by Becca Kidwell
(Cambridge, MA) On December 12, 2011, while many people were decking the halls and looking for luminescent reindeer, a group of people gathered for a warm evening of song with friends and family. Much laughter and a few tears were shared as the five singers, the pianist, cellist, and drummer poured their hearts into an entertaining set of songs. The December audience will have a new evening of heart-filled melodies on February 13th. For those who did not make the December show, they will get to see what everyone was talking about as The Cabaret Series takes on love in all of its forms.
De’Lon Grant answered some questions about the inception of The Cabaret Series and the group’s approach to the shows: Continue reading
Nov
03
A Night At The Opera (a primer)
Boston Lyric Opera 2010/2012 Season. Puccini's Tosca. Floria Tosca (soprano Jill Gardner) makes a drastic decision to protect herself and her love from Baron Scarpia (bass-baritone Bradley Garvin). Photo by Jeffrey Dunn for Boston Lyric Opera © 2010.
Feature by Gillian Daniels, Interview with Julie House of the Boston Lyric Opera by Becca Kidwell
Opera remains one of the most intimidating arts of western culture. It’s a beautiful art, though, one where grand epics and tragedies are played out on stage and human stories are set to songs greater and better than the daily drudge of reality.
Yet much more widely embraced among North American theatergoers is the musical, opera that has evolved in the past hundred years with more speaking parts and often more contemporary settings. Musicals aren’t always lighter fair, but they are seen as more accessible than opera. Continue reading
Mar
05
What’s Happening at the Boston Lyric Opera: Agrippina
(copy of press release–working on article about opera, but it will not be ready by the time their show starts & I want you to have the information)
Oh, the depravity!
Boston Lyric Opera goes Baroque with elegant, insidious Agrippina
Caroline Worra stars in satire of the fall of the Roman Empire, opening March 11
Production features three countertenors: Anthony Roth Costanzo,
David Trudgen and José Alvarez
WHAT: Witness the ultimate stage mother have a major melt-down in one of opera’s most intense “mad scenes,” as she plots to make her son Nero Emperor of Rome in BLO’s production of Handel’s fast-paced Agrippina. This light and frothy opera with insidious undertones is based in historical fact, weaving the twisted tale of a mother’s desperate scheme to remove her husband from the throne and elevate her spoiled teenage son…creating a complicated intrigue of shifting alliances and turning the Imperial court into a nest of elegant vipers.
This classical yet modern production, created by Glimmerglass and New York City Opera, features exciting debuts and is the third in BLO’s 2010-2011 Season; it will be presented at the Citi Performing Arts CenterSM Shubert Theatre. Three countertenors, a five-piece continuo group and an elevated orchestra pit built specifically for the production will immerse the audience in a uniquely Baroque experience. Continue reading
Dec
28
The Problem With Previews–Version 2.0
by Becca Kidwell
[This is based on the article I wrote in November, but then deleted because I did see the production after its opening and I wanted the theatre to have the opportunity to have a successful show, if warranted, without prejudice.]
Preview performances are not a new invention in the theatre. In fact, although I could not find the origin, I have found news articles dating back to the 1900’s regarding theatre previews. Most theatres will agree that “preview week is about nuance. For the creators, cast and crew, the seven [preview] performances will be a chance to fine-tune before the official opening night four days from now. They will make changes during the day and try them out at night before an audience.”1 However, that definition allows for flexibility and abuse to the detriment of the audience. Continue reading
Nov
09
THE FARCE IS WITH HIM: An Interview with Brian McEleney
pictured (left to right): Fred Sullivan Jr., Brian McEleney, Anne Scurria and Mauro Hantman in Twelfth Night, directed by Brian McEleney at Trinity Rep. Set designs by Eugene Lee, costumes by William Lane, lighting by John Ambrosone. (Photo: Mark Turek)
by Becca Kidwell
In these harsh economic times, it is difficult to imagine having the same job at the same company for twenty-six years. It is even more difficult to imagine having a theatre job for longer than the run of one show. Brian McEleney of Trinity Rep has done both. This year, he continues his joyful romp through life as director of Trinity Rep’s productions of Absurd Person Singular and The Crucible and actor in The Completely Fictional—Utterly True—Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe.
Although he did a few plays in high school, it was not until college when he started to think about a theatrical career. As a senior at Trinity College (where one of his classmates was Anne Scurria—now a fellow company member), McEleney was accepted to Yale and “that convinced me that this could be a serious career, and I’ve done almost nothing else ever since.” He first taught at Princeton University and The Bread Loaf School of English. Since 1981, he has taught at Trinity Rep and is currently the head of acting for the Brown/Trinity M.F.A. Program.
With successful productions both in acting and directing, I ask him which he prefers:
“Hard to say which I like more; it’s kind of like asking which of your children is your favorite… However, preproduction work as a director is tremendous fun — thinking about the play, imagining what the production should look and feel like, finding big ideas that will tie the whole thing together. And also, when you’re directing, the dreaded labor of learning lines isn’t an issue. However, after the play opens you’re pretty much done. As an actor, I love the performing aspect — the fact that you get to do it eight times a week that you get a new chance every day to make it better and deeper. I love the athletic aspect of acting that you always have to be doing your absolute best and giving the play to a new audience every night.” Continue reading
