Some thoughts about: 'The Merry Wives of Miami' at Slipstream

Over my two decades of life as a theater critic, I’ve seen directors take all sorts of liberties with the works of William Shakespeare. While some were quite creative and entertaining, others caused me to question the sanity of the artists involved in such a debacle.

So when I received promotional material recently from Ferndale’s Slipstream Theatre Initiative promoting its next show, it did what any good PR piece should do: It successfully lured me into securing tickets for this past Saturday evening’s performance of “The Merry Wives of Miami.” So, yes, I’m apparently a sucker for punishment, as the show’s concept disguises The Bard’s popular comedy “The Merry Wives of Windsor” as an episode of TV’s “The Golden Girls.”

It has the potential for disaster written all over it, doesn’t it?

But based on past experience with Slipstream, I went in with an open mind. After all, artistic director Bailey Boudreau and his creative cohorts have had much success with other such oddball concepts.

This pairing, though, truly intrigued me, since it’s one that seems far more logical than other Shakespearean experiments I’ve endured over the years.

For starters, “Merry Wives” is The Bard’s only play set entirely in England, in the middle-class town of Windsor. It features two wives, Margaret Page and Alice Ford, who have great fun putting their husbands in their place at the expense of the boastful Sir John Falstaff (previously seen in the “Henry IV-V" dramas), who’s come to town and plans to woo the above-named women.

Can’t you see Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia, sitting in their Miami kitchen eating cheesecake, gleefully scheming to make a fool out of Stan and one of his hair-brained schemes just like director Bailey did? As any “Golden Girls” aficionado knows, this award-winning sitcom ran for seven seasons on NBC beginning in 1985. Therefore, Bailey and his co-conspirators present their tale as the opening episode of the imaginary eighth season. So then the question: How successful was the Slipstream team in smooshing one well-known comedy into the other?

It may not be perfect, but it sure is fun!

For starters, other than the opening scene that sets the stage for the audience – you can almost imagine Sophia saying, “Picture it: Miami. 1992” – the adaptation is primarily the unadulterated words of William Shakespeare. His script is pared down to a 70-minute running time that focuses on the comedy’s main plot. The resulting story makes sense; if you’ve never seen the original, you won’t be lost for lack of what’s been cut.

Costuming by Tiaja Sabrie was spot-on perfect, which immediately pulled me into the world of “The Golden Girls.” And whether or not their costumes and wigs inspired them, I don’t know, but Luna Alexander, Jan Cartwright, Linda Rabin Hammell and Mandy Logsdon surely looked their parts (Blanche, Dorothy, Sofia and Rose, respectively) and carried themselves accordingly. Hammell had great fun channeling Estelle Getty’s Sophia. Especially on target, though, was Alexander, who perfectly captured not only Blanche’s body language, but also her unique vocal characteristics, both of which flowed quite naturally throughout the evening. (That last part wasn’t as easy for the other actresses, though, as the voices of their counterparts are not nearly as distinctive, nor is The Bard’s dialogue always easily manipulated in order to match the Girls’ personal rhythms.)

Of the men, Patrick O’Lear’s Falstaff was immediately recognizable as badly toupee'd Stan, Dorothy’s ex-husband. And Ryan Ernst as the jealous Master Ford played his role with the same glee and expertise as I’ve come to expect from him.

Where the show stumbled, however, was with the performances of some of the younger, less experienced performers. For example, if a foreign accent is to be used, every word spoken must be clearly and concisely enunciated and delivered at a speed at which it can be understood. (This is true even when speaking typical American dialects, but doubly so when not.) As such, talking too fast AND indistinctly renders the dialogue nearly if not totally incomprehensible. Conversely, talking too slow can cause the show’s pacing to come crashing down. And finally, it helps to have all your lines memorized. All of this was such a problem that my guest – and he’ll kill me for publicly saying this – actually made the decision to take a nap during the show rather than to continue struggling to follow the plot, which had eluded him up to that point. Yes, Shakespeare can be difficult sometimes for our ears and brains to absorb, but thespians don’t need to complicate things and make it worse.

(As an aside, a running gag that I suspect goes over the heads of many a patron actually earned a semi-loud groan/laugh from me. Hammell’s character [Mistress Quickly] forgets a line, so she consults the script, which she kinda/sorta hides and carries with her. In real life, Getty had trouble remembering her lines, and so cue cards were strategically placed for her, and she’d write her lines on various props she’d use. Unfortunately, Getty died in 2002 from Lewy body dementia, an Alzheimer-like disease that may have started during her time on the show. So is this simply an in-joke, a nod to the reality of Getty’s experience on “The Golden Girls,” or just an innocent bit to have some fun with? Or is it not in good taste? As someone who has observed the realities of dementia first hand, I can’t decide on which side of the positive/negative divide this otherwise funny bit falls.)

Music from the TV series used to move the audience in to and out of scenes added to the overall concept.

The Bottom Line: While it’s certainly not one of Slipstream’s best productions, “The Merry Wives of Miami” – with some much-needed clean up and polish – has the potential to become a very entertaining night out at the theater.

* * * * *

"The Merry Wives of Miami" runs through Aug. 4. For complete show details, CLICK HERE!

Photo credits: Jan Cartwright Photography

Top: Jan Cartwright, Mandy Logsdon, Luna Alexander
Bottom: Linda Rabin Hammell

Some thoughts about: 'Funnyman' at Tipping Point Theatre

I went into the opening night performance of “Funnyman” at Northville’s Tipping Point Theatre knowing next to nothing about the play but expecting top-notch performances from those whose work I’ve observed and respected for years – or in one case, several decades. By night’s end my anticipation was not only confirmed, but surpassed.

In lesser hands, a story about a funny man whose life was anything but could easily be played overly broad. Director James R. Kuhl avoids that temptation like the plague, however, giving plenty of room to Wayne David Parker to explore the boundaries of his character, a once uber-popular comedic actor whose time has passed. A true gem of our theater community, Parker skillfully plumbs his emotional depths to explore the inner workings of a truly talented star whose onscreen and in-person theatrical antics made generations laugh, yet little did they know he was haunted by his past. (This was true of a number of well-known and beloved “clowns” of entertainment history.) It’s a depiction that can’t help but make one realize that there’s more behind an actor’s performance or public persona than we realize – that what we see on screen or on stage is only what the actor allows to share with us. And what’s behind the laughs might not be pretty. Parker navigates both – and the transitions from one to the other – exceptionally well.

“Funnyman” is not a one-person show, and Parker is surrounded by fellow onstage dynamites.  Ryan Carlson – always a major stage presence, especially in meaty dramatic roles – defies type as persnickety director Matthew Baroni, who has cast Parker’s Chick Sherman in his latest play against his better judgement. Then there’s Brandy Joe Plambeck, who lights up the stage the second he enters as playwright Victor La Plant and never dims; you can’t help but love the character. And in my head, I keep thinking of John Lepard’s Milt Karp, Chick’s longtime friend and agent, as the adult in the room, a role he plays to perfection.

John Lepard and Ryan Carlson

Completing the cast are two others, neither of whom I recall seeing before. Lani Call, currently finishing her MFA in acting at Wayne State, tackles with gusto the role of Katherine, Chick’s indignant daughter who can’t wait to confront her father for his perceived flaws in her upbringing; her scenes with Parker are especially powerful and revealing as she comes to realize there’s more to her father’s story than she ever suspected. And Matthew Smith, another Wayne State grad student, is Nathan Wise, the talented eye candy who helps the audience collect its breath as he charmingly (and sometimes not very skillfully) woos the girl of his dreams.

 As the story takes place in 1959, set designer Monika Essen has chosen a color palate that immediately places the audience in the appropriate decade. And by sheer happenstance, a patron arrived on opening night and sat in a front row center seat, coincidentally dressed to match Essen’s color scheme. When I teasingly suggested to Essen that she obviously dressed this woman and planted her there, she laughingly denied it.

And I can’t conclude without a tip of my hat to Quintessa Gallinat, whose sound designs always impress the heck out of me. This was no exception.

The Bottom Line: While you may or may not cry, you'll certain laugh at "Funnyman," yet another slickly produced and entertaining production at Tipping Point Theatre.

The Michigan premiere of “Funnyman” by Bruce Graham runs through June 30. Click HERE for show information.

Lani Call and Matthew Smith

Edited to fix a typo and for clarification 6/8/19 at 10:40 a.m.

Some Thoughts About: 'Death of a Salesman' at The Ringwald

While The Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale has built a solid reputation for staging quality (and often quirky) comedies and musicals, its current production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” directed by Joe Bailey proves the company also knows how to breathe life into an esteemed classic American drama. Tears were flowing all around me this past Saturday night as the trials and tribulations of the Loman family came to a head, thanks to the gut-wrenching performances of Joel Mitchell as Willy, Kelly Komlen as his wife Linda, and Donny Riedel and Jeff McMahon as their sons Biff and Happy.

Mitchell is a force to be reckoned with every time he steps on stage, and with Willy he has reached yet another career milestone as the aging traveling salesman struggling – with exhaustion? Depression? Dementia? – to make sense of a life that’s falling apart all around him. It’s a performance filled with emotional highs and lows, rage and confusion, and pride and regret as Willy fluctuates from memory to reality in the snap of a finger. It’s also an example of how much Mitchell commits to his role: With a head shaved to reflect male-pattern baldness and with what’s remaining colored grey, the aging effect is stunning. (In fact, a moment at which Mitchell seemed to transform into the great Ed Asner playing the role surprised me. Yes, Mitchell is that good!)

Besides wanting to see Mitchell tackle the role of Willy, another major draw was his teaming with Komlen, another accomplished actor, as his wife. She too has been aged beyond her years, and while she likewise has moments in which her emotions explode like dynamite, it’s her quieter and more pensive moments where she excels – especially when she’s not necessarily the focus of the action. On her face it’s clearly written how much she loves this man – flaws and all – yet there’s pain behind those eyes that reveals her fear and deep concern as the love of her life fades away. As such, saying little pays major dividends when it comes to Komlen’s performance. What’s more, she and Mitchell are totally convincing as man and long-married wife.

Also convincing are McMahon and Riedel as the sons.

McMahon’s Happy is the wheeler dealer of the two, always spinning a good tale to anyone who will listen – especially if it means lining up a date or two for the evening. He’s cute, his smile would melt the hearts of any woman he talks to, and he’s a convincing liar who knows what to say to get the response he desires. And as with Komlen, McMahon’s eyes (and facial expressions) truly are the conduit to Happy’s inner and more honest thoughts.

Riedel, though, has the tougher role of the two – and he nails Biff with a physical and verbal performance unlike any I’ve seen before. I was intrigued by his work when I first saw him at Go Comedy some time back, and I absolutely loved him as the butler in The Ringwald’s production of “Clue on Stage” this past fall. But here his interpretation of a frustrated and troubled young adult packs an honest and emotional wallop that tugged at heartstrings all around me – including mine, as I’ll admit to a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye as Biff’s pent-up rage spews out during a pivotal moment in the show. (After the performance he looked mentally and physically exhausted!) It truly is a different, but superb portrayal from start to finish.

Supporting actors range from fine to adequate. Brandy Joe Plambeck does double duty in two totally different roles and makes then each unique. A couple of casting choices, however, had me scratching my head.

Technical elements are up to the usual Ringwald standards. Christopher Kamm’s very grey scenic design perfectly echoes the economic and emotional state of the Loman’s. However, costume choices and hair design for one actor by Vince Kelley and Sandra Glover pulled me out of the show a couple of times, as they were modern day rather than what you’d find during the late 1940s when the story takes place.

Nevertheless and despite my few quibbles, Bailey’s “Death of a Salesman” is an excellent production that helps cement The Ringwald’s reputation as an important and major purveyor of quality professional theater in Metro Detroit. The production runs through March 11. I highly recommend it!

For complete show details, CLICK HERE!

Joel Mitchell (foreground); Donny Riedel and Jeff McMahon
(background)

When being a professional matters

I’ve likely said this in earlier posts or elsewhere, but in my not so humble opinion, Northville’s Tipping Point Theatre ranks among the area’s top professional theaters when it comes to consistently producing shows of the highest quality. Under the leadership of producing artistic director James Kuhl, I know before walking into the theater that the following expectations will be met in full: The show will be well cast and expertly staged; all of the technical elements will be first rate; the house staff will be friendly and courteous; its longtime beloved stage manager will once again avoid the eye of my camera; and I’ll have a very entertaining evening.

That was certainly true of the performance of “A Comedy of Tenors” by Ken Ludwig and directed by Angie Kane Ferrante that I attended last week.

It’s what I learned after the performance that impressed me even more!

“A Comedy of Tenors” is your typical door-slamming farce, with pretty much each of the familiar accouterments that comes with the genre. So I knew to expect a love-triangle or two and a series of mistaken identities and other mishaps – which means it’s the type of show Tipping Point does well, and one its audiences seem to love.

It’s also a breathtakingly fast-paced show, and with this particular genre, it means entrances and exits must be made very quickly, as must changes from one costume to another. There’s no time to screw up or slow down.

As anticipated, all went well throughout the performance. Not a single miscue was noticed. But after the performance I heard that the actor playing world-famous opera star Tito Merelli, Richard Marlatt, was not feeling well that night. Without giving much away – and hence, not requiring a spoiler alert – it’s a major role, and a difficult and juicy one at that for an actor of Marlatt’s caliber.

Yet not once did I ever get the feeling Marlatt was giving less than 100 percent. He seemed to be at the top of his game (and having a blast, quite frankly) from the moment of his first entrance through his final bow at show’s end.

So, too, was everyone around him – especially the always wonderful Sarab Kamoo who plays his beautiful and loving wife, Maria, with an equal amount of Italian fire and fury. They were wonderful together.

Because split-second timing is so important to comedies such as this, anything less from Marlatt would have been detrimental to the show. (Even more so would have been an understudy filling in for him!) But being a professional actor means you give it your all despite whatever adversity is placed before you – and that’s exactly what he did. And as a result, his Saturday night audience was treated to yet another laugh-filled night of theater at Tipping Point.

As I fully anticipated.

(As an aside, last weekend was an unexpected “Dave Davies weekend” for me, as on Friday evening I saw a show he directed, on Saturday a show he was in, and on Monday a show for which he did some voiceovers. He seems to be the busiest thespian in town right now, and deservedly so!)

SHOW DETAILS: “A Comedy of Tenors runs through Dec. 23. For complete show information, CLICK HERE!

Richard Marlatt, Sarab Kamoo
Hope Shangle, Nick Yocum

The Mighty Hicks returns (and he's excellent)

This past television season, one of the things I looked forward to as I watched “Detroiters” – the weekly sitcom created by Detroit improv favorites Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson – was to see which familiar faces would show up in each episode. Other than the very funny Mort Crim – yes, he showed a side of himself local TV news viewers never knew existed - one face appeared more than any other, that of improviser Quintin Hicks. I’ve been a fan of his work, if my aging memory is correct, since his days with The Second City, and to see him behind the bar interacting with his old pals at their favorite watering hole always brought a smile to my face. And a wish: that he’d return to the stage with yet another follow-up to “Fish Dinner,” his 2011 original show at Planet Ant Theatre that earned both him and director Dave Davies a Wilde Award for their efforts.

In his review of the production, critic John Quinn wrote, “'Fish Dinner' is a series of monologues by oddball characters sprung from Hicks’s fertile imagination. But don’t be surprised if you run across someone you know. The characters may be over the top, but they’re firmly anchored in reality. The individuality Hicks brings to his ‘cast’ is deeper than just changing a costume or donning a wig. The characters take on a life of their own as the actor disappears – one of the best of experiences for audience and performer alike. It’s one of the hallmarks of the genre.”

After seeing the production myself, I whole-heartedly agreed with his assessment.

Sequels followed in 2013 and 2016, and when I heard that a fourth was on the drawing board, I was thrilled. And so what did I think of “Fish Dinner 4: Thanksgiving” that I attended this past Friday night at the Ant’s Black Box Theatre?

Damn, Hicks knows how to serve a tasty evening of live theater!

Quintin Hicks. Photo courtesy of Planet Ant

Just like its predecessors, “Fish Dinner 4” is a series of monologues delivered by what initially appear to be random, quirky characters. But as the production flows along, the genius of Hicks’ creativity begins to shine, as a detailed tapestry of seemingly unrelated people, objects and events weave together to create an interconnected whole. Nothing happens by mere chance; every action and every character is but part of a much bigger, more beautiful picture – even that of a squirrel in search of its next meal.

What’s more, favorite characters from past shows make return visits, as Hicks grows, expands, updates and possibly concludes their stories (although I suspect aging wrestler The Mighty Quinn could make a come-back at some point).

And because of how carefully Hicks constructs his characters, the audience comes to care about them. We can identify with them, or laugh with them (and never at them). As critic Quinn said, Hicks thrives at creating life’s oddball characters, but he imbues them with heart, dignity and wisdom. And he does so with a gentleness that proves how much he loves and respects them.

As a result, the audience does, too!

Not all of the show is scripted, however. Part of the charm of the “Fish Dinner” series is how Hicks relates to and interacts with his audience – right from the very start. With a wealth of improv experience, Hicks is quite at home talking directly to individuals in the audience and coaxing them into participating in a scene. And because anything can happen under such circumstances – and generally will – Hicks is adept at “going with the flow” and seeing where the interactions take him. These are often among the highlights of the performance.

The Bottom Line: So while I absolutely loved every minute of “Fish Dinner 4” – including the appearance of the angelic Mikey Brown in once scene and video cameos of other familiar faces in another – I left with one regret. Rumors say that this is the last in the “Fish Dinner” series. I, for one, certainly hope not, as each and every visit is a warm reminder of how one uber-creative artist, one insightful director and a team of talented technicians can create such a unique and charming world the likes of which we rarely see.

Therefore, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Hicks and Davies will return yet again to serve us another scrumptious meal – this time including my favorite character of all, the Bear! (I just had to work that in there, Quintin!)

Unfortunately, “Fish Dinner 4: Thanksgiving” closes Saturday, Nov. 24. The production is the second of two shows on the schedule. The other is “Quickening,” an original comedy about the secret behind Detroit’s most famous mortgage company. Show details can be found HERE:

Bailey and Payton and Jacokes, oh my!

Anytime you put Joe Bailey and Richard Payton on stage together, one can expect comedic mayhem to break out. And when you add Suzy Jacokes into the mix – well, you get “Clue on stage” at The Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale, which runs through November 5.

Bailey – The Ringwald’s founding artistic director – and Payton have appeared on stage together so many times that they work like a well-oiled, laugh-generating machine. One only has to glance at the other – a warning sign, to be sure – and a comedic melt-down of epic proportions is sure to follow.

And that’s what happened more than once at this past Saturday night’s performance of the riotous comedy adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn.

Now, it’s a theatrical legend that the second performance of any run is generally a let-down from the night before; that all the anticipation and pent-up energy generated throughout the rehearsal process is expelled on opening night with little left to power the show the following night.

That certainly wasn’t the case with this production. That’s partly because director Bryan Lark puts his actors through such a vigorously draining pace from start to finish that it’s easy to believe the cast will shed a collective 900 gallons of sweat at the very least throughout the run of the show.

But it’s also because Bailey and Payton took advantage of both their love of one-upmanship and a few goofs to such a degree that I suspect most in the nearly packed audience couldn’t have cared less that a few lines of dialogue were flubbed or props didn’t end up where they were supposed to be.

Instead, we laughed our butts off. And when Jacokes chimed in – she, too, gets that certain gleam in her eye and sly grin on her face when inspiration is about to hit – it became obvious we were watching masters of their craft take the show to an unanticipatedly high level of comedic entertainment.

If there’s a comparison to be made, Saturday night’s performance was like watching an episode of “The Carol Burnett Show” when Harvey Korman, Tim Conway and Carol went off script and the results were hilarious. Yes, The Ringwald Trio were that good!

Also good – no, great, actually – was Donny Riedel, who plays Wadsworth the butler who serves as the show’s ringleader. In “Clue,” an oddball group of people are invited to a dinner party thrown by the mysterious Mr. Boddy. Once there, they learn they all have one thing in common – and that’s when the bodies start dropping. Riedel’s is a masterful performance, one in which every nuance of his character is so thoroughly examined, explored and expelled at such a high-octane level that one expects him to physically and emotionally collapse long before show’s end.

The Bottom Line: So while some nitpickers may find fault with actors who have some fun when things go awry on stage or when one simply looks at another and hilarity ensues, at The Ringwald that means one thing: We’re about to have an even better time than we initially anticipated.

For complete show details, CLICK HERE!

Donny Riedel

What I Love

I love plays that surprise me.

I love playwrights like Lauren Gunderson who take theatergoers on a journey they don’t expect and couldn’t foresee. I love directors like Krista Schafer Ewbank who have a vision for a script like “Ada and the Engine” and execute it with precision and care.

I love actresses like Sarah Hawkins who create such a glorious and vibrant character as Ada Lovelace that her facial expressions alone add several layers to her already-deep complexity. I love actors like Lindel Salow who is his co-star’s equal in telling Charles Babbage’s story through a careful glance here, a brief gesture there and perfectly shaded words and thoughts throughout.

I love actors like Kez Settle, Joshua R. Brown, Cynthia Szczesny and Matthew Wallace who fully support the production through expertly developed performances.

I love it when top-notch designers such as Harley Miah, Eric Niece and Cheryl Zemke come together to create theatrical magic. And I love it when Open Book Theatre in Trenton once again not only meets but surpasses my already-high expectations for a night out at the theater.

The Bottom Line: And I’d love it more if houses were filled for this weekend's final performances.

For complete show details: CLICK HERE!

Sarah Hawkins