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

by Guest Reviewer, Tom Klunzinger

There is great good fun to be had at Ixion Ensemble’s “Begets” – providing you can find it (see below). This show completes the Qui Nguyen trilogy (She Kills Monsters, Fight Girl Battleworld) which celebrates the triumphs of female martial arts, here seen as a samurai template fitted over the fiefdoms of a typical suburban High School.

Our protagonist is Emily (Storm Kopisch), an Invisible Girl who rises to become Shogun through a desire for justice and a devastating knack for martial arts, shadowed at every step by her tough-talking Inside Girl (Jillian Tosolt) who is sometimes surprisingly at odds with Emily’s actual persona.

Speaking of surprises, there are more than a few to be had among the various boyfriends and girlfriends (really?) who pop up to populate this high-energy production.

The decidedly episodic but tightly-written script gives many familiar Ixion faces a chance to shine, however briefly; in no particular order:
*Cole Bennett, an hilariously pathetic nerd with a girlfriend you’ll never forget;
*Sara Frank-Hepfer as the spectacularly clueless woke principal;
*Tobin Bates in a shirt-off Taylor-Lautner-style love scene, remarkable in that he doesn’t look much like Mr. Lautner;
*Rachel Steffens as the ruthlessly domineering Older Sister who’ll stop at nothing to stay on top of the pecking order;
*Kris Vitols as the valiant Vice Principal who sadly believes that academic success should matter.

Kudos to Fight Choreographer Richard Kopitsch who has mixed in all the martial action the script requires, apparently with no injuries to anyone involved. Spectacular moves by Storm!

And now to the drama behind the scenes:

With barely a week to go before opening, Ixion’s performance space in the Lansing Mall became unavailable; but in a neat piece of theater magic, the show has transferred to an otherwise-unnamed space just west of downtown Grand Ledge. 908B West Jefferson which is not really marked, just before Fitzgerald Park. On the south side of Jefferson is the Grand Ledge Ravines Mobile Home Park; you will turn north, directly across, at the sign which says, “Deep Kneads Therapeutic Massage” and the performance space is at the far northwest corner of that building. (For better or worse, it is not in an actual massage parlor.)

You should arrive early as we are told the seating capacity is 47 and last night “Begets” had no trouble attracting a nearly-full house. 

Whatever the plan was, “Begets” is cheerfully low-tech in its presentation, with faux-strobe lights and banners which apparently move and fall of their own accord. But the show works, and well, as one of the sleeper surprises of this season.

RESERVE TICKETS AT https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/ixion-ensemble/63b6d06bf94f12350f796934 Tickets at the door while they last, but SMALL venue, so reservations highly recommended.
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Daddy Long Legs Returns for One Weekend Only

Speaking of unusual performance spaces with limited capacity — Don't miss Peppermint Creek's revival of the excellent musical DADDY LONG LEGS, a love story in the style of Jane Eyre and Downton Abbey, presented at Bestsellers Books & Coffee, 360 S Jefferson, Mason. Tickets are available now for the limited revival run of three shows next weekend, March 24 - 26, with show times Friday and Saturday at 7pm, and Sunday at 2pm. Reserve tickets at https://peppermintcreek.org/event/daddy-long-legs/ and plan to arrive early, as it is general seating.