The publicity was right. Williamston’s Mrs. Harrison raises more questions than it answers. 

R. Eric Thomas’s script introduces us to two women, one Black, one White, in a “well appointed faculty restroom at a prestigious university" at their 10-year college reunion. 

First, applause for that restroom, a masterful set with mirrors reflecting the audience, working faucets, and a beautifully painted 
"tile” floor. Designer Kirk Domer and crew have created a classy, workable setting for the reminiscences, confrontations, and dueling stories. The intimacy of the small, Williamston theatre enhances the realism of the set and up-close emotions of the actors. 

Aisha (Janai Lachen) is a successful playwright and Holly (Alysia Kolascz) is a struggling comedian. They know each other — or do they? “Truth and memory become entwined as details emerge of their shared past,” as the blurb describes. 

Both actresses are amazing and sincere. Conflict arises over whether Aisha “stole” a story Holly told her years ago the basis for a successful script. I found myself identifying with Holly more… then I asked myself, is it because I’m White? Maybe...

Other “what if’s” occur. What if the White woman were the successful one, who allegedly stole the Black woman’s story? I googled, and Director Jasmine Rivera appears to be Hispanic — does that put her in an objective position to direct this Black/White play? Does that matter? As I glanced around, i did not see any Black audience members. I hope that was a this-performance anomaly, as this play deserves discussion from all points of view.

Mrs. Harrison is a thought-provoking hour and a half-ish, no-intermission peek into the real and/or imagined stories of two women — intriguing, entertaining, sometimes funny — running through April 23 (Note: no show Easter Sunday, April 9.)

Get tickets at http://williamstontheatre.org where you can choose your own seats — and remember to celebrate the absence of POLES this season! All seats are good seats at Williamston.

NOTE: Williamston's Dark Nights at Billtown staged reading series will present “Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help” by Katie Forgette, a comedic romp with a cash-challenged Irish Catholic family in 1973, Monday, April 10 at 7pm $10 at the door; no reservation necessary. 

Kudos and purple hearts to the cast and crew of Evolve Theatrics’ Mary Poppins, the Broadway Musical. This challenging show  was tackled with gusto by a cast and crew of 53 stalwart talents, including a five piece orchestra led by Music Director Kait Wilson. Director Helen Hart brought Hart/heart to this expanded version of the Poppins story, which adds songs and a few new characters to those we remember from the Disney movie.

Josh Martin shines as the repressed/dismissive banker father, eventually shaken into a new appreciation of his children through the magic disruption of mysterious nanny, Mary Poppins. Josh's real-life wife Nicole also grows into a greater sense of empowerment and partnership with her husband. Their actual children, Jack and Wendy, were gems in the chorus; their stage kids Jane and Micheal were played with spirit and mischief by Lorena Krauss (well remembered from her role as Small Allison in Peppermint’s Fun Home) and Liam Grams (well remembered as Winthrop in Evolve’s Music Man.)

As Mary Poppins, Caitlin Christenson brought a sharp sense of mystery, energy and surprise into Jane and Micheal’s nanny-busting world - where they had made a hobby of pranking mean nannies into resigning. Mary Poppins answers their wish for kinder/gentler/more fun nanny, “Spoonful of Sugar” and all that. She introduces them to magical experiences, in the park and beyond, with the charming help of everyone’s favorite chimney sweep, Andrew Muylle as Bert (well remembered as sidekick Marcellus in Evolve’s Music Man.) 

Andrew earns praise not only for his engaging, singing, dancing Bert, but also for serving as choreographer. His talents range from developing workable steps for untrained dancers, to some fun, fancy routines for himself and featured dancers Rachel Bassett, Philip Franke, Lyla Krauss, Brielle Mangles Jocelyn Snitgen and Leah Thelen. Featured roles Bird Woman and Miss Andrew were both standout roles for Lindsay Campbell. Carmen Zavala-Kelly was an entertaining Mrs. Corry, proprietor of The Talking Shop.
This elaborate script demands multiple sets and special effects. The program credits flying and sets by On the Fly Productions and Southeastern Theatrical Support (S.E.T.S). Costumes were beautifully done by Terry Selman. Lighting/Sound by Tim Daniel added more magic. 

Although this show is “family friendly” it is also long, two hours and 50 minutes (which includes a 20 minute intermission) so it is not ideal for very young children.

Note that Mary Poppins is only ONE weekend - with only TWO MORE performances, 7pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday. Tickets at https://www.evolvetheatrics.com/tickets.html It performs at Grand Ledge High School 820 Spring Street (head out West Saginaw, turn north on Jenne Street. (You actually turn west into the school drive from Jenne Street, even though the address is Spring Street)— drive in past the bleachers all the way to the back of the school, turn right at the stop sign to find parking lots near door 14, the Lower West Entrance.

​FALSTAFF
by Guest Reviewer T.E. Klunzinger

There’s always something new: in the late 1880’s, the relatively new thing in opera was the “through-composed” show (like “Les Mis” 100 years later) as opposed to the traditional “by the numbers” operas with defined sections and recitatifs.

So the Italian master Giuseppe Verdi, nearing 80 and seeking a challenge for his 28th and last opera, undertook to write a Shakespearean riff on “Henry IV” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and it was a comedy as well, something which he hadn’t written since his second opera many years before. Like a lot of new shows of whatever time, it was not immediately embraced but then caught on, to the point where it’s now part of the standard opera canon.

Ah indeed; but is it fun and good? Well yes: first off, this MSU Opera Theatre directed by Melanie Helton, now playing at Fairchild Theatre for only three more performances, is a sumptuous feast for the eyes. The simple yet elegant faux-Globe set by Kirk Domer frames the action very well, reinforced by pastoral projections and lighting design by Brent Wrobel.

The jaw-dropping, fantastic elegance of Glenn Breed’s 16th Century costumes are worth the price of admission alone, no more so than in the well-populated third act when the Fairies come out in full force. Wigs and makeup by Martha Ruskai complete the effect.

And then there’s the music, which moves right along pleasantly enough but takes a while to get to the really impressive numbers later on, with several singers presenting distinctive arias and a spectacular twelve-part fugue featuring fast, intricate, Italian lyrics, well worth waiting for at the very end of the show. The 26-piece MSU Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dr. Katherine Kilburn fully realizes Mr. Verdi’s score in fine style.

All MSU Opera shows are double-cast for maximum performance opportunity, such that the principals of the Wednesday-Saturday and then the Friday-Sunday casts are the same. This is the Wed-Sat cast:

As the fat, swaggering, blustering Falstaff, Eduardo de la Torre is onstage for almost the entire show and his strong, rich bass-baritone prompts you to anticipate what he’ll be singing next. As Ford, the powerful Pengyu Yang tears up the stage with his killer second-act aria.

The several Merry Wives add much fun and intrigue to the proceedings, particularly Alice (Paige Heidrich), Meg (Jackie Conlon) and the heavenly-voiced Nannetta (Anna Jesko).

The script’s setting is problematic in that much of it takes place in Falstaff’s favorite hangout of the Garter Inn where he, well, hangs out and sits in a chair for seemingly long stretches at a time. But then the third act rolls around with some 30 people playing hide-and-seek in the night woods and you tend to forget about that.

We’re told that this is the first Verdi production by MSU Opera in the past 20 years – let’s hope it won’t be that long until the next one!

https://www.music.msu.edu/event-listing?category=11  (click on “details and tickets coming soon” to buy tickets; apparently, “soon" is now.

Lynn Nottage’s 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning script, Sweat, takes us on a dark journey, up close and personal on MSU’s Studio 60 stage. I remember the power, darkness and violence from Riverwalk’s production in 2019 — and this smaller, more intimate stage brought us even closer to the emotions and action.

It’s a “period piece” that sadly feels pretty current. Audio news clips established time, switching scenes and showing events of eight years earlier. (Sound Design Shannon Schweitzer) Friends and coworkers hang out and share their camaraderie and grievances at the local bar. (Beautifully authentic bar set by Gabriela Castillo.) 

Most of the cast works at the local factory which is succumbing to deindustrialization. The management/worker division divides the friends, and racial tensions divide them further — exposing how working class Americans can be pitted against each other as they struggle for a better life. The play lays bare the human costs of late-stage American capitalism.

Director Ryan Welsh led his cast of nine through a few laughs and a greater portion of indignation, anger and frustration. There is no fight choreographer listed in the program so kudos to Ryan for that scary interlude, as well. I offer a grain of salt for some actors being “too young” for their roles — this is student theatre, after all.

But all the actors brought intensity and sincerity to their roles. Tyler Marks was strong in his parole officer role. Ben Corsi (Jason) was charming/scary. Michale Coffey (Chris) was heartbreaking in his thwarted promise. Their mothers, played by Katherine Clemons and Kamryn Saratt were powerful in both their friendship and their fights. Stefon Funderburke was most convincing, touching, sad, as dad Brucie. Michael Bolaños was a ray of hope as the maligned but noble bus boy, Oscar. Gabriel Blaze Herdegan brought a fatherly perspective to his bartender role. Shelby Ginsberg was an extremely convincing drunk.

MSU’s  Studio 60 stage is in the basement of the Auditorium building. Pick up tickets at the box office on the Farm Lane side of the building, go downstairs and down the hall on the south side of the building, just past the Arena Theatre. It only seats about 75, and was nearly sold out on a Wednesday — perhaps a function of the truncated production schedule? Only five shows left — so best to reserve ahead at https://www.whartoncenter.com/events/detail/sweat