Magical Camelot at the Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT

The cast of Camelot celebrates the lusty month of May. Diane Sobolewski photos.

Lerner and Loewe's glorious musical Camelot is more than one brief shining moment on stage, it is an evening of magical musical theatre, a total delight for the senses. At the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut the musical has many charms, from the moment of Guenevere's arrival, to the final message of King Arthur about his Knights of the Round Table. Here is a summary of my full review and slide show which appear in Berkshire Fine Arts.

Marissa McGowan and Mollie Vogt-Welch in Goodspeed Musicals CAMELOT. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.
Directed with a sure hand and clear vision by Rob Ruggiero, the musical's book has a reputation as being a bit unwieldy, but someone has done some judicious editing, pruning and possibly even a little rewriting. It's an improvement. The actor-singers are all first rate, and in a last minute substitution, I was fortunate to have been able to see the incredible Marissa McGowan in the role of Guenevere, rather than Erin Davie. McGowan blew me away, and was very faithful to the role as I remember it from the first production which I saw in 1960 at the Colonial Theatre In Boston. That starred Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, Robert Goulet and Roddy McDowell.

Loyalties are tested between Lancelot (Maxime de Toledo) and King Arthur (Bradley Dean) in Camelot at the Goodspeed. Photo by Diane Sobolewski

Of course, comparisons are inevitable, even almost half a century later. So here goes. McGowan was every bit as good as Julie Andrews. Their voices are similar. When I closed my eyes, Bradley Dean seemed to be channeling Richard Burton and made an equally impressive King Arthur. However, Maxime de Toledo as Lancelot didn't remind me of Robert Goulet at all. He is much taller, louder and, well, cavalier. He exudes self assurance while Goulet was more vulnerable. Adam Shonkwiler as Mordrid made his character downright sinister, while Roddy McDowell only played himself. He never did have much range.

As Mordred, Adam Shonkwiler's Seven Deadly Virtues tickles wickedly in Goodspeed's CAMELOT. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.
In you take in a performance, you will likely notice the incredible sound the small pit band of just eight pieces creates using new arrangements by Dan DeLange. His choice of instrumentation is as much a work of genius as the music of Lerner and Loewe.

King Arthur (Bradlley Dean) and Merlyn (Herman Peters) begin the quest for right in Camelot at the Goodspeed. Photo by Diane Sobolewski

A short rant: Watching and listening to the video below will help you understand why I felt disappointed this summer at Barrington Stage's otherwise delightful Carousel and Berkshire Theatre Festival's well done Candide. Both companies substituted twin pianos for the usual pit bands in their productions. Even with twenty fingers, the sound is thin. But even that disappointment pales in comparison to those oozy second-rate, phony synthesizers gumming up things at the Mac Hayden Theater in nearby New York State. They are an insult to the composers whose creations are the heart and soul of the form. Musicals should be, must be, musical, not some bargain basement knockoff.

With Tanglewood so near, and music lovers flocking to the area, serving up second rate music in these productions will eventually backfire. Local theater companies cut budgets this year in response to economic realities, but don't be surprised if we see reputations and audiences decline as a result. I am not the only one who has felt cheated of the full experience one is supposed to get at a musical. Thank goodness for the new arrangements the Colonial Theatre has made with C-R Productions and the Cohoes Music Hall. Their production of The Producers last June provided a pit band, the only one in the long Summer Theater Season in the Berkshires.

The video was produced by the Goodspeed prior to opening night.

The trip to East Hadam took 2.5 hours from North Adams, and can be cut to 1.5 hours from south county. It is well worth the trip. If the weather is pleasant, you might want to take a picnic supper. The Goodspeed has set up picnic tables along the banks of the Connecticut River where they are located, and it makes for a nice break after the drive, and before the theatre.

The Goodspeed Opera House is on the Connecticut River with adjacent picnic grounds.
For more information and tickets, visit Goodspeed Musicals for details. You can also call the Box Office at 860.873.8668. Be sure to plan ahead. The wonderful old Victorian theater on the third floor of the landmarked building only has 398 seats which often sell out to the locals. There is an elevator. Don't miss the mini patio for drinks and a splendid view of the river.

Three Minutes of Jaw Dropping Imagination: "Civilization"

Marco Brambilla should do a past life regression. He might discover he was once Hieronymus Bosch (1453-1516), known to the Spanish as El Bosco. To prove my point, I submit for your edification, this unbelievable video, "Civilization," which reminds me of the triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights at the Prado in Madrid.

Watch this video full screen if at all possible!

Civilization, a video mural created for the new Standard hotel in New York City, depicts a journey from hell to heaven interpreted through modern film language using computer-enhanced found footage. This epic video mural contains over 300 individual channels of looped video blended into a multi-layered seamless tableau of interconnecting images that illustrate a contemporary, satirical take on the concepts of Heaven and Hell.

Of course, picking The Rite of Spring: Ritual of the Ancients by Stravinsky puts it over the top. Look for the Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man and Michael Jackson entering Heaven.

Open to All: $15 Rush Ticketsat Williamstown Theatre Festival

For the first time in recent Berkshire memory, Rush Tickets are being made available to the general public by the Williamstown Theatre Festival . The sharply discounted tickets, priced at $15, are available to all - not just students, youth or seniors. This is an extraordinary move that can only help expand audiences for WTF in an economy where ticket buyers are watching their entertainment dollars more closely than ever.

“We believe strongly in the value of what we provide to our audiences. Now, more than ever, we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the magic of Williamstown Theatre Festival’s productions,” Board President Matt Harris said in announcing the news.

The hilarious 1920's spoof The Torch Bearers has audiences howling at the Williamstown Main Stage through August 9. T. Charles Erickson Photos.

OTHER THEATRES, OTHER DISCOUNTS

This program is in addition to another discount program where buyers can get $10 off mainstage tickets by presenting stubs from another theatre company. There are also four half price ticket booths in Adams, Pittsfield, Great Barrington and Chatham, New York for day of performance tickets not only for theatre, but for dance and other events in the Berkshires and adjacent New York State.

A "mysterious presence" takes up residence at the Nikos Stage from August 5-16 is the wry new comedy Caroline in Jersey which features Lea Thompson and Matt McGrath as best friends in the play.
DETAILS: The rush ticket policy applies to both Main and Nikos Stage shows. You can now purchase rush tickets, based on availability, starting at 4pm until the curtain goes up at 8 pm, 8:30 pm on Saturdays. for all same-day evening performances. The $15 tickets - surprisingly - are even available by phone at 413.597.3400 or in person at 1000 Main Street in Williamstown. Beyond availability, there are some obvious restrictions: the discount cannot be applied to previously purchased tickets and cannot be combined with any other offer. Tickets are subject to availability and are only valid for same day performances. Limit 2 per person. Williamstown seating charts, ticket information

Berkshire Theaters Collaborate on Discount Tickets

For those on a budget there are many ways to save on theater tickets. You can volunteer to be an usher, or man the snack stand in exchange for free admission. You can check out the availability of half price tickets at any of four locations of the Berkshire Half Tix Program.

And now, the four major companies have launched a scheme where you can get $10 off a ticket purchase for their main stage productions.

Othello stars the brilliant John Douglas Thompson at Shakespare & Company until September 6. Kevin Sprague Photo.
Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Shakespeare & Company, and Williamstown Theatre Festival are excited to announce a collaborative effort to provide more affordable theater opportunities for residents of and visitors to Berkshire County. While all four theaters currently have a variety of ticket options designed to make performances more affordable—from special discounts for County residents to rush tickets—the foursome saw an opportunity to collaborate as a group in an effort to provide even greater accessibility.

Prisoner of Second Avenue at Berkshire Theatre Festival until August 8
For the 2009 summer season, the four theaters are launching a ticket stub discount program to kick off the collaboration. All four theaters will offer discounted tickets to provide greater accessibility to theatre goers and to encourage patrons to attend productions at multiple venues. Patrons simply purchase a full price main stage ticket at any participating organization and retain their ticket stub. They may then turn in that ticket stub at any participating organization’s box office within two weeks of the performance date noted on the stub to receive $10 off the purchase of a full-price main stage ticket at that participating organization. That second stub may then be used within two weeks of its performance date to receive $10 off the purchase of yet another full-price main stage ticket at another participating theatre. The offer is valid for all main stage events at the four theaters, with the exception of one-time special events. Tickets may be purchased over the phone or in-person at each theater’s box office.

Jeremy Bobb (l) and Charles Shaughnessy (r) keep audiences on the edge of their seats in Sleuth playing Barrington Stage until August 1. Kevin Sprague Photo.
The four theaters were a natural fit for a collaborative effort—all four are producing theaters with full summer seasons of ongoing programming, and each provides educational and training programs. Additionally, all four theaters have similar ticket prices, making a joint ticket offer, such as the ticket stub discount, an easy program to implement.

True West with Paul Sparks (l) and Nate Corddry (r) at Williamstown Theatre Festival until July 26. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
The ticket stub discount program is just the first initiative of the collaboration, with plans for future initiatives already underway. The group intends to not only provide increased opportunities for patrons to see theater at an affordable price, but to work together to create greater visibility for the outstanding theater produced here in the Berkshires. The ticket stub discount program will launch on Monday, July 13th and will run through September 5 (noting that WTF season ends on August 23, and BSC and BTF’s seasons end on August 29).
Box Offices:

Barrington Stage Company: (413) 236-8888; www.barringtonstageco.org

Berkshire Theatre Festival: (413) 298-5576; www.berkshiretheatre.org

Shakespeare & Company: (413) 637-3353; www.shakespeare.org

Williamstown Theatre Festival: (413) 597-3400; www.wtfestival.org

A. R. Gurney Directs Himself at Shakespeare & Company

A.R. Gurney
In a rare and unusual appearance, the Award-winning playwright, actor and director A. R.Gurney returns to Shakespeare & Company next week for a very special, one-time-only, benefit performance of his moving tale, Ancestral Voices. Gurney directs himself, award-winning actress Annette Miller and three other remarkable actors—Jake Robards, Corinna May and David Adkins—all assembled for one night only in Founders’ Theatre on Monday, July 20 beginning at 6:00pm. This special benefit performance of Ancestral Voices also marks the reunion of Gurney and Ms. Miller, who performed together in the Company’s celebrated 2003 benefit performance of Love Letters.

The PAPA Center at Shakespeare & Company.
Of course, it is all part of the ongoing efforts to retire the remaining debt on the company's PAPA Center which contains the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, rehearsal rooms, offices and scene shop so tickets range from $75 to $250. But considering the unique nature of the event, and the limited seats available, this is a bargain for such a historic event.

Ancestral Voices is preceded by a 6:00pm reception featuring cocktails and light fare provided by Samel’s of Pittsfield, and followed by a champagne and dessert reception with the actors at 9:00pm. Curtain time for Ancestral Voices is 7:30pm, and the show runs approximately 90 minutes. Founders’ Theatre is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. For tickets, contact the Box Office at (413) 637-3353 or www.shakespeare.org, or contact Melissa Borgo in the Development office at 413-637-1199 ext. 105 or mborgo@shakespeare.org.

Measure for Measure at Lunchtime at Shakespeare & Company

(l to r) Ross Bennett Hurwitz and Tom O'Keefe; Poornima Kirby; Nathan Wolfe Coleman. Danny Kurtz photos.
Lunchtime Shakespeare is being revived. It's an old tradition from Shakespeare & Company's days at The Mount; a midday combo of a substantial boxed lunch and a frothy bite of The Bard. Measure for Measure, is a tilt-o-wheel ride of political hypocrisy and ethical dilemmas, is brought to life on the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre stage by the energetic and talented troupe of young actors who are in S&Co.’s Performance Internship Program. Associate Director of Training Dave Demke directs.

First performed in 1604 and listed among Shakespeare’s comedies, Measure for Measure is as timely and relevant today as the latest disgraced politician or tabloid scandal. This lively but clear-headed play is a masterful mosaic of comedy and tragedy, intellectual debate and heart-felt passion. A searing indictment of corrupt politicians and moral hypocrisy, it is a play about balance—or rather, the consequences of imbalance when a powerful officeholder strictly enforces the nation’s morality laws, while hypocritically ignoring them in private practice. (Sound familiar?) Measure for Measure is a play that falls somewhere between comedy and tragedy, with grave issues of moral consequence interspersed with the exploits of characters like Lucio (a flamboyant gentleman), Pompey (a bawdy barkeep), and Mistress Overdone (the proprietress of a brothel).

“The thing I’ve been fascinated with is the way the play will swing from tragedy to comedy, literally within a scene. That swing of highs and lows is what I’m finding very compelling, as it has to do with forward motion. Once the train leaves the station, you can’t turn it around and you can’t stop it, ” Demke says, before choosing an alternative metaphor. “It’s something of a rollercoaster ride.”

Gabriel Portuondo and Tom O'Keefe
In Measure for Measure, a benevolent Duke has left Vienna temporarily in the hands of the harsh—and hypocritical—Angelo. Angelo rules by the letter of the law, even when it seems justice would be best served by a looser interpretation. Isabella, a young nun, learns that her brother Claudio has received a death sentence for out-of-wedlock practices, Angelo makes an indecent proposal to her, promising to save her brother’s life if she complies. The original “bed trick” is performed, to fool Angelo into thinking his bargain was accepted, while a “head trick” falsely convinces him Claudio is dead. Meanwhile, The Duke has not left Vienna but in fact has remained behind, in disguise, to witness Angelo’s rule. Will The Duke restore order to this tangle of illicit relationships, willful confusion, and misrule in the name of “law and order”?

Measure for Measure plays from July 10 to September 5, with all curtain times at 12:45pm. Tickets run $14 to $18 for Previews, and $16 to $24 performances on or after July 18. Patrons are invited to purchase specially prepared lunches and enjoy them on the terrace overlooking the Dottie and Stephen Weber Wetlands Garden or in the comfortable Bernstein Theatre Lobby. Boxed lunches (tuna salad, turkey, or veggie sandwich; apple; cookie; bottled water) should be ordered in advance from the Box Office for $7. Lunches are provided by S&Co.’s resident chef, Peter Mathis of Bountiful Harvest Catering in Pittsfield (413-281-7345). Lunches are available for pick-up in the Bernstein Lobby at noon.

The Bernstein is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. For a complete listing of productions and schedules, to inquire about the 40% Berkshire Resident Discount, Youth Rush tickets, or other discounts, or to receive a brochure, you can call the Box Office at (413) 637-3353 or visit www.shakespeare.org.

New York City Ballet Summer Season at SPAC

New York City Ballet dances Firebird at Saratoga
Tonight, at 8:00 PM, the New York City Ballet will kick-off its 2009 Season at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The season will run from July 7 – July 18. I am headed up to SPAC to see them, and to check out the Lake George Opera's Madama Butterfly. It's difficult choosing between the great Berkshire offerings and those in nearby Saratoga, New York. I will file a report on Berkshire Fine Arts when I return.

Among the highlights of the summer program will be the Ballet’s presentation of the full-length Balanchine ballet, Coppélia, a work partially commissioned by SPAC that had its world premiere on SPAC’s stage in 1974. Children and teens from the Capital Region will have roles in Coppélia as well as Balanchine classic, Firebird which is also part of the Ballet’s SPAC season. The children were chosen from auditions that were held in May.

Other highlights of the Ballet’s SPAC season include the July 11 Ballet Gala featuring the final Saratoga performance of NYCB principal dancer Darci Kistler in Slaughter on Tenth Avenue; iconic Balanchine ballets including Swan Lake, Stars and Stripes, the Four Temperaments, and Scotch Symphony and works by Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins, as well as new choreography.

For a complete schedule and ticket information, visit http://www.spac.org/