'The Totalitarians' puts a comic spin on dark future

By Katherine Beeson

In “The Totalitarians,” presented by The Constructivists at Interchange Theater Co-op, a seemingly simple election for a state office in Nebraska turns into so much more.

Penny, an energetic candidate struggling to find a platform, hires Francine, an almost-manic speech writer who views this campaign as her chance for a real political career. Francine’s path seems to be thwarted by Jeffrey, her physician husband, who wants a more traditional family life, complete with children. Jeffrey has issues of his own, as he bonds with Ben, a young patient whom he can’t bring to tell is dying of cancer. Ben is committed to his own cause and involves the doctor in his plan.

This play deals with many issues that resonant with our political climate today. Francine considers Penny stupid, one who speaks in word salads and is simply a “choice figurehead” for office. She continues to advance Penny’s campaign while she struggles with the limitations of her candidate.

Jeffrey, meanwhile, begins to buy into the strange ideas of Ben, who believes that Nebraska is on a path to become a totalitarian regime. The ending is a complete surprise.

The actors do a wonderful job and are totally invested in their characters. The actress playing Francine has been ill for a few performances and this part was played the night of the review by the assistant-director Rebekah Farr, who does a fantastic job. Maggie Marks (Penny,) Matthew Scales (Jeffrey) and Ekene Ikegwauni (Ben) complete the talented cast.

This show is frequently promoted as a dark comedy but this is not how I would describe it. It’s an intriguing story, to be sure, and does leave one questioning our future and the paths this country could be headed.

One other note: this show is for mature audiences. The Constructivists’ website does warn of many issues, including: strong language, violence and sexually graphic gestures and actions.

“The Totalitarians” runs through October 29.

Sunstone finds voice for silent era actress in 'What Was Lost'

By Katherine Beeson

Before I begin my review I need to say something. I have been involved in various aspects of theater for more than 25 years and when coming to review this show, I committed a horrible theatrical sin – I neglected to note that the show began at 7 pm and I arrived eight minutes late. In a small theater such as this, any disruption is magnified and I wish to apologize to the cast for my faux pas.

Sunstone Studios (127 E. Wells St.) opened its second show of the season with the intriguing, multi-leveled one-act drama “What Was Lost” by Steven Carl McCasland. It is the story of Broadway and silent screen actress Laurette Taylor as she reluctantly accepts and works to originate the part of Amanda Wingfield in

Tennessee Williams’ new play, “The Glass Menagerie.”

McCasland creates a plausible account of Taylor’s life at that time -- a heavy drinker since the death of her husband and facing a more sophisticated audience than her previous stage successes.

We encounter Tennessee, relatively unknown at this time, overseeing the rehearsals and brazenly rewriting pages, unsure of himself after a few theatrical missteps. The audience also discovers how the play’s title applies to many of its characters.

This cast does a fabulous job bringing these people to life. Leslie Fitzwater is a pure delight as Laurette Taylor, struggling with her demons as she attempts to move forward with her career. Cory Jefferson Hagen is marvelous as Tennessee, balancing the playwright’s verve and determination with the internal battles he is facing. The other actors – Alyssa Higley, Chris Hart, Ashley Ovideo and DeshawnA. Thomas are equally strong.

Tennessee Williams (Cory Jefferson Hagen), right, oversees a rehearsal of “The Glass Menagerie” with silent film star Laurette Taylor (Leslie Fitzwater), second from right, in a scene from Sunstone Studios “What Was Lost.” Also pictured are, from left, DeshawnA. Thomas, Alyssa Higley, Chris Hart and Ashley Ovideo.

This is a very tiny theater space and this show really works here. The audience is right there in Laurette’s apartment, at the play rehearsals and sharing a table with the actress and the ongoing temptation she may not be able to resist. This bond may have been lost in a larger venue.

Kudos to director Amanda J. Hull who has taken a talented cast and a strong, insightful play and created a beautiful theatrical experience.

“What Was Lost” continues through Oct. 22. Please note: Evening shows start at 7 p.m.; matinees at 2 p.m.

West Bend's 'Clue' leads to fun entertainment

By  Katherine Beeson

 You’ve played the game; you’ve watched the movie. Now you need to see West Bend Theatre Company’s “Clue on Stage.” Directed by Jim Johnson, this production is clever, funny and very entertaining.

Most people know the movie plot inspired by the iconic game – six strangers are invited to the home of Mr. Boddy and were asked to assume different identities – Professor Plum, Ms. Scarlet – you know the rest. Once there, the proper butler, Wadsworth, offers drinks and dinner and a promise that Mr. Boddy will explain what is going on.

Suddenly victims are dropping like flies and the six guests, plus the butler and the French maid, decide to find the killer before the police arrive.

Colonel Mustard (Duncan Doherty), from left, Wadsworth (Ben Johnson) and Cook (Gracie Rinehard) in a scene from West Bend Theatre Company’s “Clue on Stage.”

This ensemble cast does a fantastic job of making these caricature-like people very believable and a lot of fun to watch. Wadsworth is played by Ben Johnson (reminding me of a young Rupert Everett) and moves the guests and the show along with proper butler-like aplomb. Duncan Doherty manages to portray Colonel Mustard without going overboard on pomposity. The rest of the players are great in their roles.

I liked the creativity of the scene changes using unexpected movements and lighting.

The stage spaces used to indicate various rooms was also really effective. As “Clue” devotees remember, there are a variety of “it could have happened like this” scenes and the rewinds leading to each explanation were great.

Kudos also to Jan Westphal, listed as musical director and, I assume, the show’s pianist, for adding so much to the atmosphere of the evening at Boddy Manor.

General note to new patrons to the Theater on the Hill at UW-Washington County: the road signs, once on the campus, say to stay right, but you would be better to turn left to the “school days permit” parking lot for an easy entrance to the theater. Otherwise, you will end up in another large parking lot but will have to walk through the building’s halls without any “Clue” signage to let you know you are in the right place. (It’s a bit of a walk, then up the stairs, then head to the vending machines and turn left.)

“Clue on Stage” runs through Oct. 16.

First Stage’s ‘Arthur & Friends’ a fun, musical ride

By Marilyn Jozwik

First Stage’s “Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!” has the usual kid-friendly elements – an engaging mostly kid cast, upbeat music, plenty of silliness and a fun story. Khalia Davis is director and choreographer.

Along the way, there are a few very adult points made by the youngsters, giving the grown-ups in the audience something to think about and the kids maybe something to learn more about. There is also the unmistakable theme that our hero projects – just be yourself.

The story centers around Arthur (Vivian Madson), a third-grader in Mr. Ratburn’s (James Carrington) class. The class is tasked with putting on a musical and Arthur and his friends set out on different paths in their creations. Mr. Ratburn tells his charges to “put your heart into it,” in a snappy song, one of many bouncy, hummable pieces in the show. Arthur worries that his ordinary story about him and his dog does not compare with the flashier projects of his classmates. Arthur’s parents (SaraLynn Evenson and Zach Thomas Woods) convince Arthur that he is “Undeniable” in song and doesn’t need to be something he isn’t.

Arthur (Vivian Madson), center, discusses the class projects with his friends, from left, Brain (Charlie Cornell), Muffy (Silver Anderson), Buster (Ryon Davis) and Francine (Alice Rivera) in a scene from First Stage’s “Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!”

In the final scenes, Arthur and his classmates present their projects in some energetic, clever skits that the young audience appeared to enjoy.

Madson is as comfortable in the Arthur role as the cozy yellow sweater she wears. Her Arthur is unpretentious and likeable, and Madson engages wonderfully with the audience, as do all the characters in the intimate First Stage space. The young audience loved her animated re-enactment of Arthur’s alternate musical choice, a space adventure featuring the planet of Schmelephant complete with colorful storyboards, which drew lots of laughs.

All the youngsters in the Elwood cast were wonderful, totally prepared and energetic for the Saturday afternoon show we saw. As Arthur’s sister, D.W., Gia Love Deacon gets excited about extra-terrestrials and teases her “boring” brother in an offhanded way sure to resonate with anyone with siblings.

Arthur (Vivian Madson) talks to his sister D.W. (Gia Love Deacon) in a scene from First Stage’s “Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!”

Arthur’s classmates have unique personalities and display their interests in clever scenes with the whole cast. Alice Rivera as Francine is passionate about building a better world – especially for women -- questioning the fact that her town had “all boy mayors” and presenting a “Hamilton”-esque vignette on Anna Strong, a Revolutionary War spy. Buster (Ryon Davis) loves mysteries and his project features detective Ulysses Napoleon Baggypants (Woods), in clownish oversized pants. The number had a rousing big musical feel and the kids loved Woods antics.

Muffy (Silver Anderson) has such fun as the fashionista in the bunch and her scenes of costumes are a kaleidoscope of color, while Charlie Cornell as Brain affects a professorial tone as he waxes eloquent.

Mr. Ratburn (James Carrington) gets his class fired about their musical project with a rousing song in a scene from First Stage’s “Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!”

The adults (Carrington, Evenson and Woods) in the cast keep the same kind of energy and joy of performing as the youngsters. The young audience really enjoyed Carrington as the teacher, Mr. Ratburn, who could take a line and turn it into a laugh, like when the teacher discusses topics for the class musical: “It could be about … cake!” Just the right pause brought ripples of laughter.

The whole cast did a marvelous job with Davis’ choreography, which was totally in sync and snappy, and even had a few youngsters in the audience mimicking the hand gestures.

The show is fast-paced with lots of movement, some bouncy, rocking music and captivating performances to keep young and old audiences entertained. And maybe even learn a thing or two!

If you go

Who: First Stage

What: “Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!”

When: Through Nov. 6

Where: The Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water Street, Milwaukee

Info/Tickets: firststage.org; (414) 267-2961

Forte’s ‘Sound of Music’ a mountain of a production

By Marilyn Jozwik

Forte Theatre Company is presenting an ambitious production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s last and most beloved musical, “The Sound of Music.”

On opening night, we were treated to a spunky, sincere and talented Maria in Sarah Zapiain, a fantastic nun choir headed by the incredible Kathy Pyeatt as the Mother Abbess, and a huge handsome set in the grand Saber Center for the Performing Arts at Franklin High School. All the pieces are in place for a production befitting the timeless musical and its enduring love story, set during a time of national crisis.

The story of the wannabe nun falling in love with the handsome Austrian naval captain, Georg (Matt Specht), while she attends to his seven children in their opulent mansion, is well-known. Set in 1930s Austria, the stage play puts more emphasis on the politics of the time than the movie, showing both sides of the Austrian mindset – Capt. Georg von Trapp’s steadfast patriotism for his Austrian homeland, and his friends Max and Elsa’s insistence that the new Nazi regime is just a phase. This is playfully demonstrated in “No Way to Stop It” as Elsa and Max try to convince Georg that he should just try to get along with authorities after the Nazi takeover of Austria. The song was omitted from the movie.

Directed by Randall Dodge and under the musical direction of Paul Helm, this cast does a fine job of creating all the scenes we’ve come to know and love.

Mother Abbess (Kathy Pyeatt), center, leads the nuns at Nonnberg Abbey in singing “Maria” in a scene from Forte Theater Company’s “The Sound of Music.”

Zapiain starts off with a lilting, if a bit tentative, “The Sound of Music,” but seems to build up her own confidence as she sings “I Have Confidence,” which crescendos perfectly, showcasing her wide musical range and pitch-perfect, bright vocals. She goes on to embody everything audiences love about Maria, bonding nicely with the children, standing up to the stern captain and wrestling with her feelings as she struggles to know the right path to take in her life.

The children are a charming group, but we especially enjoyed Emma Hipp as the teen-aged Liesl. Her “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” with her beau, the handsome messenger Rolf (Brandon Engle), includes some pleasant vocals and a nicely executed medley of dances. As Kurt, Johnny Koniar is utterly delightful and impressive with his vocals.

But the real scene stealer is Ryan Jay as Max, Georg’s impresario friend. With his affected accent, confident strides, perfect comic timing and wonderful audience engagement, Jay takes total command of the roguish Max.  He gets maximum mileage out of all of Max’s charmingly arrogant lines, like when he arrives at Georg’s party and meets one of his children and says, “Tell your father it (the party) is sure to be a success. I’m here.”

Max and Elsa (Ryan Jay and Maya Danks) team up to celebrate the good life singing “How Can Love Survive” in a scene from Forte Theater Company’s “The Sound of Music.”

I also enjoyed the statuesque Maya Danks as Elsa, Georg’s fiancee. Danks exudes elegance and an air of wealth, sweeping around the stage in lovely gowns and cavorting with Max as they try to convince Georg to submit to the government after the Anschluss.

Pyeatt delivers a memorable “Climb Every Mountain” as Mother Abbess, her operatic voice effortlessly scaling the stirring piece. The nuns are a wonderful group, but especially notable are the nuanced comedy of Candace Decker as Sister Margaretta and the marvelous, full sound generated by the group in their solemn Latin numbers.

The canned music had the rich sound of a live orchestra, but a few abrupt cut-offs broke the mood. Unfortunately, more than a few sound miscues, including some fuzzy mic sound, sound cutting in and out, some performers without mic sound and even backstage “hot” mics in one pivotal scene, marred the opening night performance. There also was a child missing in one scene that the performers covered nicely. No doubt, these issues will be addressed in future performances.

The ample Saber stage gives the opulent von Trapp mansion a truly spacious feel. Especially in the nicely staged garden scene at the party, it offers great space for partygoers inside … and outside, where Georg and Maria dance the graceful Landler, which finds the pair realizing their love for each other.

If you go

Who: Forte Theatre Company

What: “The Sound of Music”

When: Through Oct. 16

Where: Saber Center for the Performing Arts at Franklin High School, 8222 S. 51st St.

Tickets/Info: www.ForteTheatreCompany.org; 414-366-3634

LCP's 'Cabaret' welcomes some new looks

By Katherine Beeson’

“Cabaret” is a multi-faceted, wonderful musical. Lake Country Players (LCP) opened their production Sept. 22 and used their tiny performance space to its full advantage. The staging was clever and minimalistic – and worked very well.

American Journalist Clifford Bradshaw comes to Berlin in the ominous times before World War II in order to write his novel. He meets British nightclub singer Sally Bowles and both their lives are shaken to the core by politics, professional and personal goals -- and a world about to change forever.

Sally works at the Kit Kat Club, where we encounter The Emcee. This role is one of the best characters ever to take the stage. People either remember Joel Grey as the tuxedoed host with sinister leanings or the more recent Broadway version with Alan Cumming as the raunchy Emcee with a tragic ending. Director

Kimberly Laberge went in a very different direction than either of these two representations.

LCP’s production stars Viktoria Feely as the host of the Kit Kat Club. When I read that this role was being played by a woman, I was intrigued to see what they were going to do.

Feely takes the stage as a very dominant, but definitely female presence. She wears heavy make-up, glittering earrings and a bustier with exposed cleavage; waist down, she sports metal chains, fishnet stockings and masculine boots. So while I’m really not sure of the reasons behind the dual sexuality, it does fit the mysterious aura that is The Emcee – and maybe that was the point after all. Feely, however, also brings a real anger to the role from the very beginning that belies her vocal invitation to “leave your troubles outside” and her description that here “life is beautiful.” The audience never has a chance to really enjoy the Kit Kat Club’s opening number “Willkommen” because Feely’s Nazi-like demeanor won’t let them do so. It seems like we were dominated by this ominous foreshadowing from the very beginning.

Laker Thrasher plays Sally Bowles in Lake Country Playhouse’s production of “Cabaret.”

The costumes of the club dancers also destroy the veneer and illusion that the Kit Kat Club is the place to enjoy a decadent, slightly-forbidden slice of life. They are tawdry, mismatched and often covered with odd see-through nightgowns or slips.

The role of Sally Bowles is played by Laker Thrasher, who, when compared to the Kit Kat Girls, appears more like a young Iowa farm girl than a sophisticated woman of the world. Her hair is simple with bangs falling in her eyes and she wears very little make-up. She never appears dressed as a true cabaret stage

star.

Both Feely and Thrasher have beautiful voices, but there was another staging choice here that marred their performances just a bit. Both singers dropped their volume so low at times that it became almost necessary to read their lips – and then just as quickly belted out their next line. The emotion or words did not justify this pattern and it really struck me as odd.

Maggie Wirth and Kyle Kramer play Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz in Lake Country Playhouse’s production of “Cabaret.”

A few of the Kit Kat Boys were played by women – also with female make-up, hair styles, fishnet stockings and cleavage. I understand very well that women play “pants” on stage when necessary, but I would rather see an attempt to portray them as the boys they are to be. It just didn’t fit.

The subplot in “Cabaret” is the shy love story between rooming house owner Fraulein Schneider (Maggie Wirth) and one of her tenants, grocer Herr Schultz (Kyle Kramer.) Wirth and Kramer shine in every scene they are in. Their songs are so sweet and touching and these actors have the audience in the palms of their hands. Kudos also to Anita Peña for her beautiful German rendition of “Married” during the proposal scene!

This show calls for the orchestra to be on stage for the entire time – and dressed to mirror the nightclub performers. Musical director (and conductor and pianist) Ashley Sprangers lined her costumed musicians against the back wall to conserve stage space yet delivered a full, rich musical production.

“Cabaret” productions have a number of options for ending the show and LCP presents a shorter, but rather powerful close to its story that affects the audience deeply.

Life will continue to be a “Cabaret” for the Lake Country Players through Oct. 9.

Next Act’s ‘Kill Move Paradise’ enters a world of hope

By MARILYN JOZWIK

What kind of emotions swirl in the minds of black men as they watch so many dying violently and unnecessarily in their neighborhoods? Why do their lives seem to be so dispensable? Why isn’t their humanity recognized? Why are people afraid of them?

All the angst and anger of these unanswerable questions are demonstrated with the language of a poet, the grace of a dancer, the beauty of the sung word, the physicality of an athlete, all with the intensity of a raging fire in James Ijames “Kill Move Paradise,” directed by Marti Gobel.

Next Act Theatre’s opening show of the season, “Kill Move Paradise” comes on the heels of many needless, violent deaths suffered by blacks, mostly men, in the last few years. At one point, the names of dozens of blacks whose lives have been snuffed out prematurely are read as they continue to come in on a teletype machine. Many are names that are familiar, including Trayvon Martin, Dontre Hamilton, George Floyd and Philando Castile.

Daz (Dimonte Henning) and Grif (Ibraheem Farmer) act out their emotions in a scene from Next Act Theatre’s “Kill Move Paradise.”

In “Kill Move Paradise,” a black man, Isa (Marques Causey), appears on a huge steel gray ramp – sort of like the super slide at State Fair – clinging precariously to the top until he finally slides down. One by one, three other black men appear over or through the ramp.

All are confused about how they got to this place. Just moments before they were doing the mundane – driving in a car, selling CDs, playing with kids in the neighborhood. What is this place they’ve been hurled into?  Daz (Dimonte Henning), the third to arrive, speculates, “could be heaven, could be hell.” Isa asks, “Which do you prefer?” Daz shouts at him, “I prefer to be alive!”

And so it is with the four, one just a kid, whose lives have been cut short so that now they await their “final destination.” All four peer into the audience shortly after they arrive, sometimes asking, “Am I scary?” or “Who are they?” or “Why are they here?” The scrutiny is disconcerting as each character carefully scans the audience, sometimes making a comment, maybe wondering whether this is the place of his final judgement.

The conversations are dense with emotion and stark language, like when Daz talks about what the abbreviated lives could’ve been with a rap-like litany or when the conversation turns to their legacy — sacrifice or martyrdom? They all had so much more to offer. Says Grif (Ibraheem Farmer), “I build, I make.” They consider what survival in life looks like: “I can make you immortal if you do what I tell you to do.”

Tiny (Joseph Brown Jr.) watches as Grif (Ibraheem Farmer), Isa (Marques Causey), and Daz (Dimonte Henning) desperately try to return to the world of the living in a scene from Next Act Theatre’s “Kill Move Paradise.”

A show with such an important message could’ve been a series of monologues, but writer ljames has so many theatrical skills that the show careens from one emotion to another, moving at the speed of light, sometimes with humor, song and creative movement. Passion and emotion aren’t words, they are screams and groans. They are desperate attempts to escape by negotiating the wall to get back to life. They are sometimes grotesque, sometimes beautiful, sculpture-like poses. They are pauses where there are just no words that will do.

There is hilarity as the quartet re-enacts old TV shows like “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “The Jeffersons” with ironic twists as they dial through Hollywood versions, stereotypes and myths of blacks. They plead to be seen as people deserving of note and respect, and not cliches. The young Tiny (Joseph Brown Jr.), holding the plastic gun he died with, pleads, “The gun is not real, I am.” He, too, is anguished at landing in the hereafter waiting room. “What can I do to wash away my sins?” he pleads.

Yet, there is hope as Isa describes “eventual rapture,” with encouragement like “Don’t give up, don’t lose heart.”

Daz (Dimonte Henning) comforts Tiny (Joseph Brown Jr.) in a scene from Next Act Theatre’s “Kill Move Paradise.”

This talented quartet of performers has so much to unpack in this show and they do so brilliantly, handling the physicality, the often-beautiful language – even some melodic harmonies and in-sync dance – with energy and passion.

The four have a fabulous set to help them with their journey, which features a production design by Next Act’s Artistic Director David Cecsarini (who will be leaving Next Act at the end of the season) and set construction by Mitch Schmidt and Mike Van Dreser. The three worked to create an incredibly imaginative set, with the ramp to the next world a focal point flanked by reminders of the world just departed, including a bicycle, TV, wheelbarrow, dart board, Pittsburgh Pirates cap, basketball, numerous photos and other items of lives once lived. Lighting and sound (Maaz Ahmed, and Kemer Gobel and Josh Schmidt, respectively) also enhance the space with bolts of lightning, sounds of thunder and other effects, while Freedom Gobel created some clever poses as movement choreographer.

Ijames’ story covers a lot of ground and maybe would have been even stronger with a narrower focus. Nonetheless, it is the kind of remarkable, thought-provoking theater that we have come to expect from Next Act.

If you go

Who: Next Act Theatre

What: “Kill Move Paradise”

When: Through Oct. 16

Where: 255 S. Water St.

Info/Tickets: nextact.org

WCT cast has a ball with updated ‘Cinderella’

By Marilyn Jozwik

Many beloved fairy tales are viewed through the clever, imaginative lens of Walt Disney, et al. Who doesn’t remember the fairy godmother whirling her magic wand turning mice to horses, a pumpkin to a carriage and the ill-clad cinder girl in rags to a beauty in the finest ball gown? It’s a lot of bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.

Waukesha Civic Theater isn’t able to perform those cinematic tricks in its season opener, but it does provide some pretty nifty stage magic. The show is directed by Mark E. Schuster.

In this updated Rodgers and Hammerstein version, with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane, Cinderella (Courtney Denzer), called Ella in this version, not only wants to go to the ball to see the handsome, marriage-seeking Prince Topher (D. Eric Woolweber), but to discuss with him the plight of the poor. She had met him previously, by accident, on the road, not knowing who he and had been impressed when she learned he was royalty, saying: “That man? A world leader? But he appears to have a heart, mind, and soul; it can’t be.”

The story takes a few other unfamiliar turns from previous versions, including a revolutionary Jean-Michel (Kevin J. Gadzalinski), who wants to help the poor. The prince has been duped by his mentor, the prime minister Sebastian (Bill Kirsch), into putting oppressive laws affecting the less fortunate into action.

Ella (Courtney Denzer) and the Fairy Godmother (Alexa Farrell) share a son in a scene from Waukesha Civic Theatre’s “Cinderella.”

Ella also has an ally in her stepsister Gabriella (Kyla Halquist), who grows fond of Jean-Michel and his fight for justice, much to the dismay of her mother (Beth Kaye Burrows for the Sept. 10 show), who had hoped for a higher place in society for her daughter.

The theme of social justice drifts through the show, giving characters more dimension and purpose, but not without plenty of humor and wit and, of course, lovely R&H tunes. And there is magic, as clever costume designs and lighting turn the plain Ella, as well as her fairy godmother (Alexa Farrell), into beautiful creatures. Yet, there is also magic in the incredible performance of Farrell as Marie, the dotty old woman who turns out to be Cinderella’s fairy godmother. As Marie says, “Actually, I’m everyone’s fairy godmother, but you’re the only one who has given me charity, generosity and kindness.”

Ella (Courtney Denzer), second from left, and her step-family, from left, Gabrielle (Kala Halquist), Madame Clare Malinowski and Charlotte (Abby Rasmussen) sing about their night at the ball in “A Lovely Night” in a scene from Waukesha Civic Theatre’s “Cinderella.”

Farrell fills the stage with hilarious mumblings and grumblings as the bent, old, ragged Marie and turns gloriously into the fairy godmother with total command of the role with an elegant bearing, broad gestures and a magnificent voice that rises and reaches to the farthest seats in the theater. She deadpans perfectly when asked about her elegant attire: “You’d be surprised at how many beautiful gowns have crazy women in them.”  Just an incredible, scene-stealing performance.

Denzer follows up a marvelous turn as Sophie in WCT’S “Mamma Mia!” with the starring role in “Cinderella.” And she brings the same likeable sincerity, crystal clear vocals and engagement to her Ella role as well, plus adding lots of spunk and a can-do attitude. In the charming “In My Own Little Corner,” she sweeps effortlessly over the stage, imagining herself traveling to all sorts of exotic countries. She segues into a delightful “Fol-De-Rol” and “Impossible,” frolicking with Marie as she describes the transformations in the offing.

Woolweber as Topher (short for Christopher) is suitably regal, yet far from arrogant, in his earnest portrayal of the sometimes clueless prince who Ella helps to school on how to lead his people.  He and Denzer blend nicely in perhaps the most memorable R&H tunes, “Ten Minutes Ago” and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” Their characters grow as they realize their ideas on charity and community service fit as well as her glass slippers.

Lord Pinkleton (Keith R. Smith) makes a pronouncement for Prince Topher in a scene from Waukesha Civic Theatre’s “Cinderella.” Also pictured are ensemble members, from left, Thomas Hess, Lily Krehbiel, Sheila Gimenez, and Ryan Vanselow.

Another marvelous performance is Abby Rassmussen’s Charlotte, the rude, judgmental stepsister who hilariously whines her way through her perceived slights, especially in the crowd-pleasing “Stepsister’s Lament.”

A special shout-out has to go to the costume crew, who not only outfitted the cast in colorful, stunning gowns and ball attire in several scenes, but effectively transformed Cinderella and Marie into sparkling visions of loveliness with a whirl or two from the characters. Another delightful touch is the cute puppet animals that turn into a driver, footman and horses in Cinderella’s carriage scene.

While solo numbers were quite strong and pleasant, the orchestra and ensemble sometimes came up a little thin on some of the tunes.

Nonetheless, this is a most entertaining and enjoyable time at the theater!

If you go:

Who: Waukesha Civic Theater

What: “Cinderella”

When: Through Sept. 25

Info/Tickets: 262-547-0708; www.waukeshacivictheatre.org                     

Sunset’s ‘Spitfire Grill’ serves a hearty helping of entertainment

By Marilyn Jozwik

Unlike many musicals, “The Spitfire Grill” doesn’t have a stage full of frolicking dancers and singers for big, rousing production numbers. Instead, there are several well-defined characters, each with a thoughtful story that is often told in song.

And in Sunset Playhouse’s 2022-23 season opener, those “Spitfire Grill” stories are told and sung beautifully by a superb cast that on opening night had sharpened their performances to a finely honed edge.

This is a wonderful story with a bit of mystery, and themes of friendship, redemption and the highs and lows of small-town life. A big plus is James Valq’s lovely music – with lyrics by Fred Alley -- mostly bouncy bluegrass beats marvelously executed by this talented cast and first-rate musicians. Valq and Alley also did the book for the show.

Shelby (Katie Gruell) and Percy (Eliza Lambert), from left, sing the beautiful “Colors of Paradise” in a scene from Sunset Playhouse’s “Spitfire Grill.”

The story is set in the fictional northern Wisconsin town of Gilead. Percy (Eliza Lambert) has just been released from prison and hopes to release herself from her troubled past in West Virginia. She gets off the bus in this one-horse town, where gossip travels like wildfire. She is greeted curtly by Joe (Corey Klein), the town sheriff, and gets a room at the Spitfire Grill, run by the crusty Hannah (Marilyn L. White), who puts Percy to work slinging hash. When Hannah breaks her leg, the Spitfire Grill is put in the not-so-capable (at least at first) hands of Percy and Shelby (Katie Gruell), a young wife whose husband, Caleb (Josh Scheibe), a not-so-successful real estate agent, has always tried to live up to the town’s MIA war hero and Hannah’s son, Eli, and has failed in his own eyes. Hannah has been wanting to sell the place for years and with the help of Percy and Shelby devises a clever plan that makes everyone finally see the forest for the trees.

Director Michael Pocaro hit the jackpot with this cast of seven, each one fitting his/her role perfectly. Lambert’s Percy gets the story moving as she lands in Gilead, “a place to start again.” She sings the toe-tapping, pulsating “Ring Around the Moon,” which shows off her strong, emotion-filled vocals and convincing Southern accent as the stirring melody crescendos.

Spitfire Grill owner, Hannah (Marilyn L. White), sings the touching “Way Back Home” in a scene from Sunset Playhouse’s “The Spitfire Grill.”

Lambert grows beautifully as Percy, a young woman who travels to Gilead with lots of baggage that the townsfolk want to unpack, especially postmistress and busybody Effie, played with fine comic timing by Caitlin Kujawski Compton. Percy gradually gains confidence and the town’s trust as its citizens learn her story. Even the grill’s irascible owner, Hannah, warms to the plucky Percy. Hannah’s gruff exterior is wonderfully displayed by White, who intones solo tunes like ”Forgotten Lullaby,” an ode to her MIA son, with passion and feeling.

Percy also finds a friend in Shelby, who frees herself from a suffocating marriage by working at the Spitfire Grill. As Shelby, Gruell does a nice job showing her character’s joy in the independence she finds in her work, while retreating inward to the dutiful wife in her scenes with Caleb. She sings a soulful “Wild Bird” in her struggle to find herself.

Klein, too, displays a very pleasing tenor voice in his earnest portrayal of Sheriff Joe, especially in his “Forest for the Trees,” in which he describes his feelings for the town he grew up in. Scheibe’s Caleb simmers with anger and angst as he lashes out, questioning his manhood in “Digging Stone.” Klein, Scheibe and Compton navigate the tricky “Ice and Snow” movements and tune nicely as their characters bemoan the harsh winters Up North in a kind of mariner vibe.

That bitter seasonal picture is followed by the gorgeous “Colors of Paradise,” a dreamy ode to the fall season and the Spitfire Grill’s hopeful plan, with Gruell’s Shelby and Lambert’s Percy lending their soaring voices that glide easily over the lovely lyrics, accompanied by a color-filled back wall of the stage.

Music director Mark Mrozek on keyboards and percussion gets a full, heavy-on-bluegrass sound from his small ensemble of Tim Karth (assistant music director/keyboards), Jay B. Kummer (guitar/mandolin), Mirannda Keppinger (violin) and Bridget M. Hirthe (cello). The cast executes beautifully with balanced harmonies and strong solos that really showcase this fine music.

I really loved everything about this show, from its charming – if not derivative – story, fine performances and great music, to the set that effectively creates a street in town, the cozy restaurant, Hannah’s quarters plus a woodsy outdoor area and background scenes.

What a wonderful start to the 2022-23 season!

If you go:

Who: Sunset Playhouse

What: “The Spitfire Grill”

When: Through Sept. 25

Where: 800 Elm Grove Road, Elm Grove

Tickets/Info: 262-782-4430; SunsetPlayhouse.com