Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well & Living in Paris

First Park Productions, Springfield, MA
October 1 - 10, 2010
http://firstparkproductions.com/

First Park Productions, committed to promoting diversity through theatre, presents "Jacques Brel." This theatre troupe's premiere production is a cabaret-style musical filled with passionate solos, lively ensembles and amazing lyrics of life's issues in moving poetry and soaring melodies. Frank Aronson, Amanda Davis, Matthew Jaquith and Vickie Phillips star.

Aronson, a member of Actors' Equity, has performed throughout New England and worked with John C. Reilly, James Whitmore and Len Cariou. Davis has performed in numerous roles in local theatre, including productions at Bay Path College and Exit 7 Players. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from The Boston Conservatory. Jaquith had his start with roles in "West Side Story" and "Hello, Dolly." He has been a soloist with the Springfield Symphony Chorus and performed in concerts throughout New England. Phillips, an award-winning New York City Cabaret performer with a 2004 OOBR (Off-Off Broadway Review) Award, was nominated by MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets). New York Time praised Phillips as "a one-woman room warmer with irresistible charm and vivacity."     

The musical is directed by Richard Volker, a member of Actors' Equity who has worked in television, radio and theatre, having appeared in countless commercials, as an actor and director, and is a writer of plays and novels. Michael Rheault, musical director, has been active in theatre as a musician and composer for many years. Rheault is the current director of music at First Park Memorial Baptist Church. Choreography is by David Michael Bovat who has earned a national reputation in dance. He has come to be known as the "teachers' teacher."

First Park Memorial Baptist Church, 4 Garfield Street, Springfield at 8pm on Fridays, October 1 and 8; Saturdays, October 2 and 9 and Sunday, October 3 and 10 at 3pm. For information and to purchase tickets in advance call 413-654-9111. Tickets will be sold at the door.

Angela Gerhard, Holyoke Jeweler

Paradise City Art Fair
Oct. 9, 10, 11, 2010
Three County Fairgrounds, Northampton, MA
http://www.paradisecityarts.com/october/homeoct.html

Describe your jewelry and how it is unique from others?

My work is predominantly vitreous enamel on metal - contemporary with techniques that are different from traditional cloisonne. I use opaque colors and focus on surface design, texture, and finish to create wearable art jewelry. Bold colors and an uncharacteristic matte surface finish set the work apart.

What is the process of creating your craft? Do you know the outcome at the start?

I start with a flat sheet of copper, which is worked into a base form and shape. From there, layers of powdered enamel are sifted onto both sides of the metal and then fired in a kiln at 1500 degrees. I then create the surface designs, adding color and manipulating the surface texture using a variety of techniques. Commonly, I draw into layers of liquid and sifted powder, exposing the base coats below. When creating individual pieces and designing new work, I often start with an idea, but find that the process takes me down a different path. I try to be open to new possibilities.

How did you become a jeweler? Is this full time work?

I have always been interested and involved in both art and craft. Three years ago, I began taking workshops in metalworking to fill my spare time. Once I started working with enamel, the work just came pouring out. It was an organic process. My pieces gained attention and praise, making it easy to transition into a full-time business.

Paradise City always has a huge crowd. Due to the economic realities, are people still making purchases?

People are definitely buying, but perhaps more cautiously. There is a huge benefit in having an already-established relationship with your customers. I am seeing people coming back again and again to add to their collection and purchase gifts which run the entire spectrum from accessibly priced earrings to signature pieces.

What's in your future as an artist?

I'll be continuing to work on my jewelry, but on a smaller scale, as I add to past collections while experimenting with new techniques and pushing the boundaries of what and how I create.

The Real Inspector Hound

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA
www.shakespeare.org
through November 7, 2010
by Shera Cohen

Laughs begin before the play does, as the announcer informs the audience of the usual dos and don'ts. Yet the instructions are far from usual. The audience's second response of laughter comes seemingly prior to the production as well. A bumbling late-comer cannot find his seat, stumbles over patrons, and ultimately sits in the first row, stage left. Indeed, he is the lead in this quirky play - actually two plays. An extremely bad melodrama is swallowed up by a farce. Think: Monty Python performs Agatha Christie.

As the pathetic play-within-a-play whodunit is mounted, two critics (actors) comment throughout. These men are none too bright although they sound smart - English accents do that. In reading the program book, character names are giveaways that something funny is amuck. Descriptions alongside these names ("the crippled half-brother" and "mysterious stranger") are pluses in case anyone misses the joke the first time.

Director Jonathan Croy, one of a Shakespeare & Company's best actors/directors and ol' timers, purposely paints both plays with broad strokes, all for the sake of non-stop humor. His cast includes some Berkshire "greats" like Josh Aaron McCabe (lecherous critic), David Joseph (suave murderer), and Wolfe Coleman (brainless inspector). The comedy is physical. A card game is a hodgepodge of anything goes. A love scene, if you could call it that, involves the pair rolling all over the floor and into a dead man. Yet, nothing stops this chaos.

While the blind housekeeper joke is lovely, it goes on a bit too long, even for the farce factor of "let's milk it." Also, with two characters seated in the audience, it must be a problem for those seated behind them to fully see what is going on. Section A seating is dead on, but a recommendation is to ask about sightlines before purchasing tickets.

The set is an isolated mansion. The sound is somewhat regal music upon the entrance of every character, every time. The elegant costumes are from a B movie set. And doesn't everyone wear a gown while playing tennis? There isn't anything on or in the set that is supposed to be real, which adds even more to the fun.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA
www.majestictheater.com
through October 17, 2010
by Shera Cohen

How do you spell the one word that means: delightful story of three-dimensional characters, highs and lows of childhood, set to music? The answer: M-A-J-E-S-T-I-C. The Majestic kicks off the 2010/2011 season with a sweet play about a spelling bee. Seemingly an odd subject for a musical, the opening full-cast number sets the tones for the next two hours of warmth and fun.

The plot of "Bee" is exactly as one would expect - competition of youngsters in a spelling contest. These are the tense finals for six kids in the running. With audience participation of the brave souls who join the bee, the adults spell right along with the youth until all are purposely eliminated. The challenged words are those that the average person with a doctorate degree in English would never know. Each word is defined and used in a sentence, resulting in the biggest ongoing laughs of the show. Actor Tim Cochran's (Vice Principal) deadpan delivery adds to the humor. Event MC and former bee winner Rona, portrayed by Lori Efford, serves as den mother to the pack.

The competition continues with some losers and one winner. More important than the spelling of "chimerical" are the subjects of mutual and self-respect. Each young speller comes with poignant and sympathetic baggage, and every character possesses a physical or psychological flaw. In other words - these are real people. For adult actors to portray cute children is not an easy task. Throw in choreography and singing, and the burden (or joy) is three-fold. Two "students" need to enunciate their lyrics a bit (the funny lyrics must be heard). While "Bee" is an ensemble with a capital "E," a Majestic "regular" should be mentioned. One of the area's best actors/singers, Luis Manzi might have been better instructed to play his role as the ex-con Comfort Councilor broader.

The set is ideal as a typical school gym. The band of three never overpowers. Songs are not memorable, yet one is exquisite (Manzi, Efford, and Hilary Buxbaum's "I Love You Song"). Dual roles are clear. Passage of time is handled perfectly by director Meghan Lynn Allen. Be sure to be at the "Bee".

The Met Lives-from radio to movie screens to NYC

by Shera Cohen
www.inthespotlightinc.org

My love of opera began in the womb. Mom listened faithfully to Saturday matinees broadcast directly from the Metropolitan Opera. Actually, she started this habit when she was a youngster and has rarely missed a literal beat in the past 70 years. Therefore, if I was home on any given Saturday, I was more or less forced to hear opera.

Roberto Alagana
in Verdi's "Don Carlo"
December 11, 2010

During my elementary school years, this music was torture to my ears. How could it compete with Elvis, Joey Dee, and the doo-wop quartets? But Mom turned up the volume for her favorite arias (the love song in Act I of "La Boheme," "Habanera" of "Carmen," and "Nessun Dorma" from "Turandot") and even Little Peggy March lost the battle of the high notes. So, I grabbed my Ginny doll, went to my room, and closed the door for some peace from this noise.

A few years passed, and I received the gift of a tiny transistor radio that only got the AM dial. [Remember when they were cool to be small, later they grew into boom boxes, and now small again?] I discovered the Top 40, the Beatles, and on occasion and even on purpose a bit of opera. I hid around the corner of the den to listen. Mom never noticed me - I think. For the most part, I continued to believe that opera was for those who understood languages other than English and/or for old people.

I'm in high school, and that seed of music appreciation that began 16 years prior, didn't quite blossom but, at the very least, germinated. At the time, if I had to list my personal Top 10, it would have included songs of Roy Orbison, Tom Jones, and anything by The Four Seasons. Among the remaining six, was "Un belle di" from "Madama Butterfly." Did I grow up? Did my undiscerning ears finally detect true beauty in music - unbelievable beauty and emotion - from opera? Perhaps a bit ashamed to admit it, the answer was "yes." Ashamed because I waited many years to appreciate the sounds that filled the house each Saturday, or ashamed because I was a teenager and was not "supposed" to like opera? I think the answer is "both."

Juan Diego Florez
"Le Comte Ory"
March 24, 2011

The 2010/11 season is the 80th anniversary of the Saturday matinee radio broadcasts, now heard on NPR stations as well as throughout the world on the International Radio Network. The series runs from December through May. This is FREE opera at its very best. I now try to run my Saturday comings and goings with an approximate three-hour time span to sit by the stereo for opera listening. Mom often said that she was "glued to the radio" for the Texaco Opera Broadcasts (now sponsored by the Toll Brothers). While I didn't exactly become glued, it was difficult to pull me away from any piece composed by Puccini, Verdi, Bizet, or Donezetti. However, listening to Wagner once was enough. Save for vacations and otherwise special occasions, I have been faithful to these live Met broadcasts for decades. Basically, there was only thing that could pry me away from the matinees on radio - the matinees at the movies.

And then came the big screen! Live in HD. The Met launched its award-winning first season of live, HD performances in 2006. For the first time, simultaneous performances of those at the Met came to a movie theatre near you - and me. Now in its fifth season, HD operas have been seen by nearly 2 million on 1000 movie screens in over 40 countries. Officials at the Met now call what was a "calculated risk" a "worldwide phenomenon."

Before the movie series began, there must have been so many practical questions. Only time would tell for the responses. Would traditional opera goers not attend live performances? Would they go to these movies instead? Would those who might have thought about going to New York, abandon that idea for a trip a few miles down the road to the cinema? Does money talk? Can one put a dollar value on music? On opera? Then there are sociological questions. Is opera for the elite? Is it accessible? Will someone under age 50 be the youngest person in the audience?

It seems that one of the Met's plans was to increase audience numbers. According to Executive Director Peter Gelb, the series has surpassed the goal. Yet, that in itself has been criticized by those who believe that the appeal of live opera has been undermined. "Nothing replaces the experience of being at the Metropolitan Opera House," he said. For me, opera is the combination of music + dance + acting. Those onstage are not "just" the world's best singers; they are among the best of today's actors.

Last season's series broadcast nine performances. I attended five. Mom attended all. On those select Saturday afternoons, I was "introduced" to those who I "knew" in passing - Rene Fleming, Placido Domingo, Susan Graham, Natalie Dessay - new faces like Marcello Giordani and Marina Poplavskaya, and heartthrobs including Simon Keenlyside and Anna Netrebko. While several of the productions were called "new," this did not affect me, as the closest that I had come to the Met was radio.

Susan Graham
"Iphigenie en Tauride"
February 26, 2011

For readers only vaguely familiar with opera, here are some helpful pointers. The plots are relatively simple for both the tragedies and comedies. The former far outnumber the latter. And, it's not a spoiler to write that leading characters often die - by sword, jumping off cliffs, live burial, hanging, and just plain illnesses. If the story gets even a bit confusing, a synopsis is read on the radio, or read your own on the movie's one pager, and the program book at the Met. Supertitles translated into English provide word for word text of the lyrics. One recommendation is to avoid reading on occasion. The music translates through notes and images far better than the written English. Notice that while most operas are expected by purists to appear exactly as the composer drew them, some are updated in costume and design. "La Traviata" and "The Magic Flute," for instance, have taken on numerous identities. Operas penned by composers Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, and Rossini are probably the best for Opera 101 classes to attend. It is not by accident that Puccini's works are among the most well-known even by people who have never heard of opera.

Of course, I had seen several PBS televised performances through the years. They were sporadic. Live in HD, however, is much different than in front of one's TV, particularly for five excellent reasons. 1) There's the thrill of almost being there in this huge, beautiful venue in New York alongside the thousands in attendance. And, surprisingly to some, many are teens and tweens. 2) The performance becomes three dimensional instead of two dimensional in the television format. 3) While there is a cost to see HD, it's not much more than that of a "regular" movie, and far less than the cost of a play or sports game. 4) Renee Fleming (MC) interviews conductors, singers, et al, before or after they set foot on stage, giving the movie audience something that the live audience does not hear. 5) As a theatre person (I've done everything but act), it is a wonderful treat to see the intricate choreography of set changes. If, for some reason, the opera is not outstanding, the accoutrements are; i.e. sets, costumes, lighting, coifs. Last season's "Aida" and "Turandot" were spectacular to see and hear.

Yet, do I know of what I write? On what was the single snowy, cold, slippery, raw day that we experienced in the unusually easy winter of 2010, I finally went to the Met. So, my answer is "yes," I can now compare the three: opera on radio, movies Live in HD, and Live at the Met in NYC. The opera - Puccini's "La Boheme." It was my third favorite, but Mom's #1 since the time she was a kid. This was her 89th birthday gift. Lincoln Center's setting was amassed with snowflake chandeliers, red and gold everywhere, and many opera lovers dressed up. However, the latter is far from a requirement, especially for the youngsters. It was wonderful seeing so many children appreciating the music of opera.

The plot of "La Boheme" is simple. Girl meets boy (girl is the aggressive one in the relationship), have one hour to fall in love, struggle though poor, have equally down-and-out friends, yet all enjoy life on the streets of Paris. Girl thinks that she is a burden to boy, leaves for another who she does not love, gets really sick, returns to boy, and dies in his arms. The gorgeous, sensual Anna Netrebko played girl, and Piotr Beczala played boy. The sets - the disheveled artists' garret, the lavish and populated promenade of Paris, a snowy landscape - are relatively dark (after all, this is one of the most tragic of tragedies set to paper) yet distinct and honest. The supporting cast goes above and beyond what one would expect from secondary roles; these singers are exemplary actors as well. Let me not forget that one voice that never stops throughout the three hours - the symphony of the Metropolitan Opera, with conductor Marco Armiliato.

I used the word "simple" to describe the story. I will stick with that, yet "La Boheme," the Metropolitan Opera, the red carpet, the giant curtain, the bravos after each aria, and the experience of sitting next to other people who I didn't know but who loved what I loved is not simple. I also sat next to Mom.

The 2010-2011 Live in HD season begins October 9th with Wagner's "Das Rheingold." The series includes 11 operas and ends on May 14th.  For information on each opera, dates, movie theatres, and the entire Live at the Met (in NYC) season check www.metopera.org.

Credit: Elena Park, Live in HD and Radio Guide, 2009-10 season

The Winter's Tale

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA
www.shakespeare.org
through September 5, 2010
by Shera Cohen

"The Winter's Tale" is not your usual Shakespeare fare. It's not a "history" play as royalty populating the story are fiction. It's not a comedy, because there is death. "Tale" is among The Bard's quartet of Romance Plays - neither comedy or tragedy but what today might be termed tragicomedy.

The plot of misplaced jealousy and kind forgiveness, of kings and queens, of the mundane and mysticism, makes for a wonderful tale, no matter what the season. Many questions arise pertaining to morals, integrity, and betrayal. One of Shakespeare's most accessible writings, it is a shame that it is not often performed. Shakespeare & Co. has rectified that in this visually beautiful set depicting two countries with characters dressed and coiffed to fit any ancient century. Most interesting is the profound difference between Act I and II - the first, tragic and dramatic; the second, frothy and comic. After intermission, 16 years have passed and with it the characters' lives. Director Kevin Coleman has balanced the two acts as perfectly as a seesaw with strength equal on both sides.

Many from the cadre of regulars take lead roles in "Tale," including Jonathan Epstein and Johnny Lee Davenport as the two kings. They are an excellent match, yet Epstein seems a bit affected. Corinna May pours every ounce of fury into her character Paulina, Malcolm Ingram creates a loveable shepherd, Josh Aaron McCabe embodies a moral man asked to do horrible deeds, and Jason Asprey intentionally steals the show as a con man. It is Wolfe Coleman as the young shepherd, a relative newcomer to the troupe, who portrays innocence, sweetness, and stupidity with physical humor to delight his audience.

In what is otherwise a nearly perfectly executed production, one suggestion remains - to significantly cut and/or tighten up the long festival scene in Act II. While it adds flavor (literally and figuratively) to the play, the music, dance, singing, picnicking, and even more dance stretches out to enhance little to all that is so powerful and funny in "The Winter's Tale."

Bad Dates

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA
www.shakespeare.org
through September 12, 2010
by Shera Cohen

This is an easy review. Simply go back in time, specifically to January, 2009 and November, 2008 to read the preview and review of "Bad Dates" on this website. The play was so much fun then, that it was brought back for a seven-week run in 2010. Only this time, it's funnier. Usually, repeat performances are not as good. However, solo star Elizabeth Aspenlieder had the audience, albeit mostly women, in a personal conversation. The big subject was shoes, somewhat like the "Sex in the City's" second most often topic of discussion.