21 Chump St & Ordinary Days, Pursued by Bears, Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday June 17th 2017

21 Chump St & Ordinary Days, Pursued by Bears, Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday June 17th 2017

"21 Chump St" & "Ordinary Days" was presented by Pursued by Bears at Chapel Off Chapel, on Saturday June 17th 2017.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.  I write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

No attendant was selling programmes at the door to the theatre.  A jar sat next to the display of programmes and this is not responsible from a business and security perspective, and a poor show in welcoming patrons and customer service.

The programme lacked the song list.  Musical theatre fans relish being able to recall a specific song with a singer or a scene, rather than having to wade through the internet or a record collection to locate the name of a song.  The $5.00 price tag is affordable and of a much better quality than some other production companies.  However, where are Pursued by Bears's contact details in the programme?

An attendant should been monitoring patrons as they entered the theatre.  The curtain should have been pulled back for a safer entry for patrons.

No pre show announcement was made.  Pursued By Bears could invent creative ways to remind audience members to turn off their phones and no texting, photographs and recording etc.  This was another missed opportunity to prepare audience members for a special event rather than patrons idling sitting and waiting for the show to begin, and creating unnecessary distractions.

"21 Chump St" by Lin-Manuel Miranda tells a story from an episode of "This American Life" succinctly in fourteen minutes.

Byron Bache directed, with Clary Riven assisting, the three main characters with clear goals and intentions,  Both the direction and setting provided clear distinctions between most locations with the use of chairs, a television monitor and three cameras.   The sight lines were good from up the back as they did not play too close to the front row.  This is sadly a rarity in this theatre where too many productions get lost for playing too close to the front row of The Loft at Chapel Off Chapel.

Byron Bache's direction, was supported by the clean and simple Production Design by the capable and creative Sarah Tulloch.  Her designs reminds me of John Truscott's ability to create magic on a tight budget,  I am impressed with this young designer and enjoy her work.  It will be interesting to see how she develops with larger budgets.

The Lighting Design by Jason Crick was slicker than other productions, without some of the technical difficulties that I have seen in the The Loft.    Jason Crick's lighting designs provided a seamless distinction between locations.  The scenes behind the gauze curtain gave both a voyeuristic quality of intrusion to the journalist's interview, and the graininess of a television screen.

Lauren Edwards as the Narrator drew us into this short musical from her opening delivery to camera.

Olivia Charalambous was believable as Naomi, the undercover cop, who sang as reliably and beautifully as in other shows which she has performed.  She has an ability to engage with other performers to command our attention.  Olivia Charalambous created a clean switch between her school girl personae and the matter-of-fact and "part of my job" as cop when interviewed.

Jake Fehily as Justin Leboy was the gob-smacked youth who created an honest realism to his infatuation with Naomi.  His final singing was a bit off, but more importantly he transported me to his location with his emotional connection to a truth and an understanding of the consequences of his actions.

The scene with the cousins/druggies wearing beanies transitioned into the the school room scene. The police-woman played by Nicola Bowman should have had a simple hat or sunglasses to differentiate her character at this point.  Her physical actions as the cop did not define an authoritarian figure from her student characterisation. This scene was messy and lacked focus, and did not transform into the classroom scene effectively.

The cast sang well, though some diction was a bit dodgy at times.  The cast was backed up by an ensemble of Nicola Bowman, Kai Mann-Robertson and Stephanie Wood.

Musical direction by Caleb Garfinkel provided terrific support for the cast and filled The Loft with a wonderfully rich sound from a small band.

While watching "21 Chump St", with the use of the cameras and television screen, I realised that this capable company should consider doing "Nobody Loves You".  They could rework the ending to allow the for audience participation in the vote, which was sadly lacking in Second Stage's production in July 2013.  (Of course the outcome of "Nobody Loves You" is known - but with the audience participation it would be more engaging, and, could come across as either a true outcome or a rigged outcome.  This competent company could rework this work to cater for the "Big Brother" and reality show audiences.)

The story is succinct and compelling, though a little didactic.

My partner and I both gave Pursued by Bears' production of "21 Chump St"  a 6.5/10.

"Ordinary Days" was presented by Pursued by Bears  at Chapel Off Chapel, on Saturday June 17th 2017.

No pre show announcement was made.

Tyran Parke directed this fabulous cast of "Ordinary Days".   The four terrific performers were well cast for "Ordinary Days"  as each played definite choices that worked to create known New York archetypes. They transported me to New York locations that I know well.

With Music and Lyric by Adam Gwon, the score can be a bit monotonous until the final two songs providing a rich and uplifting ending.

The Production Intern, Kyra Von Steigler used sheer curtains to create a depth to the staging.  Four simple black set pieces made a New York skyline that turned into various other set pieces: including chairs or  a bed.  The Freedom Tower set piece was reconfigured with a simple door to become a closet and a telephone booth, while below was a storage cupboard.  This was simple and effective design.

Sadly, the sight lines were not good as they played many scenes too close to the front row.  It was very much like attending the NGV and trying to avoid the selfies and the heads of viewers.  I wonder how many directors consider the view from the seats further back with a full audience.  I have stated this in other reviews and it staggers me that playing so far down-stage in this small theatre continues.

Lighting Design by Jason Crick created various moods of New York:  with the opening back-lit skyline to an impressionist palette that supported the four characters visiting the  Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The simple lighting design also allowed for the height of an apartment building that reminded me of a simpler version of one lighting plot from "Spiderman - the Musical" (from the 17th August 2011 version!!).  The strewn pamphlets towards the end fluttering down also created a sense of height.

"Ordinary Days" reminded me in part of "On The Town" with the visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art:  when Deb played by Nicola Bowman was determined to meet Warren and retrieve her notebook.  Deb doing her circuit of the Met trying to find her meeting point with Warren, reminded me of, and paid homage to, Erronius doing the circuit three times from "A Funny Thing That Happened On The Way To The Forum".  Deb's frustration and anxiety rose to humorous recognition for those what have been lost in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Joel Granger is a reliable and charismatic performer in the role of quirky Warren from his opening soliciting pamphlets scene.  He sang beautifully but was a bit flat in one of the later songs.  Joel Granger reminds me of the lead character from "Bradley Cole" that played the 2013 New York Fringe.  Joel Granger would make a wonderful Evan Hansen from "Dear Evan Hansen".  I hope this fine young performer is given the opportunity to show his capability.

Nicola Bowman was sensational as Deb with her desperation to recover her notes.  She mainly sang well and sadly was flat in a later number.  Yes, I was disappointed by this, but I was more impressed with her strong choices for her character.  Playing opposite Joel Granger they created some terrific moments of awkwardness and tension.  Warren overstepped Deb's physical boundaries innocently adding to the humour.

Joel Granger as Warren helped open up Deb's eyes to the world and to herself.  We saw a lovely realisation and transformation in Deb as Warren gradually showed her how to see possibilities.

Mathew Hamilton played Jason and sang beautifully.  He has a gentle command with his stillness that demanded we listen to his story.

Brittanie Shipway as Claire has a sensational voice with a rich tone.  Claire invited us to witness her inner thoughts and emotions and realisations: ranging from detached to trapped.  Clarie's warmth to Jason grew to coldness that created tension from early on.  Jason was intruding upon her space and memories. Remember this young lady's name - Brittanie Shipway - for her final solo was sensational.  Repeat - sensational as it was full of drama, despair, realisation and hope.

The small band played well under the musical direction of Stephanie Lewendon-Loew, though the piano dominated and disturbed the balance.

I would have been content had the show finished with the final throwing away of the pamphlets from up high.  The final scene  seemed like a coda to provide a neat and tidy conclusion.  Both my partner and I were more satisfied with the possibility rather than the proposal and the revelation of the Jason and Claire finding a pamphlet.

The exit by the audience was a lovely touch as audience members were able to select one of the strewn coloured pamphlets from the stage.  This simple souvenir is your personal reminder of the show and was a great idea,

During the show, two audience members had to attend to their phones and made hasty exits from the theatre and walked straight across the stage.  It was so New York as they drove their way through the stage to reach the exit!  One of the cast members had to restrain their shock.  If there is an emergency - do not attend!  I say this one young lady was on her phone before the show and right up until the show began.  It was very distracting and sometimes a emergency means giving up going to the theatre.

I love Pursued by Bears for their dedication to musical theatre and providing young performers with opportunities, and fans with rarely performed works.

I would love to see this fine company tackle the off-Broadway production of "Death Takes A Holiday" from the Roundabout Theatre.

If you missed out on these two fine productions - tough titties.  You will not want to miss their next show.  They are such a great company.

The Alex Theatre in St Kilda should be enticing this company to their venue as they have much better sight lines.

My partner gave Pursued by Bears  production of "Ordinary Days" an 8/10 while I gave it a 7.5/10.

First Date, Pursued By Bears, Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday September 10th 2016

First Date, Chapel Off Chapel Saturday September 10th 2016

"First Date" presented by Pursued By Bears at  Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday September 10th 2016

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.  I write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.

"First Date" is better suited to Chapel Off Chapel than the Broadway Longacre Theatre.  This show is a really good Off- Broadway show and it is obvious why it did not have a longer run on Broadway.

Our waiter spoke volumes with his opening announcement to turn off mobile phones etc.  He did not have to say anything other than showcase a mobile-phone-ringing sound effect and say "You know the drill".  Sadly three people did not heed this advice as we had to bear witness to two long mobile phones that rang out and the third phone was switched off quickly. I am sick of paying money for these "Twankers" to potentially spoil a night out.  "Turn them off!"

Production Design by Sarah Tulloch is one of the best aspects of this show.  Sarah has incorporated a working coffee bar into the design and audience members queue to purchase a beverage.  This is similar to the working bar design in "Once".  The cafe tables at the front of the stage were similar to the 2010-2011 Broadway revival of "Le Cage Aux Folles".  At least these tables provided a buffer and we could see the action as sadly too many directors stage shows at Chapel Off Chapel with the action right up to the front row and denying many audience members with a clear view of the action.

Sarah Tulloch has the band upstage on a raised area that silhouettes the main action.  My favourite aspect was the kitchen area where meals would be presented for the waiting staff to deliver to patrons.  If you looked closely the chef was the drummer wearing a chef's hat.  Only audience to the left of centre would have been able to see this ingenious touch.

The set was functional, fun and funky.  The set also emphasised the intimacy and the potential vulnerability of being in a public space of a restaurant/cafe on a first date. The doorway was used effectively and swung around for the final scene.

The costumes worked especially for the quick changes.  The waiter's apron was a fun effect.

The other highlight was the choreography by Joel Anderson who paid homage to many Broadway shows with his insightful teasers.  Some of the obvious moments included "Fiddler on the Roof" and  "A Chorus Line", while the use of fans paid homage to "Chicago".

The opening scene was sadly cringe-worthy and my partner told me how he shrunk in his seat hoping the show would improve.  The opening had the women in particular yelling their lyrics.  The vocal levels were uneven.  Thankfully the show did improve but sadly the sound quality only improved slightly.

To put it bluntly the sound quality was awful throughout the whole show.  I wanted to yell out "Don't touch the other actor's microphone" as we had to suffer the annoying  thuds and thumps and tapping of the poor microphone.   The sound would drop out on too many occasions to list here.

Mark Taylor  has done a good job directing and staging "First Date".  My favourite aspect as discussed earlier was that the audience could see the down stage action as we had the cafe tables that allowed a gap between the first row of raked seating and the stage.

Mark Taylor directed the actors to freeze during moments - so that the audience could understand we were hearing a character's inner voices.  This freezing device was used effectively throughout and sadly not during the mother's letter song where the four upstage were distracting with their actions and thus spoiled the emotional arc of this song.

The singing overall was very average.  There was a lot of flat singing or yelling.  The main exception was Rebecca Hetherington as Casey who sang consistently and confidently without pushing her voice.

Stephen Valeri may not have had the sweetest singing voice but he certainly made up for it with his convincing portrayal of five well defined characters.  Stephen Valeri was terrific in clearly differentiating his five characters with a single pose, gesture or vocal phrase.

Nicole Melloy provided clear characters especially as Grandma Ida and Lauren (Casey's sister).  Her robot moves were strong and clearly mechanical.

Danielle O'Malley played the Siri role well and distinguished her from the ex-girlfriend character.

The robot sequence fell flat as it was too long and laboured.  Danielle O'Malley's moves needed to be crisper and more mechanical.

Jordan Mahar played  Aaron with honesty and warmth.  Jordan Mahar had the requisite awkwardness and did not overplay this.  At times his singing was flat.

The Lighting Design by Brynn Cullen and his Associate Lighting Designer, Rob Sowinsky was the best lighting in a show I have seen in a long time.  The lighting was terrific as it punctuated the action and developed clear focus for the internal dialogue "thinking" scenes.

The programme was expensive at $10.  The front page has white writing in a very small font on a grey background.  Too hard to read.  Please put the year on your programmes.  It could be September 2-11 of any year!  Three full pages of advertisements in a sixteen page programme for ten bucks is a bit rich.  I would gladly pay $5.00 for this but it is not $10.00 quality. Thankfully a song list was included.

"First Date" provided lots of good laughs and the actors timed these well.  Though the diction at times was not clear.

The sound, singing and diction dragged this down to a 5/10 from what could have been a 7/10.

tick, tick... BOOM Chapel Off Chapel, Thursday April 28th 2016

tick, tick BOOM Chapel Off Chapel, Thursday April 28th 2016

"tick, tick...  Boom" at Chapel Off Chapel, Thursday April 28th 2016

"tick, tick...  Boom"  is a three hand musical with music, lyrics and book by Jonathon Larson.  This fine production is from Pursued By Bear who last year did "John and Jen" at Chapel Off Chapel, Thursday April 28th 2016 has a cast of five.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.  I also mainly write for my memories of what I have seen.

The Chapel Off Chapel website for buying tickets needs some work to make the sequencing flow more seamless.

I was impressed that a programme seller was outside the door of the theatre at about 7.20 pm for an 8.00 pm start.  The show started within a respectable 5 minutes of the advertised 8.00 pm start.

The programme at $5.00 does not state the year 2016 on the cover.  I told this to the programme seller who asked me how I came to see the show.  I was impressed as he introduced himself as Mark Taylor, the Marketing Manager, so I told him that the year is missing from their posters, flyers and programme.  I congratulated him that each photo/bios of the producer, director and cast specified their production or acting role; which is unlike many other programmes at Chapel Off Chapel.  This company will do well with having their production team so close to understanding their current and future audiences.

The centre pages of the programme included a great photograph of the three main cast and sadly the writing is in white and is so hard to read.  Heaven forbid when I tried to see the title of a song during the show - we sat in the front row and had ample light and still could not read the titles of the songs.

Entering the theatre was a narrow passageway between strewn sheet music.

There was no pre-show announcement regarding phones etc.  The bonus was that no phones went off during the show.

Sarah Tulloch is the Creative Director and Production Designer and has designed a set that looks like a New York apartment with the sides full of everyday items.  This clever set allows for the change of locations.   There is a raised central platform with an upright piano on a revolving hinge which is reminiscent of "Beautiful The Carol King Musical" opening set.  Four chairs and a piano stool fill the main stage.  At the front of the stage were paint tins and an answering machine.  Ladders were on either side of the stage with a drop sheet.  Stage left had a microphone stand with a ladder and drop-sheets.   Up stage right were a stack of suitcases, while an upright cello and two microphone stands were more centrally located on the side.  Everyday items filled shelves giving a lived in appearance.  Sheet music bordered the raised stage which created a a physical and frame and a frame of musical reference.  Overhead are various light globes.  Sarah Tulloch is a theatre designer to watch for her ability to create designs that become portals into new worlds - full of emotional texture and depth.

Bearing in mind that Jonathon Larson died before his masterpiece "Rent" opened on Broadway, makes seeing "tick, tick...  Boom" even more poignant.  It was important to see where Jonathon Larson's work had progressed from.  These fine actors demonstrate such deep respect for this work, and perform the finale two songs with poignancy that moves us.

Luigi Lucente as Jon,  Angela Scundi as Susan and Quin Kelly as Michael created a balanced cast and were rounded off with the swings Rebecca Heatherington and Mitch Roberts providing vocals and extra characters to scenes.

"Sunday"  was a fun ensemble number that paid tribute to Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday In The Park With George" while the duet "Therapy" reminded me of the competitive duets from "Annie Get Your Gun".  This duet showed off the skills of  Luigi Lucente and Angela Scundi as they paid homage to many famous Broadway duets.

There was variable singing throughout, though the best harmonies were demonstrated in the finale "Louder Than Words".

The final lines of "30/90" remind me of the Renee Mill's book "Anxiety Free, Drug Free" with her 90 day anxiety reduction programme.  Here Jon shares with us, not only his journey, but his ability to overcome obstacles -  "ticks not being as loud".

Director, Paul Watson has used some very brave and effective staging by placing Jon  (Luigi Lucente) with his back to the audience.   Luigi Lucente is so expressive in his ability to communicate with his whole body that we do not need to see his face to feel his angst, joy and frustration.  Sometimes not seeing his face was more powerful than seeing his facial expressions.  Congratulations Paul Watson on using this device with compassion.

Luigi Lucente  sat, but mainly stood to play the piano.  Stooping over a piano is not a posture conducive for singing but was totally realistic for the character Jon.  Although  Luigi Lucente sometimes scooped onto his singing notes it did not bother me as it enhanced the truth in Jon's desperation as an artist to find his next lyric or tune.

Angela Scundi  as Susan, and voiced other small roles of Jon's agent or mother.  She differentiated between each of these characters.

Quin Kelly as Michael also played Jon's father.  Michael's revelation to Jon was played with sincerity.

The swings Rebecca Heatherington and Mitch Roberts were incorporated into the action providing vocal harmonies to the singing and provided visual characters to various scenes.  It is so rare these days that understudies are rehearsed in small scale works and I commend this company for having swings and also using them in the production.

Some of the American accents varied in quality.  Some noticeable errors included the pronunciation of Houston St in New York which as friends in New York explained to me differentiates if from Houston in Texas.  The other main word is the word - new.  (Hear examples of the differences online).  Some of the dialogue needs to drive to the end of the sentences compared to the Australian intonations.  (See "Speaking American" by Bruce Shapiro is a brilliant practical book with terrific explanation of the history of the American accents).

Musical Direction by Jess Barlow created some beautiful vocal harmonies.  The four piece band played well without drowning out the singers in this small venue.

Lighting Design by Jason Crick created atmosphere to each scene.  Sound Design by Kyle Smith created Jon's uncomfortable inner voice of the ticking sound.  There were opportunities to include some effective percussive sound effects used during the Times Square scene.  For example taxis honking and the constant crowds of people as in "On the Town".

The synopsis of  "tick, tick...  Boom" is available via this link.

I would love to see Pursued By Bear perform the two hander musical "Murder For Two" as Luigi Lucente would be ideal for one of the roles with his ability to play the piano, sing and act.

I consider buying tickets to a Pursued By Bears production is an investment rather than a cost.

Overall we gave "tick, tick...  Boom" a 7/10.

John and Jen, Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday September 26th 2015

John and Jen,  Chapel Off Chapel, Saturday September 26th 2015

"John and Jen" the musical by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald was presented by Pursued By Bear at Chapel Off Chapel.

This small scale musical is large on an emotional scale.

"John and Jen" was directed by Mark Taylor with Production Designs by Sarah Tulloch. The orchestra was led by the Musical Director Tyson Legg.

Musically the orchestra of Stephen McMahon on piano, Dave Greg on percussion and Sophie Anderson on cello were superb. They played with sensitivity to the varying themes for each song that progressed the story.  Gladly they did not smother the singers by playing too loudly.  They had a lovely balance which is so rare in some musicals.

The two actor/singers did an admirable job with the material.  Brenton Cosier played John and in Act Two added other characters, with Jaclyn Devincentis as Jen.  They both sang and acted well with the rare flat note.  This was totally forgiveable as it was a huge sing for two singers sometimes singing against some tricky accompaniment.  Yes there may have been a rare scoop onto a note and again this was forgiveable as I enjoyed their performances.  I have been less forgiving with others who do not engage with the audience with such warmth.

The music and lyrics can be a little too similar at times.  Their diction was clean and I could understand every word - unlike other musicals where I struggle to understand some lyrics.  They both have a lovely tone to their voices.  Brenton Cosier has a rich tone while Jacylyn Devincentis has a a very pleasant and appealing warmth to her voice.  It was terrific to hear when they both had to belt a section that they did not yell like some other singers.  Congratulations to both performers for this aspect of their singing as I have heard many singers yell and scream at this venue.

Emotionally the journey for both actor/singers is taxing.  It was especially rewarding to hear Jaclyn Devincetis's maturity of Jen as she aged and portrayed the mother role with sincerity.

Direction wise the space was too cramped.  This is a major problem in the Chapel Off Chapel theatre whereby the action is pushed forward so far downstage that the people in E Row and beyond struggle to see the downstage action.  They could either rid the front row and allow more room for the stage or push the front of the staging area back one metre.

There were problems with the set design with the door on stage right.  The actors had to be so careful not to bang into the main set piece on stage right for entrances and exits.  The same spacing issue made the argument at the end of Act One unconvincing due to the staging and space limitation.  The final moment of Act One was destroyed when poor Jen had to wriggle her way around the main "coffin" to exit through the door.  Sadly this exit destroyed her honest finale line.  Maybe a black out and sneaking out the back could have been considered an alternative end to Act One.

The main problem with the set design was the intrusive and dominance of the tree house like structure on stage left.  I liked the idea as it looked child like and as if it was a puppet on strings.  It also gave the image of a safe haven.  Though it could have been pushed up stage further to give the actors more room.  The show gave the audience a crick in the neck with most action either centre stage or stage right.

The best part of the stage design was the two trucks with doors to store props.  The funniest moment was during the "Talk Show" segment when doors revealed appropriate props.  It was as if we turned on the television and switched stations.   This was a one off joke that could have been repeated for added effect upon the reprisal of the scene.

Musically the score gets a little tedious due to the sameness of many of the songs.  I thought more lightness was required to give depth to the darker emotions.

My favourite parts were the orchestra and most of the singing.

I look forward to seeing these fine performers again in the future. Particularly for their ability to create an ageing journey for characters.

Programme notes:  I cannot understand why so many productions do not print the year of their production on their posters and programmes.  Take a look in the foyer at Chapel Off Chapel and see how many posters do not carry the year of production.  It is great to see those posters that do have a year in which it makes it historically more accessible.

I loved the beautiful photo of both performers used in the poster for "John and Jen" and was disappointed this image was not used in the programme.

When I purchase a programme I expect some basics.  These include the cast list, the production details and the background information on the writers,  Sadly there was no background information on the composer, lyricist and book writer.

I also expect a song list for a musical.  I understand that this might be a little old fashioned but hey do not charge me $5 for a programme that is just self congratulatory with spelling errors!   Yes education was misspelled as "Edcation".  No excuses for proof reading.

They also missed out on an opportunity to sell the cd of the show either at the theatre or via an advertisement.