Greater Lansing Ubiquitous Theatre
  • Announcements
  • Events Calendar
  • Auditions
    • Audition Calendar
  • Reviews
  • Theatres
  • About the G.L.U.T.
    • E-mail List
    • Contact

Review: Stage Door by T.E. Klunzinger

11/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Updated 11/17/15:
Thanks to Tom Klunzinger for his review of MSU’s  Stage Door by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman. (Go to www.greaterlansingtheatre.net, pull down the “about the GLUT” menu and choose “email list” to check previous emails as they were sent.) We can echo his comments about the impressive, huge, set (Elspeth Williams) — SO “period” and even using the “media” projections to create the neon lights of the surrounding city (Izak Gracy, Nathan Brecht, Pam Conley). It was stylish and “swell” as the actors repeated often, and a tribute to 1930’s ladies of the theatre — with lots of roles for the probably-more-women-than-men enrolled in the theatre program. Check out Rob Roznowski’s interesting director’s note about the many educational enhancements to this whole project. It was certainly a lesson in history and “woman’s issues” for all involved. It’s not really my favorite type of play, but it was well done and kept a speedy pace and high energy — which helped it come in at 2 hours (plus 10 minute intermission). 
Continues:
Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 7:30pm
**Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 7:30pm
Friday, November 20, 2015 at 8:00pm
Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 2:00pm
Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 8:00pm
Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 2:00pm

* Director Pre-Show Discussion Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 1:15 PM
** Post-Show Discussion on Thursday, November 19, 2015 (Following the Performance)

Tickets are available from the Wharton Center Box Office, 1.800.WHARTON FREE, whartoncenter.com

(Mark and I are still “otherwise engaged”: two more performances of our fun-filled Nuncrackers 7:30 pm tonight and 2pm Sunday. $18 at the door for “show only” tickets. www.starlightdinnertheatre.com) Thanks to Stage Door Guest Reviewer, Tom Klunzinger for the following:
 
The biggest set you’ve ever seen is now onstage at MSU’s Pasant Theatre, starring in the pitch-perfect production of the classic Edna Ferber/George Kaufman 1926 stage/1936 film hit Stage Door. Yes, there are lots of good people in the show (21 women, 12 men) of whom more later, but that set! (designed by Elspeth Williams.) It’s the inside and outside of The Footlights Club, a New York boarding house for young women seeking a career in The Theater. It presents several rooms of the downstairs and upstairs of the club, and no matter where the immediate action is, there’s always something going on elsewhere — big kudos to director Rob Roznowski for his inventive “traffic” direction and these little bits which probably are not in the original script but prompt you to pay attention all the time.
And the script, 90 years old though it may be, is performed straight (like The Colleen Bawn) and works just fine not only as a period piece, but also as a classic take on the young women who continue to flock to the city to take a bite from the Big Apple. It’s delivered just as it should be, with plenty of the snappy, rapid-fire idealistic dialogue that they wrote back then, by the kind of cast that makes it difficult to remember who’s who – that is, they’re all good. Several of the characters have sudden success, some not, but they’re all clinging to their dream of Making It Big.
Eventually we come to appreciate “stage struck” Terry Kendal (Madelayne Shammas), Kingsley the movie guy (Matt Greenbaum), Keith the playwright (Andy Van Otteren) and the innkeeper/actress Mrs. Orcutt (Kathryn Stahl), but that’s only because they have more lines – it’s fun to watch all the others, especially Olga (Bethany Heinlein) who actually plays decent solos on the grand piano. The hair and costumes are all perfectly period as well. The program contains some gender-filter notes that at the time, stage work was one of the few avenues to an independent career for most women, which is true; but really you can and should enjoy this production as a rollicking good evening of theater. Local pride: Edna Ferber was born in Kalamazoo in 1885.

Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 8:00pm
*Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 2:00pm
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 7:30pm
Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 7:30pm
**Thursday, November 19, 2015 at 7:30pm
Friday, November 20, 2015 at 8:00pm
Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 2:00pm
Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 8:00pm
Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 2:00pm

* Director Pre-Show Discussion Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 1:15 PM
** Post-Show Discussion on Thursday, November 19, 2015 (Following the Performance)

Tickets are available from the Wharton Center Box Office, 1.800.WHARTON, whartoncenter.com
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Reviews

    Read more about Jane and the creation of the G.L.U.T. on the "About G.L.U.T." page.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    All Of Us Express Children's Theatre
    All-of-Us Express Children's Theatre
    Blue Light Players
    Grand Ledge HS
    Homegrown Productions
    Ixion Ensemble
    LCC Dept. Of Theatre
    Mid Michigan Family Theatre
    MSU Dept. Of Theatre
    MSU Summer Circle
    MSU Summer Circle Theatre
    MSU Summer Circle Theatre
    Okemos HS
    Over The Ledge
    Owosso Community Players
    Peppermint Creek Theatre
    Peppermint Creek Theatre
    Renegade Theatre Festival
    Riverwalk Theatre
    Riverwalk Theatre
    Starlight Dinner Theatre
    The Studio Performing Arts Center
    Wharton Center (MSU)
    Williamston Theatre

    Post Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    RSS Feed

This G.L.U.T. site is © 2014-2019.  All Rights Reserved.

All included and re-posted content is © by it's respective owners and used with permission.  Nothing on this site may be reprinted without the express written consent of the site owners and the owners of the content.  All information is deemed reliable at the time of publishing.  Visitors should confirm all information with the theatre before making any plans or arrangements.

This G.L.U.T. website is created and maintained
by Aaron Herrbach, under collaboration with
Jane Shipley Zussman.
Content updates provided by Jane Shipley Zussman.

Would you like to be an assistant webmaster?
Contact Jane!


Contact the Webmaster | Contact the Publisher
Google Services Login