‘Million Dollar Quartet’ Recalls Early Days of Rock’n’Roll

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Karen Nowosad

Scene from “Million Dollar Quartet” at Paper Mill Playhouse; Photo by Jerry Dalia

Review of Million Dollar Quartet

If 50’s rock and roll is your passion, then you will want to go to see Million Dollar Quartet playing through April 23, 2017 at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse. The show is filled with classic rock music with a story that shows a kinder, gentler time in the music industry.   It was a time when a musician with a song to sing could be heard by a top record executive and signed to a label. Once on the label they got help getting their  career off the ground. No youtube or social media to publicize a new talent. Instead the goal was getting their record heard on the radio.

The production Million Dollar Quartet at the Paper Mill is outright fun to see. It features an outstanding cast and musicians who bring the story to life. The book is by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, with the original concept by Mr. Mutrux, inspired by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. The show is directed by Hunter Foster, a member of the Broadway cast who originated the role of Sam Phillips. Mr. Hunter has mounted several productions of Million Dollar Quartet around the country in addition to this one. The music direction by James Barry.

 The story is set in the Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee on a Tuesday night in December, 1956 shortly before Christmas. It is based on a actual situation that occurred when four of the early rock’n’rollers affliated with Sun all returned on the same day. These four stars are Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. Each launched their careers at Sun Records. Now, they are all in different stages of their careers but feel a debt of gratitude towards owner Sam Phillips for his work on their behalf.  This get together occurs the year after Phillips sold Elvis Presley’s contract to RCA records for a mere $40,000. Big money at the time though needed so that he could keep Sun Records open. Throughout the musical, Phillips attempts to make decisions as to whether or not he should continue to keep his company open or fold it and go with a larger record label.

When a jam session with all four of these men begins, Phillips decides to tape what was happening.  That scene occurs towards the end of the show when an photo of the real life Presley, Cash, Lewis, and Perkins displays on the stage. It is pretty exciting to be an audience member who sits and watches this take place.  A sense of tribute for the glory of the rock of that era comes through thanks to the performances of a very fine cast.  That cast includes  James Barry as Carl Perkins, James Loughlin as Sam Phillips, Scott Moreau as Johnny Cash, Jake Rowley as Elvis Presley, David Sonneborn as Fluke, Bligh Voth as Dyanne, Sam Weber as Brother Jay, and Nat Zegree as Jerry Lee Lewis.

In addition to the jam session, songs made famous by each member of the “quartet” are presented.  You will rock out to classics like Johnny Cash’s “Walk the Line,” Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,” Carl Perkin’s “Blue Suede Shoes,” and Jerry Lee Lewis’ “All Shook Up.” There is also a fabulous performance of “Fever” sung by the character Dyanne who is Elvis’ current love interest.

Original scenic design is by Derek McLane with additional design by Kelly James Tighe, original costume design by Molly Walz with additional design by China Lee, lighting design by Ryan O’Gara, sound design by Randy Hansen and hair & wig design by Leah Loukas. The production stage manager is Frank Lombardi.

 

About the show:

Running Time:

Location:  Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ

Performances: Limited run through Sunday, April 23, 2017. The show is performed eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance schedule: Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 8:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm.

Contact for Info and Tickets: Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office or online at www.PaperMill.org. Students may order $20 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse box office on the day of the performance.

Free Audience Enrichment Activities:

  • The Conversation Club: Thursday evenings, April 6, 13, or 20, one hour before curtain for an informal, informative gathering. You’ll learn more about the performance you’re about to see and perhaps catch a glimpse of the stage being set.
  • Q&A with the Cast: After the matinee on Saturday, April 22, stick around for a lively Q&A with cast members directly following the performance.
Special Accessibility Performances:
  • Audio-described performances are on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 1:30pm and Sunday, April 23, 2017 at 1:30pm. Prior to these performances at noon, the theater will offer free sensory seminars. Sensory seminars offer an opportunity for patrons with vision loss to hear a live, in-depth description of the production elements of the show and hands-on interaction with key sets, props, and costumes. 
  • A sign-interpreted and open-captioned performance will be on Sunday, April 23, 2017 at 7:00 pm.  

 

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‘Bad Jews’ – Culture and Religion Clash with Current Day Society

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Karen Nowosad

(L to R:) Laura Lapidus (Daphna), Amos VanderPoel (Jonah), Maddie Jo Landers (Melody) and Alec Silberblatt (Liam) in Joshua Harmon’s “Bad Jews,” (Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

Review of the play Bad Jews at George Street Playhouse

Running through April 9 at the George Street Playhouse is a play that is a comedy but it covers some serious issues. Written by Joshua Harmon, Bad Jews won a number of awards when it first opened in New York. After seeing it, it comes as no surprise that it earned the New York Times Critics Pick as “THE BEST COMEDY OF THE SEASON” in October 2013 and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play as well as a John Gassner Award nomination for playwright Harmon. Bad Jews provides a forum for examination of issues important to the Jewish community such as identity and how it is changing, marriage, and after effects from the Holocaust.

Bad Jews is directed by Jessica Stone with this marking her directorial debut.  The cast includes Maddie Jo Landers (Melody), Laura Lapidus (Daphna), Alec Silberblatt (Liam) and Amos VanderPoel (Jonah). The action takes place on the night after the funeral of the family patriarch called Poppy. Poppy, had strong relationships with his grandchild and it appears he has instilled in them a healthy respect for the traditions of the Jewish faith. He wore a Chai necklace around his neck which was the only material thing which he brought with him from his life before and as a prisoner in a Holocaust camp. Now the question of who will get that necklace becomes the source of conflict between the three cousins.

Initially, Daphna talks to Jonah and believes he is supporting her. She desperately wants the Chai necklace particularly since she says she is engaged to an Israeli soldier. No one in the family has met this person so there is some skepticism about this supposed engagement. When Liam enters, he introduces the woman traveling with him as the lady he has fallen in love with. This lady, Melody, is not Jewish, so that begins to ruffle Daphna’s feathers.

Even before this meeting, Daphna names Jonah a “‘bad Jew” because of his lack of involvement in rituals and lack of striving to be a part of the culture. Lively discussion follows with Liam actually proposing to Melody that evening in front of the others. His claim for the Chai necklace appears cemented with that proposal. However, the action that takes place delves into some of the questions that this play explores. The concepts of marrying out of the faith and losing the identity that Jews have had for thousands of years comes clearly into focus. The lobby of George Street Playhouse has some information about these topics such as “Among those who got married in the 1980s, four-in-ten have a non-Jewish spouse. And among Jews who got married before 1970, just 17% have a non-Jewish spouse.” Also posted is information about identity, “The study also found that children of intermarriages are less likely to be raised as Jewish than those with Jewish parents” and “but the nature of Jewish identity in today’s world in changing.”

The set design is by Charlie Corcoran with costumes by Sarah Laux. The creative team also includes lighting designer and production manager Christopher J. Bailey and sound designer Drew Levy.  The production stage manager is Libby Unsworth.. Casting is by McCorkle Casting, Ltd.

About the Show:

Running Time: 90 minutes no intermission

Location: George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ

Performances: This play will run through April 9, 2017

Contact for Info and Tickets: George Street Playhouse Box Office at 732-246-7717 or visit www.GSPonline.org for tickets and information.

*theatervisit

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“Come From Away” Looks at 9/11 Compassionately and Hopefully

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Karen Nowosad

Photo by KM Nowosad of Let’s Go to the Theater

Come From Away is a Hit this Spring 2017 Broadway Season

Although 9/11/2001 was 16 years ago, memories are still fresh in the minds of many people. You don’t see much theater dealing with this topic. So when I read that this show, Come From Away, was trying to make its way to Broadway, I was a little skeptical. Could a musical portray what happened that day in a compassionate way without being too dark?  It took a long time for the country to recover. So what approach would a show use? Would it offer hope for the future?

The good news is that it does all of the above and more. Come From Away officially opened at Broadway’s Schubert Theater to some very fine reviews on March 12. I grabbed an available ticket during the previews because I did not want to miss a chance to see it. It was a very enjoyable show because it handles a difficult topic in a unique manner.

Irene Kankoff and David Hein wrote the book, music, and lyrics.

The story centers on the 38 airplanes redirected from their intended international destinations to Gander, Newfoundland.  The location is a small rural village. However, the residents provided almost 7,000 stranded passengers and some pets with shelter, food, phones and moral support for about five days. Story lines about some of the passengers featured throughout the show include one mother whose son is a fire fighter in NYC.  Another is a woman pilot who worked her way up the ranks.

The music is combination of rock, celtic, and a bit of folk.  All songs are performed as group numbers. A few feature an individual cast member who tells their story. The ensemble approach works well in this show and it keeps the one hour, 40 minute production moving along without a slow moment. There is no intermission.

Obviously, one can see the compassion involved with the storyline, but where is the hope? It’s right there in the fact that people of all races, creeds, and colors can co-exist and help one another as actually happened during those five days. This show is a tribute to the fact that people are all just people down deep. Showing that care and respect for each person truly makes this show a joy to see.

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