Well, you officially missed MEN OF STEEL - one of those quickie 2-show end-of-semester offerings in LCC’s Black Box, It was an overflow house; the “preshow” was fitting 20 or so extra chairs around the edges which required the cast to “break the rules” and come on stage ahead of the show to note where the extra audience was located in order to avoid real bloodshed during the show’s well choreographed mayhem.

Director John Lennox is known for his fight choreography, and this was a good opportunity to see (and hear) this challenging art form up close and personal. The 14-member cast cussed and boasted and beat each other up in a wide variety of configurations, making good use of the gym-mat-lined downstage, lighting up the “pow” “wham” comic-book-style signs, in front of an artistic set of projections (Boris Nikolovski is listed as “graphic design”.)

The show explored super-heroics, callings, tests and missions, identity/human flaws and weirdness - sometimes pretentious, sometimes funny, sometimes ridiculous. I’m not sure if it’s meant to be a spoof or an homage. We have to admit to being somewhat averse to this superhero/gamer/violence genre. We were also not big fans of Qui’s other popular scriptShe Kills Monsters, that was a hit at Ixion. (Old-people-stuff; we can’t deny it.)

Tune in next week for another LCC quickie; I think the “destruction” will be less acrobatic in this one:

Mutually Assured Destruction: 10 Plays About Brothers and Sisters
    By Don Zolidis. directed by Mary Matzke
8 p.m. Friday, May 4, 2018
8 p.m. Saturday, May 5, 2018

LCC Black Box Theatre, Room 1422 Gannon Building, 411 N. Grand Avenue, Lansing 48933

I LOVE YOU BECAUSE is a delight at Peppermint Creek Theatre. A full house gave an unhesitating standing ovation to this charming portrait of romantic foibles inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (though you don’t have to remember that plot to appreciate this one.) This is a modern reassurance that relationship politics are still a mess, and the “wrong” one can indeed become “right.”

Relative newcomer Jake Przybyla (“discovered” as a standout muleteer in Starlight’s Man of La Mancha) has fulfilled his leading-man promise as conservative but endearing romantic Austin Bennet, reeling from a recent breakup. Goofy but adorable Brian Farnham plays Austin's brother Jeff, full of questionable advice. Meghan Eldred-Woolsey shines as another questionable advice-giver counseling Marcy, who is also reeling from a recent breakup. Christine Ciucanu plays Marcy with poise and charm beyond her high-school years. She’s off to NYC in the fall to study musical theatre at Marymount Manhattan College. The questionable-advice-givers and the reeling-from-breakup pair are circuitously meant for each other. Hilariously versatile  Zach Riley and Racheal Raymer play assorted waiters, baristas, neighbors, bartenders etc. donning wigs and personas with variety and aplomb — and they ALL have wonderful voices and great harmony. (Kudos to music director Angie Constein-Schwab and her 5-piece band.)

Perhaps the area’s most experienced first-time director Michele Booher-Purosky has assistant directed/stage-managed/apprenticed with the best local directors. She's hit a home run with her first directorial credit. Not only is the cast wonderful, but also the music, choreography, costumes, props, lighting, set… Michele has gathered a great team and all aspects mesh beautifully. 

Though the cast is small, there are a lot of costume changes, and two characters play multiple roles - so yay, Kris Maier, for costuming a “cast of thousands” played by six people. (Remember to contact Kris to volunteer to help on costumes for Spamalot at Riverwalk - sewing or crafting; email Kris at mailto:[email protected])

Karyn Perry’s choreography is creative and fun. Ted Daniel’s lighting shifts moods with each scene change… and there are many. Tom Ferris’s multi-piece set had many moving parts solidly built by Larry Savoie and his team. it was efficiently and frequently changed by a well choreographed crew. Aja Jenks (assisted by Jay Jenks) scenography included several excellent signs for restaurant/bar/coffee shop. (Notice how the Chinese Restaurant “window” reads backwards when they are inside the restaurant.)

Go online today for reservations. This promises to have more sellouts.
http://www.peppermintcreek.org

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BUD, NOT BUDDY is a real charmer at Riverwalk Theatre. We were privileged to attend the RIF Fundraiser performance, and got to meet the Christopher Paul Curtis, author of the book from which the play was adapted — and he’s a real charmer, too. He dedicated today to meetings with students at both Pattengill and Shabazz Academy, then mingled with the cast backstage, and with attendees at the preshow reception, and also answered questions in a post-show talkback. I’m sure the cast and audience will want to explore more of his work: http://www.nobodybutcurtis.com/books.html

Kudos to “Bud,” Kaveres Luckett-Brown, 12-year old 6th grader at Shabazz Academy, who leads us on this orphan’s search for his father. This central role is huge, with lines on every page. His spunk, energy and attitude carry the show, though his speedy delivery made some lines hard to understand. 

Act one is populated with cute and talented youngsters/fellow orphans; act two is fleshed out with colorful and warm adults associated with the band Bud has targeted as the location of his father. Be sure to check out the bios in the program, where many have included their own interpretations of Bud’s “rules and things for having a funner life."

Tom Ferris’s year-long-dedication (the kids were cast last June) and practical, creative eye are evident throughout. The efficient set of neutral rough platforms transforms into “various locations in Michigan, 1936,” deftly changing with lighting, furniture and signs, never slowing the pace. Slides by Matt Ottinger add appropriate backdrop scenes.

I’m told this is may be the first time this show has been done with an near-age-appropriate Bud (Bud’s supposed to be 10; Kavares just turned 12.) Tom shifted some of his lines to “Old Bud” acting as a Narrator, in eloquent baritone by Chance Boyd. This lightened Bud’s line load a bit, and added an adult retrospective vision.

Band Member “Doug the Thug” Julian VanDyke, is also an artist. His impressions of his experience in Bud, Not Buddy, are on display in an art-gallery area in the former Macy’s in The Lansing Mall currently, through April 29. Check it out.

Bud, Not Buddy continues through April 29 
http://www.riverwalktheatre.com

Green Day’s AMERICAN IDIOT, the grand finale of MSU Theatre Department’s season, takes over the Pasant Stage at Wharton with a wild punk rock band, creative choreography and non-stop media projections that underscore the angst and rebellion portrayed onstage. It is an intense hour and a half, with no intermission.

There are traces of Rent and even Hair in this show — testaments to the universality of good old sex-drugs-&-rock’n’roll… anger, confusion, escape, entrapment…  Under today’s increasing assault of mass media youth can be even more inspired/disillusioned by assorted wars, dreams, distractions, mistakes, ricocheting between anger and apathy/depression.

Director Brad Wilcuts and Karen Vance’s choreography tell the story as much as the songs. I could not understand most of the words in the loud songs — however there are solo/ballads mixed in, more understandable. Still, the emotions and a semblance of the story come through without words, and the plot of escaping to the big city, or to the military… and it not exactly working out well… We get that, even without words.

Alison Dobbins and her team of media creators (Chris Biernat, Katie Birecki, Yizhi Shi, Zhiying Zhen, Claudia Caceres) did such a phenomenal job with the media projections — some assembled from the news, some “little movies” featuring the actors with all sorts of visual effects — they upstaged the actors on stage at times.

The eight piece band, led by music director/keyboardist David Wendelberger, was impressive (Ethan Lucas - drums, Yoshi Fukagawa-guitar, Nathan Walker-bass, Lowell Wolfe-guitar, Alex Casson-violin, Youi Park-Cello, Erin Lancour-viola.)

Brad Wilcuts says in his note “…this musical is a rallying cry for young people who feel disenfranchised and powerless in a world bombarded by media, violence and controversy.” It continues through April 22.

http://theatre.msu.edu/productions/current-season/american-idiot/