‘East Carson Street’ Premiering at Bell Theater

A 2008 view of a section of East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA – File is licensed in Creative Commons

The World Premiere of a new musical, East Carson Street, will open the new Bell Theater in Holmdel, NJ. The play has music by Joe Grushecky with a book by Jonathan Rosenberg.

Long regarded as one of rock & roll’s most talented singer-songwriters, Joe Grushecky grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. With his band Iron City Houserockers, he produced several albums which received rave reviews. In 1995, Joe began his collaboration with Bruce Springsteen. In 2009, he recorded the album “East Carson Street” with the current incarnation of the Houserockers.  It includes a duet with Bruce Springsteen on “Another Thin Line” which the two co-wrote.

East Carson Street is About Three Generations of a Pittsburgh Family

Daniel Kutner directs this show which follows the story of three generations of a Pittsburgh family over a period of four decades. It goes back to the 1980s when the city experienced the demise of the steel and coal industries. As the economy fell apart, residents had to find new ways to support themselves. Families were torn apart as they sought work opportunities elsewhere. Those who remained had to deal with the rising levels of crime and substance abuse.

The musical eventually moves to the 2020s and shows a new Pittsburgh; one which focuses on innovation, medicine, and technology. The city also reclaims its spot as one of America’s great cities.

East Carson Street stars Broadway’s Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages, Jekyll and Hyde) and Teal Wicks (Wicked, Jekyll and Hyde).

Notes about the show say this: “Set to Grushecky’s iconic music of the era, East Carson Street is a true testament to the greatness of the American people.”

Bell Theater

East Carson Street is the first entertainment offering at the new Bell Theater. It is located in the Bell Works complex, 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, NJ. Bell Theater connects with Axelrod Performing Arts Center based in Deal, NJ.

Posted on the website of Bell Theater is their mission statement: “to provide exceptional cultural programming to the community in a state-of-the-art facility. We believe in the transformative power of the arts and are committed to making it accessible to all.”

Wheelchair access and assistive listening devices are available. A range of amenities including a cafe and bar will also be available.

Tickets and More Information

Performances for East Carson Street begin on May 3, 2024. The show runs for nine performances with the following schedule: May 3 (8PM), May 4 (2PM & 8PM) May 5 (3PM), May 9 (7PM), May 10 (7PM) May 11 (2PM & 8PM) May 12 (3PM).

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the Axelrod Performing Arts Center website and select Bell Theater from the menu. Or, go directly to the Bell Theater website and click on Events.

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‘The Club’ Challenges Social Acceptance

‘The Club’ – A Review

The need to have friends and participate in activities with them is an essential part of feeling accepted. This starts when we are very young and continues throughout the lives of many people. This concept is at the heart of a new show premiering at George Street Playhouse. The Club, written by Chris Bohjalian, explores these ideas but in a unique way. Playwright Bohjalian sets the play in 1968. This becomes an interesting point of contention as the action unfolds. However, audiences will need to think about how far off the social issues of that time we are today.

The Club offers audiences a glance back to the 1960’s when life had a specific look about it. To carry this out, The Club has superb acting, dynamic sets, and a story sure to get you thinking. David Saint directs the production.

A Story of Three Families

The setting is the home of the Barrow family where the remnants of a party from the previous night are scattered though the living room. As Richard Barrows (Frederick Weller) and Anna Barrows (Ali Marsh) clean up, it becomes more evident that a lot of drinking took place. Insults are hurled between the two that an unnecessary amount of flirting took place. Their daughter, Olive Barrows (Skyler Hensley) observes all that goes on. But their conversation becomes heated as Anna accuses her husband of making out with Mrs. Willows at the party. Marion Willows (Grace Experience) and John Willows (Brendan Ryan) are friends who also attended the party.

But at the heart of the discussion is what happened to another couple who were at the party. Peter Kendricks (Ryan George) and his wife Angela Kendricks (Samaria Nixon-Fleming) are friends of both the Barrows and the Willows. They applied to the local club where both of the other couples are members. They are waiting to hear about their recently filed application for membership in the club. They are blacks in the midst of what appears to be a heavily white neighborhood. The year is 1968. Sometime during the party, the result of the vote is let out and it is not in their favor. But not everyone yet knows what happened.

What the Characters Discover

Anna Barrow decides to flush the entire situation out. She invites both the Willows and the Kendricks to come over for cocktails that evening. And it does all come out. There is great hurt and disappointment. Those moments in the play are tense and very well acted by this ensemble.

As is typical in these kinds of situations, everyone starts to look for someone to blame. The fact that it was one blackball that prevented the Kendricks from being accepted is even more distressful.

However, the revelation about what happened to the Letter of Recommendation that Richard wrote turns the situation in the most difficult direction of all. This is where audiences will have to look at what has occurred and determine was this just a happening of that time period or is it something that could occur now as well.

An Excellent Set and Side Video Displays

Important to the story is the set for The Club. It allows the audience to feel a part of the show by feeling like they are in the living room of a suburban house in 1968. This set is impressive and the care to details allows the upscale background of the characters to come through. And that is a critical element of better understanding the story.

High marks go to James Youmans for his set, projection, and media design. He has captured the spirit of that highly charged time in history so well. Unfortunately, the photo right below here does not show the screen monitors on the sides of the stage that show photos of houses that were popular during that time.

The lighting design comes from Tyler Micoleau and credit goes to Scott Killian for original music and sound design.

Additional nods go to Lisa Zinni for costume design so representative of that era and to Tommy Kurzman for wig and hair design.

See ‘The Club’ In Person and Live Stream

The Club is a play well worth going to see. It will give rise to conversation about how far we have come or not come from the situation in the 1968 play. Theater can inspire and educate when well done. That is exactly what happens here. If you feel uncomfortable watching it unfold, then you are allowing yourself to really look in as you attempt to better understand.

For more information about The Club, visit the George Street Playhouse website. This show runs through March 17.

The final performances, March 15 – March 17 are also available via Live Stream. For more information about going live stream. click this Live Stream: The Club link.

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‘After Midnight’ Dazzles with Music and Dance

A Look at After Midnight at the Paper Mill Playhouse

New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse continues their 2023 – 2024 season with a rousing production of After Midnight. This show ran on Broadway from 2013 – 2014. It utilized the talents of a number of different artists both as regulars and replacements including Wynton Marsalis, Fantasia Barrino, Patti LaBella, Toni Braxton, and Vanessa Williams. The production was conceived by Jack Viertel.

For the presentation at the Paper Mill, press notes state that this is a “fresh, reimagined version, After Midnight intertwines the poetry of Langston Hughes with songs from big-band legends Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Harold Arlen, Dorothy Fields, and more.”

For the first time, this production features an all-Black design team, stage management team, music team, cast, and band. Music direction is by Sean Mayes. Scenic and lighting design is by Adam Honor. Azalea Fairly provides costume design. Sound design is by Sadah Espii Proctor. Hair and wig design is by Alfreda Howard.

This is a very enjoyable show to go to see. You will be dazzled by the music provided by a first class group of musicians in the band. The cast is superb. They sing and dance and allow those by gone years to bloom anew again.

What is After Midnight About?

After Midnight is a retrospective look back at the Harlem Renaissance. Running approximately from the 1910’s through the mid 1930’s, the Harlem Renaissance is considered to be a golden age in African American culture. This musical provides a chance to experience music and literature that would have been a part of that time.

The setting is the legendary Cotton Club where people knew to go to hear many of the greats of that era. Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong were among those who performed there. The patrons attending were white who gathered to see black artists perform. Yes, this was a time of segregation. One has to feel respect and admiration for the performers who played in the Club.

A unique feature of this show is that there is no overall story holding it all together. Instead, the audience experiences what someone might have experienced if they had gone to an actual show at the Cotton Club. So the songs and dancing give the show its content.

There is a good variety and a lot of it with 26 songs making up the score. Some are compositions by Duke Ellington and others come from Dorothy Fields, Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen and others as well.

However, even though there isn’t an overall story, there are still a number of smaller stories woven into the individual performances. You are invited to open your minds to what is said and done with songs and the music.

The opening and the closing of the show give one a chance to feel like they are actually arriving at and then leaving the Cotton Club. The stage is neatly set up as it represents the inside of a jazz club. However, it is pleasantly open so the dancers have plenty of room in which to perform.

Music

If you enjoy the era of music featured in the show, then you will be in music heaven. Under the direction of Sean Mayes, the on-stage orchestra plays brilliantly throughout the show.

The exquisite score features such hits as “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love,” “Stormy Weather,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).” The Exit Music is “Take the ‘A’ Train” which is a great way to end a wonderful show.

And What a Cast this Show Has

An outstanding cast performs in this show. After Midnight stars Angela Birchett, Sasha Hutchings, Joshua Lamar, and James T. Lane. The cast also includes Stanley Martin, Aramie Payton, Destinee Rea, and Awa Sal Secka. Additionally, the cast includes Liv Symone, Harris Matthew Turner, Jasmine Pearl Villaroel, and Anthony Wayne.

The cast includes outstanding singers and dancers. The costumes are lovely including many gowns that sparkle and glow adding glamour to the setting.

Go to See After Midnight

Treat yourself this month and go to the Paper Mill Playhouse to see After Midnight. The show is an absolute joy to see. You will be tapping your feet as you watch the production unfold.

After Midnight runs at the Paper Mill Playhouse through February 25, 2024.

The show is 90 minutes and performed without an intermission.

For more information about the show, visit the Paper Mill’s website. You can locate the link for purchasing tickets on that site.

Visit the Gallery’s Exhibit about the Harlem Renaissance

 Be sure to take some time to visit the Paper Mill’s Gallery to see their exhibit Afrofuturism: 100 Years After the Harlem Renaissance. This exhibit runs concurrently with After Midnight and is a fine way to celebrate Black History Month.

This exhibition is curated by Atim Annette Oton of Calabar Gallery. It features the work of African, African American, and Caribbean artists. The focus is on the way they are using AfroFuturism to center reclamation, black liberation, and revisioning of the past and predictions of the future through a black cultural lens.

The Gallery at Paper Mill is free and open to the public daily 12:00–6:00 PM.

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