Pilobolus Program B, Joyce Theater, New York, Monday August 4th 2014

Pilobolus Program B, Joyce Theater, New York, Monday August 4th 2014

Tonight we went to the Joyce Theater to see Pilobolus Program B.

I cannot get over why some people attend the theatre.  I again had to ask some one to turn off their cell phone as the light was distracting and dangerous for the dancers at such a close proximity.

It was very special to see Pilobolus in NYC, yet alone twice within three months, as we saw them in Melbourne in about late June performing their first full length work  "Shadowlands."  I have waited since 1977 to see this company and now to see them here in NYC for such a cheap price was incredible.  These prices balanced out what we paid in Melbourne.

The other incredible aspect was seeing The Joyce Theater, let alone attending an iconic dance company in this historic theatre.  I had studied all about its history at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA)  and have seen many dance companies that have visited Melbourne. For example, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, Alwin Nikolais, Trisha Brown, Mark Morris, Pacific Northwest, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Royal Ballet, National Ballet of Spain, Cloud Gate, Ballet Nationale de Cuba, Les Ballet des Trockadero, Matt Ek, Mathew Bourne,  Christopher Wheeldon's work for The Australian Ballet and most Australian dance companies.

So to give weight to my wait since 1977, tonight was going to be a special night.  But I was to find out it was to be even more special  More of that later.

Review:

"Masters of Ceremony" is choreographed by Robby Barnett, Alison Chase and Jonathon Wolken.
What was scary in this first dance was the likeness of Jordan Kriston to my friend Michele Braban who was Rehearsal Director and Assistant to Christopher Bruce at Ballet Rambert for about 20 years.  Michele was the first person to Graduate from VCA as a Choreologist (Benesh Notation Method).  It was like was watching Michele come back to life as she sadly died, at the very young age of 51 in 2012.

The other incredible connection was that aspects of the first dance piece "Masters of Ceremony reminded me of my friend Ree Schweizer who was Circus Ring-mistress at The Shrine Temple in Chicago and at Circus Circus in Las Vegas etc.  So Jordan's performance was so spooky, sureal and special.

The female role is like a dominatrix with a gentlemen on a rope.  He is like her puppet, her toy boy, her servant.  Renee Jaworksi was arrogantly in control of her beast.  It is a reversal of the Beauty and the Beast roles.  There were controlled sections and then the  circus-like flourish to  "ta da" or punctuate each segment.  These were sinister, haunting and disturbing. 

I loved the use of the rope and the chair as it was like a pas de quatre.  The rope was an instant dancer from the moment Renee first used the rope.  She caught her prey in the guise of the man danced magnificently by Matt Kent.  Or should I say manipulate or obeyed by his controller and succumbed with servility.  A very fine performance.

The variations/divertissements paid homage to the circus world.  There were short sections where Renee as dominatrix used the rope in such creative ways to twist and turn and control his moves.  How do they come up with so many variations?  Love it.

A masterpiece of a work from a creativity and timing perspective.

A short film in between while the crew set up for the next piece.  The crew setting up was choreographed so well and in itself was another dance.  "Wind" was a clever short film with variations on the impact of wind. 

This is where we had to tolerate our very "windy" audience member.  He disturbed other fellow audience members with his "diarrhoea of the mouth and constipation of the brain"  He chose to talk all the way through this short film and then talk through every dance.  So rude. Why come to the theatre mate?

"All Is Not Lost" was created by a huge group from Pilobolus.  Check out their website for accurate credits.  This work has a screen on stage right and what appears to be a glass top table on the stage left.  But there is a camera underneath the glass top table and we get to see all the machinations, manoeuvres and gymnastic moves of this classy troupe which is relayed to the large screen. The way Pilobolus create and invent and do not repeat is so inspiring.

The crawling, climbing, clinging, rolling, supporting, suspending ..... So many fabulous variations that kept your interest and intrigued me at how they could invent yet another variation.  The flow seemed effortless and did not jar.

It was terrific as you could watch the screen, or, the dancers on and around the glass topped table, or shift between the two.  Or even try to watch both at the same time.  So a feast for the eyes and such a lift in my heart to see such fine athletic dancers relish in teasing us with this magically simple theatrical shift of perception.  It was also a tribute to the overhead shots of Busby Berkley movies.

This reminded me of a piece by NDT that came to Melbourne many years ago at The State Theatre.  (Date to be clarified here).  Though the NDT version used a camera from above if I remember correctly, this Pilobolus piece took this invention to a new level of creativity.

"Danielle" a short film that is slow meditation and shows the ageing process of a person in slow motion form child hood to old age.  Sadly it was difficult to enjoy the meditation with the verbose rude gentlemen two seats away telling his mate all the juicy NYC gossip!  It is not your lounge room mate!  RESPECT for all!

"Korokoro" devised by a huge group from Pilobolus has a group of six dancers in very skimpy g-strings and minimalist bras dance a very physically demanding work with lots of contact.  Visually stunning and textured with so many layers of dynamic interplay between the dancers.  I loved the pas de six where each couple would then be featured in a pas de deux of pure trust.

Act Two began with "The Inconsistent Pedaller" created by another large group from Pilobolus.  This piece had a bicycle on stage right, an old man in the centre, and a table with a cake and presents on 
stage left.  There was also a candle on the floor.  There was a pulley system that had a coat or a sheet hanging from it.   All would be revealed in due course.

The sheet was flourished and hung up as a sign announcing Happy 99th Birthday but had a replaceable section to change the number of birthday years accordingly.  It is as if the staff change the number for each resident's year of survival.  Punctuated with this was the survival of the staff working in a care facility and their opening pose was as if it is a dead end job.  But no, as this dance work reveals the job obtains huge satisfaction.

Jordan Kriston strode the bike and pedalled and brought the other characters to life.  It was a bit like a side show at a carnival and reminded me of "Carnivale" the tv show.  It was also like one of those music boxes or prize machines.  She wound the story up and it was going to repeat at nauseum.  It was like inside a nursing home (aged care facility).  We had our very athletic dancer, Nile Russell in what appeared like a nappy or an adult incontinence under garment. The juxtaposition of such athletic musculature and fragility of the nappy spoke volumes - as we will all age, and so enjoy your health while you can.

It was like the still life paintings of old, where they respected that death is a certainty.   And we hope that it does not come to this for ourselves!   (Refer to the philosopher, Alain de Bottan for more details about his analysis of still life paintings)

This riding of the bike sequence was repeated with variations like a daily grind for not only the nursing home staff but also for the residents.  Then a small children's tricycle appears ridden by Matt Del Rosario ( I think.  To be clarified) and it was as he were the Milky Bar Kid, or The Lone Ranger here to protect and guide not only the old man on his journey in life but their staff in understanding that their job is a vocation and not just a job.   He was like the engineer here to start the energy unit in the nursing home and revitalise their spirit.  He provided a fresh perspective.

There was mayhem and fun and games and presents were opened for the old man's birthday.  All presents contained ducks and ducklings.  There was the flying dance sequence where the dancers carried our old man into flight.  He soared physically and they energised his spirit.


Then present were opened and all the same present of  fluorescent yellow ducks and ducklings. The old man flew at one stage.  In fact he soared with sweeping moves suspended by the other dancers.


The end of the old man had died and his balloon floated off into the sky.  Is this to be our fate?  Yes we will all die and hopefully our spirit will rise too.

"Explosions" a very clever short film that showed many variations of explosions one should do not do at home.  The scariest rang true when they showed a bottle of red wine exploding in a microwave.  Or friends had a wheat bag do that and are still our of their house a year later!

"Megawatt" the final piece began with five dancers crawling on their backs onto the stage full of mats. The snake like entrance requires such skill, agility and strength.  Their entrance alone would exhaust your average theatre goer's attempt at the same movements.

This was was a high voltage and extremely gymnastic dance work with lots of rolls, falls and suspensions.  Trust is paramount for this company of dancers.  Trust also from us as an audience that they will deliver.

I loved some of the isolations and retrograde phrases of movement. It is as if you are rewinding the video or dvd. Then you get to pause it and they replay the moments.  This tricks our brain and allows us to relish the phrase again.

Pure teamwork.  It reminded me of the free falling antics of "Streb" a company that I was fortunate to see at the Melbourne Festival of the Arts.  The difference with this work and the work that I saw Streb  perform, was that here I admired their skill, technique and was entertained.  While still being entertained with "Streb" I feared for their safety and had an emotional response of dread and  still I respected their skill and technique. 

A great night at the theatre.   A very special event.

Special connections:

I met most of  the dancers and was moved when three of the dancers were also taught by Trish Casey-Strong.  She taught me at VCA and was so supportive and encouraging.  

This is an edited email that I sent to thank the company of Pilobolus:

Thank you again for a very special performance and completing a circle of study of both The Joyce Theatre and the Pilobolus Company.

I am sharing the following as I am so passionate about Dance and Theatre History:

What excited me was to reading in the programme connections of study at North Carolina University and the hope that one of you may know either Trish Casey-Strong or Diane McPherson or Francene (surname?)

I studied at the Victorian College of the Arts from 1979 - 1982 and had some incredible teachers.    Our Dean was Anne Woolliams who was John Cranko's assistant at Stuttgart Ballet.  Elsie Tjok Lim was my favourite classical teacher and an angel with someone who was classically challenged.

We also had a guest teacher from Spain for three months in about 1981 and his name escapes me.  But he was our Flamenco Master.  Other guest teachers included Marcel Marceau, Mirka Moira the artist etc.

We also had a guest residency from Martha Hill the first director in 1951 at Julliard's dance department.  She offered us jobs to teach dance in the regional USA and we all laughed as we were young and stupid and USA Work Visas then were ridiculously hard to obtain.  She was serious and we only realised later that we missed a great opportunity.

What was scary in the first dance tonight was the likeness of Jordan Kriston to my friend Michele Braban who was Rehearsal Director and Assistant to Christopher Bruce at Ballet Rambert for about 20 years.  Michele was the first person to Graduate from VCA as a Choreologist (Benesh Notation Method).  It was like was watching Michele come back to life as she sadly died, at the very young age of 51 in 2012.

The other incredible connection was that aspects of the first dance piece "Masters of Ceremony reminded me of my friend Ree Schweizer who was Circus Ring-mistress at The Shrine Temple in Chicago and at Circus Circus in Las Vegas etc.  So Jordan's performance was so spooky, surreal and special.

I apologise if I am waffling on but it was so special to see your performance at The Joyce Theatre and to evoke so many memories.

Such an incredible event.

This production gets an 8.5/10

Bullets Over Broadway, St James Theater, New York Thursday August 7th 2014

Bullets Over Broadway, St James Theater, New York Thursday August 7th 2014

Forgive if there any errors or please contact me re errors.  Thank you.

 

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.

Susan Stroman is a one of my directional and choreographically heroes.   She is a master genius and this adaptation of the Woody Allen film "Bullets Over Broadway" is brilliantly funny, clever and stylish.  Such a shame it is coming off and people will miss out.  But suffer as you missed your opportunity!

Sadly most Australians will have missed out on this show and hopefully the regional companies will try to emulate this masterful directioon and execution.  It is a perfect night of entertainment and it such a fun show.

Seeing Susan Stroman's "Bullets Over Broadway" is one of the few holistic theatre experiences as there was thought for not only the show but the logistics of the following:

You felt special from the moment that you entered this theatrical temple called the St James Theater by the staff's greeting and welcome rather than a curt "tickets!" pronouncement.

I must say this is the first of nine shows this year where cell phones were not a problem due to the hyper vigilant ushers and their dedication to ensure that all patrons were paid mutual respect.  

The young usher directing traffic at interval for the toilets was a superb stage manager and deserves a special mention for his concern about people's safety as they walked the stairs with cell phones as their "tinia".  He announced where people should stand to the right to allow through traffic and also made serious announcements with a light edge with "Facebook will still be there" or he has other versions like "Your girlfriend will still be there ....." or "Your girlfriend still loves you."  He said this with his genuine concern for people's welfare and also in keeping with the genre of the show.  This ensured more people talked unlike other shows where they got neck strain from bending over their phones.

Attending the theatre is not a cheap venture.  I love the respect shown by the "Bullets Over Broadway" management by fostering this caring activities by their ushers.  Also I think they are being responsible for not wanting someone to fall down the stairs as they are texting or talking on their cell phone.

Attending the theatre at the St James and the American Airlines Theater (for "Violet") were made much more holistic experience due to these ushers, souvenir staff and  the very pleasant Cloak Room attendant.

"Bullets Over Broadway" the musical was written by Woody Allen with music adaptation by Glen Kelly.  Susan Stroman works her cast at such a pace that it is  slick show full of wonderful gags and a story that moves with pace and "Bullets Over Broadway", St James Theater, New York Thursday August 7th 2014 the key moments from the movie.

Susan Stroman sets the scene clearly with "Nick's Club" and introduces us to the world of gangsters and their girls.  It seems familiar like "Guys and Dolls" but we are in for a treat of a show.

It is such a joy to see mature men dancing on stage rather than having twenty and thirty somethings playing the more mature men.

That is one of  the main differences I notice is that you are not past your use-by-date" here on Broadway.  But with Australian shows, so many times they use the stars or because of the population and the younger performers playing the older roles.

In Australia we are lucky to have so much talent but performers have more limited opportunities than Broadway or in London.  The competition is fierce in Australia (as it no doubt is in NYC) but the performers here are so lucky that they are more truthful to the casting of age specifications for roles to provide a more realistic portrayal of age specific roles.

The other great aspect of Broadway and Off Broadway, in fact most American theatre companies is seeing the number of older men and women who dance superbly.  Such a treat to see and honour their dedication to their art and their persistence in maintaining their dance skills.

David and Ellen's rooftop is a magic set that we know will revolve later and reminded me of "The Nance" and both had exquisite attention to detail.  

"The Streets of New York" shows us a great number with the men showing their masculine bravura and bullying ability.  My partner thought that the sets in the back alleys and near the canal reminded him of being under the Washington Bridge in "In the Heights."  For a show to evoke memories for my partner, of a specific show, is a huge compliment to both shows.  

"Olive's Apartment" provides some fantastic comic moments with the sexually suggestive "Hot Dog Song" and "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You."

"Helen's Penthouse" introduces us to the magical Marin Mazzie who plays the star Helen Sinclair.  He outfits are to die for.  The costume design by William Ivy Long is so accurate to the period and also glamorous.  He does not fail with providing a feast of glamour and sophistication to the characters.

"The Gowanus Canal" provides Cheech played by Nick Cordero with a great song to display his rich deep voice.  I loved the use of the car from a logistical and authentic view.  The other exceptional aspect was the backdrops that moved to creat a superb sense of movement, atmosphere and location.

The set designs are brilliantly realised by Santo Loquasto.  He provides such detail and smooth transitions between scenes to keep our attention directed accordingly.  I loved the skylines, the theatre revolve, the house revolve, the train, the compartments to the train, and Helen's Penthouse.  In fact I adored every set as they provided a changing attention grabbing moment.  It was like a swipe of an iPAD watching the sets back tabs shift sideways.

"The Belasco Theatre: Onstage Rehearsal" has us in stitches watching as Olive is trying to keep up the script as she uses her finger to keep her place.  When she finally speaks her line we get the vaudeville drop of the jaw by the cast and the pause.  Great timing.

I am curious if there some historical in-jokes about the Belasco Theater as I know there is a ghost.  I am sure Susan Stroman has used some historical homage in the scenes set in this theatre.

"Helen's Terrace Overlooking Times Square" is a simple set with the balcony rising and her name in lights in the background and then the writer's name scrolls up to provide a gag.  The duet between Helen and David is sensational and I love the repeated banter between the two of the them throughout the show.  It pays homage to so many old shows, vaudeville joke sand musicals.  It also reminds me of "The Three Stooges" and "Mark Brothers" sight gags.  

"Nick's Club" has the Atta-Girls provide some light entertainment and classy showgirl memories.  I loved their exquisite costumes and the fur outfits were so elegant.

"The Alley Behind The Theater" has Cheech and his Gangsters show us a great ensemble number "Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do" for the men.  So full of energy and Broadway pizazz.

The brilliant finale to Act One is set at "Grand Central Station" that pays homage to "42nd St" and  "On The Twentieth Century."  The ensemble shine in this finale with no hole to be filled.  The girls in their red outfits also pay homage to the Radio City Rockettes and absolutely shine.

Act One gave us  a smile on your face and humming along the tunes.  Every one seemed to have spring in their step.

Act Two "The Wilbur Theater in Boston; Onstage rehearsals" reminded me of the set for "The Nance."  "There's a New Day Comin'" sung by Eden played by Karen Ziemba with the company.  She      

has a hard act to open Act Two and does an admirable job.  Such a consistently fine performance all night.

"Backstage at the Wilbur Theater; Opening Night" has a great song "There'll Be Some Changes Made" which has the cast from the show eager to brighten up the dull script.  We also see Helen and David in a duet "I Ain't Gonna Play Second Fiddle" that provides some more sexual tension and adds to David's story of will he go with Helen Sinclair or stay with his original Ellen?

The scene the "Train from Boston to New York" has the Red Caps frame the number as the compartments to the train rotate to show us what is happening with various characters.  Their song is snappy and punctuates the action with each featured group.This simple revolving set was superb.

We return to "The Gowanus Canal" and see the car again.  We know what is going to happen as it is his routine to farewell a character.  Cheech reprises "Up A Lazy River" with gusto.  Cheech is now implicated in a way that could have severe consequences for himself.

"David and Ellen's Apartment" is revolved to show that Ellen is packing up.  "I've Found a New Baby" is their duet that gives us a moment to reveal their fragile relationship.  She is moving out.

Superb staging with this brilliant set that not only turns but trucks in from upstage.

The apartment trucks upstage as David leaves and reveals "The Streets of New York" where he  sings "The Panic is On." 

"The Alley Behind the Theater" has Cheech confronted and exposed for his earlier actions.  He reprises "Ain't Nobodies Biz-ness If I Do" that provides a sinister pause for us to consider the consequences of his actions.

The farcical chase scene occurs as we  return to "The Belasco Theater: Opening Night' where the stage  is trucked downstage surrounded by the lovely girls, even above the proscenium arch.  This reminded me of the Busby Berkley movies and of some of Graeme Murphy's staging for the Australian production of "Love Never Dies" and his ballets. 

This opening night performance is interrupted by the Gangsters and the chase is on.  This is brilliant beyond comparison as the stage revolves and the characters run through the set with impeccable timing.  It is a very dangerous staging and choreography and has been rehearsed with precision.  Did I say Susan Stroman is a genius?

Cheech is shot and reprises his "Up a Lazy River."  The visual gag of Cheech putting his hand into David's face is an extension of the Helen and David gag.  Great timing and portrayed with sincerity.

We return to "Nick's Club" for the opening night party with champagne flowing.  Relationships are resolved or renewed to complete our story.

A lovely duet by David and Ellen "She's Funny That Way" and then the full Susan Stroman Broadway treatment for us to savour.

Sensational choreography and clever direction by Susan Stroman.  A brilliantly entertaining show that deserved a longer run on Broadway.

The programme is outlined in the traditional way setting outlining the scenes and the musical numbers within each scene.  I love that as it provides a follow up to my "memory jogger" for after seeing the show.

I wish they had a photo of the train compartments that revolved in the picture book programme.  It was my favourite set other than the house that revolves and shows the bedroom.  This scene will be forever etched in my memory.

The souvenirs were on sale as the show is closing.  I think these sale prices should be the normal prices as the Getty Museum in LA uses a cheap pricing policy to get into the museum and you feel like buying a meal or a souvenir.  Here you think twice as $10 for a magnet is ridiculous.  $5 and I bought five as gifts!  $10 for a poster is great, $20 is outrageous.  Why can The Joyce Theater for magnets for a $1 and "Brigadoon" in Chicago for $3.00.  Don't be greedy people are struggling.

Producers please take note:  make the souvenirs more reasonably priced all year round to allow families and tourist and regular theatre patrons the opportunity to take a little bit of theatrical, physical memory with them.

Overall this production receives 9/10.

Beautiful, Stephen Sondheim Theater, New York August 8th 2014

Beautiful is so ugly, Stephen Sondheim Theater, New York August 8th 2014

"Beautiful" is so ugly at the Stephen Sondheim Theater, due to the selfish woman in the Mezzanine in either FF9, 10 or 11 who did  not turn her cell phone off and interrupted the most sensitive "sorry" moment in the show.  Cell phones OFF not silent.  OFF.  Spell it you feral sophisticated blonde bimbo!  O.F.F!!  That is O with two F's.  

Other than that ugly moment "Beautiful" was sublime!.

I had audience members thank me at the end of the show for telling her to turn her cell phone OFF.  That is do not turn the cell phone to silent but to OFF, so as not to distract anyone.  That includes no flashing or checking the time with your phone's flash light.

It is about "Respecting This Moment".  "Remembering This Memory".  It is about respect for everyone who has worked. toiled or laboured to buy their tickers.  This includes tourists who have travelled and spent hundreds, or even thousands of dollars from Australian.

Darling "Don't get your knickers in a knot!" she said to me rudely.  Twice she demonstrated how rude she was.  What would Oscar Wilde write? "Once is an accident, twice is carelessness!"

I am sorry about the rant but cell phone "tinia" is so contagious.  Thankfully the ushers were on to it but sadly the ushers are not magicians for those who do not turn them OFF.  Spelt as O.F.F.

I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre as John Truscott  who won Oscars for his  designs  of "Camelot"  the movie.  He was passionate about the event of attending theatre and I grew up with this tradition.  It is not your lounge room to chat during a show.

I write about the moment of arrival to the moment of departure from a theatre,

I picked up my "Will Call" tickets with ease and no queue and no fuss.

The Stephen Sondheim Theater is another palace with  foyers (lobbies) which allow room to move and better than most Broadway theatres.

When purchasing my "Beautiful" program, I check to see if they have a cd and photo-programme offer. They did and thankfully Lisa informed me that the cd had a damaged cover as they had run out.  I was impressed with that, but did not purchase the packaged deal.  Lisa was very understanding that I did not want to give a damaged cover cd as present and I bought a magnet instead which I think she be a standard $5 for all shows.

I bought the photo-programme and realised when I went to read it that the cast insert was missing.  I went back and asked Lisa about the missing insert and she informed me  they had run out.  I said that the price should have been reduced accordingly and embarrassed a couple near me.  I could not care less as I was sticking up for all theatre goers.  We should have been told it was missing as the product was not complete.  Producers take note!

I was impressed because Lisa knew I was serious and she offered to see if she could get me one from another stall and see her at interval.  I was impressed with Lisa's follow up and got the insert after the show.

At interval my partner told me of an altercation in the front Mezzanine Right AA Row where two women leant so far forward that they blocked the view of the two people in the BB Row.  The people in BB Row left and ironically the two selfish woman in AA Row sat back in their seats for the remainder of the show.

Please do consider and be aware of other patrons when attending the theatre.  It is a palace or a temple and not your lounge room for all to enjoy!

At interval the queue for the toilets was a circuitous route.  The Ruben-esque usher was a sensational Occupational Health and Safety Officer in requesting that people keep to the right and allow space for people to gain access and egress from the toilets.  She also re-assured patrons that the Stephen Sondheim Theater had the largest number of toilets and there would be a short wait.

The funny thing was that we had come from the Mezzanine on one flight of stairs and had to join the queue on the other flight of stairs.

Enough of my rant, the musical "Beautiful" was sublime.

Review:

"Beautiful" has a book by Douglas McGrath that links the magnificent catalogue of songs seamlessly.    There is not one dead spot in the show due to such a strong book with seamless transitions between scenes.  I saw "Dusty The Musical" in Australia and that had a heavy and detailed book with too many dead moments while "Beautiful" was succinct and had the audience humming along.  We had a few lines about some major events but nothing to slow the action.

"Beautiful" has music and lyrics by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.  "Beautiful" is one of the best "jukebox' musicals I have seen due mainly to the sensational music and the book.

Costume design by Alejo Vietta is naturalistic and supports the atmospheres with his modern period clothing.

Scenic design by Derek McLane is brilliantly realised with the precision sliding in of sets.  The lovely touch was the rotating of the upright piano to establish the location of scenes.  A simple 120 degree turn of the piano transported us to another scene.  The composite set pays tribute to the original designs for "Oliver".  It is the impressive sliding of the main set that really allows us to move    to many locations and give new perspectives to scenes.  The backdrop is really a mixture of props from recording studios etc, which gives such textured character to the sublimely remind us that this work is always about the music.

Lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski is the best lighting I have seen in show for a while as it was supportive and unobtrusive.  The range of colours created various moods and also assisted in created atmospheres.

Sound design by Brian Ronan gave us a mix of sound qualities to define location and atmosphere.

Choreography by Josh Prince provided opportunities for The Shirelles and The Drifters to show their moves and grooves.

The master is the director, Marc Bruni who brought all of the creative team and cast together as the perfect project manager.  Such a perfectly balanced night at the theatre for providing us an emotional journey of growth, success, disappointments and maturity.  Sheer perfection!

The finale to Act One is brilliantly staged where we have two triangles of The Shirelles upstage and the Janelle was the head of the downstage triangle with Carole and  Gerry.  These two triangles pulsated in subliminal sexual tension back and forth, then as the dynamics were changing the triangles became more accute.  A magnificent piece of choreography and staging to provide us with the obligatory tension at the end of Act One.

The cast of "Beautiful" are superb.  Thankfully we had seen "Baby Its You" that featured The Shirelles and it was great to see them featured, again, here in "Beautiful."  The rich bass baritone from The Righteous Brothers was devine when the duo sang "You've Got That Lovin' Feeling"

The cast had the audience in the palm of their hands as they audience sighed with personal connection to their memories of each song or were given jolts of surprised recognition when they
could not make certain connections.  The book provided us with so many wonderful ways to emotionally transported.

Jessie Mueller as Carole King, is the undeniable Tony Award winner for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for "Beautiful."   Her skill as an actress, pianist and singer transports us to believing that we are watching Carole King growing up in front of us.  Her voice is majestic as she channels Carole King.  Pure bliss!  Sheer perfection.

Jake Epstein played Gerry Goffin with measured emotional sincerity.  He has a quality that sparked electrical currents of tension with Carole King.  His roller coaster connection with Jessie Mueller's Carole King had us empathising with her journey.

Anika Larsen played Cynthia Weil with finesse.  He voice was so melodic and rich.  Playing opposite Jarrod Spector s Barry Mann provided us with some comic relief and some competition for Gerry and Carole.  Together they sang with rich warmth and charm.

The supporting ensemble worked seamlessly to provide us an array of characters from Carole's life.  They sang with great harmonies and assured moves.

The farewell and the use of "You've Got a Friend" was sheer perfection.  I had tears rolling down my face as this was not a goodbye but a re-assurance of their enduring friendships.

Such a perfect night at the theater except the Gerry apology was interrupted by the two loud cell phone messages received noises.  Who's sorry now?

Thank you to the cast and creative team for such a sensational night at the theatre.

"Beautiful" is such a perfect night of musical theatre.  It is devine.

An interesting aside:

I spoke to a few of the cast after the show to tell them about how "You've Got a Friend" was used for about ten years in the late 1960s to the 1970s as the theme song for the Melbourne S.E.C. (State Electricity Commission) as it provided that re-assurance for your energy supplies.  Jarrod Spector laughed and said that is funny as the S.E.C. in the USA is the Securities Exchange Commission!

Their faces lit up as I told them about the Australian connection.

The other Australian connection is that "Locomotion" was the song that escalated Kylie Minogue's fame.

Violet, American Airlines Theater, New York Wednesday August 6th 2014

Violet, American Airlines Theater, New York Wednesday August 6th 2014

Forgive if there any errors or please contact me re errors.  Thank you.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.

This is the first time seeing a show at the 700 seat American Airlines Theater.  What a treat to see Sutton Foster in such a pivotal role as "Violet" by the Roundabout Theatre Company in the perfectly size theatre for this musical to create intimacy and allow us to journey with Violet.

We have been blessed to see "Death Takes a Holiday"by the Roundabout Theatre Company and what a treat to see another of their productions.

"Violet"is based upon Doris Betts's "The Ugliest Pilgrim" which  has music by Jeanine Tesori and Book and Lyrics by Brian Crowley.  It is like the Hans Christian Anderson story  "The Ugly Duckling" does a religious revivalist meeting.  I received the "Violet"  CD a few weeks before departure and loved its message instantly.  I was grateful that we had taken the risk to book this show in advance.

"Violet"  is directed with simple precision by Leigh Silverman and intersperses the back story of the young Violet's accident in bite sized segments to give dramatic impact to the adult Violet's life story.  It is a musical with a deep message that touches some people so much that they have quivering or life-forgiving releases of tension.  It is like a song of forgiveness.  For example, the life-long  memories of enduring of school yard bullying or a violent family home.

"Violet" the musical sings of hope, respect, dignity, self belief, character building, confidence, assurance, dreams and broken dreams, promises and broken promises,  To me it is also about the way religion can rape our soul by their promises of deliverance.  It is your choice to make your own changes.

"Water in the Well" sets the scene with the  young and adult versions of Violet played by Emerson Steel and Sutton Foster.  This sets the tone for the show and you know that both characters are gong to tell the story.  Both work together like Siamese twins to create Violet's full character.

"Violet" is about a young girl who was accidentally axed by her father and disfigured twelve years earlier.

The whole show is like a confessional and we are witnessing the psychological back story in stages.  These are told through the young and adult Violet giving us insight into her feelings, motives and desires.

"Surprised" sung with passion by Violet has us in the palm of Sutton Foster's hand.

"On My Way" has Violet travelling to meet up with her preacher of hope who can cure her disfigurement and make her beautiful like Ava Gardner.  Sutton Foster sings this with naivety, hope and innocence.

There is simple staging that mainly uses chairs and tables for the bus and cafes.  The set design is by David Zinn  is effective and has a used worn blue paint that ages the set and adds to the atmospheres of the various locations. The bed slides in and out from under the band's stage.  A preacher stand also rolls out for this minimalist set.

The lighting by Mark Barton is very good. His green neon sign "Vacancy" gives so much context to the location.  The rich red lighting for the chapel scene and other spots to create atmospheres specific to their location.

The various neon signs gave us a sense of period and locations.  The slow build of light for the healing of Violet made Sutton Foster glow, shine and radiate and assist in her transformation. Perfectly simple devices.  She was in a halo of charismatic light.

Talking to other people who had seen "Violet", many of the older audience got confused about the young and old Violet.  Some missed the point and asked why they had the two Violets.

I suggest a different glow of light for the young Violet to reduce the age and memory/back story of young Violet confusion.  A simple lighting change could have highlighted the suggestion of the "ghostly memory of youth."  For example, when Violet makes peace and lets go of her younger self, the young Violet could  exit in a tunnel of light that fades or another similar change to distinguish this releasing moment.

The direction by Leigh Silverman provides a varying pace and moving story that lifts our soul in joy with the majesty of this work.  I particularly enjoyed the relationships developed between Violet and  Flick, Monty, her father and her young self.  There was the constant triangle of Violet with her father and younger self, or the triangle with Flick and Monty.  The two triangles create the square of balance for the show.  The old memories and the new memories fit nicely into her luggage - her box! The luggage is a symbol of our life and the baggage that we carry around with us.

"Luck of the Draw" we see a 20 minute bus stop and Violet plays cards and we see how she learnt to play cards to improve her mathematical skills as a child.  The timing of the hand movements between the young and adult Violet would at times correspond in unison and at other times suggest this unity.  There was a canon effect that would merge together like in a Dalcroze eurythmics exercise of "Unity of Time."

"Questions 'n Answer" between Violet and Monty played by Colin Donnell with his handsome features and his harmonically rich and melodic voice provide level of tension to her journey.

"You choose your own way" says Flick and it is as if we can only heal ourselves with one step at a time.  Flick is like the sage to Violet, even though she treats him with politically incorrect behaviour but tolerated behaviour at that time.   This makes us laugh with politically incorrect recognition. Flick shows his strength through this.  "You gotta do what you gotta do" he tells Violet.  Such an inspirational line and  more so by the sincerity of Joshua Henry,.

"All to Pieces" is a trio with Flick played sensationally by Joshua Henry,  with Monty and Violet.  Joshua Henry. has a charismatic presence and beautifully rich voice.

"Let it Sing" by Flick brought the house down with his full voice and compassionate performance
 by Joshua Henry.  The lights build to create a visual climax and support this fine performance.

"Anyone Would Do" by the Hotel Hooker shows the loneliness of life on the road and how people need people and it also shows how people treat others as disposable tissues. Annie Golden as the Hotel Hooker gave us the torch song of desperation.

"Last Time I Came to Memphis" by Monty starts with quite a discordant sound and adds to the edgy sleazy nature of his advances to Violet.

"Lonely Stranger"  by the Music Hall Singer played Anastacia McCleskey gives us another perspective of loneliness and hope that allows us time to ponder Violet's dreams.  She is fine actor who transforms into the various roles with Michael Chekhov "lightness and ease."

"Lay Down Your Head" is the post coital song that Violet sings to herself as Monty sleeps after his sexual "little death."  We also have the young Violet showing us her first sexual encounter and this counterpointing highlights the disposability of a sexual one night stand.  It reminds me of th e poignant "Where Is Love" from Lionel Bart's "Oliver" to gently tell us about hope.

The reprise of "Anyone Would Do" by the Hotel Hooker, Almeta, and the Music Hall Singer emphasises that everyone is after acceptance in a way that satisfies them, whether it is financial, career or love.  Or simply they want the acceptance or recognition that the individual exists! The triangular shape sublimely suggests the dilemma that will face Violet.

"Hard to Say Goodbye" between Flick and Violet develops Flick's care for Violet.  This is a song with such deep emotion it stirs you up with our own memories of saying goodbye.

"Promise Me, Violet"  a trio of Violet, Flick and Monty is a song of promises, potential broken promises, faith, building trust, and deception.  It is also counter-pointed as a song of hope and love.

"Raise Me Up" reminded me of the cliched moments from "Memphis" and "Sister Act" with the obligatory reveal of the stained glass windows and the chapel red robes.  This is the only time the back curtain is used and is appropriate as the curtain opens it signifies the gateway to Violet's  acceptance of self.   I thought this scene could have been shortened as it made its point quickly.  Gorgeous harmonies and a beautiful solo singer by Rema Webb as Lula Buffington.

A line "Nobody talks to the preacher without talking to me first" is a line by your classic gate keeper.  An emphatic "Anybody!"  provides a pause and silence from the audience.  The silence showed us our recognition of the hypocrisy of these conmen.  It highlights what we have control over.  This links into the work of Martin Seligman "What You Can Change and What You Can't."  One line or one word speaks volumes so succinctly.

"Down the Mountain" gave us the background information about the axing accident of Violet.  It is played with sincerity and interweaving of memory of simultaneous and overlapping dialogue which heightens the emotional journey towards reconciliation with herself.

As some audience members got confused between the young and old Violet,  I feel that the lighting could have distinguished between them both. The memory of self of the young Violet compared to the Violet of the present time.  Sharpening the dialogue with elaboration would make this clearer.  "Heathers The Musical" made the difference clearer by using the body posture of the dead Heather and her physical relationship to Veronica and with a subtle light glow.

There is a scene where Violet takes over the pulpit to assert herself and her dreams and desires.  She is learning to accept herself and is going through the emotional connection to begin the letting-go process.   The young Violet walks backwards offstage to signify the adult Violet is letting go of her pain and hurt.  A beautiful moment.  (Though the lighting could have created more impact at this important moment.)

"Look at Me" was a brilliant solo for Violet sung by Sutton Foster trying to get her father to look at her disfigured self.  If she could not get her father to look at her then how could she face life let alone look into the mirror each day.

My partner thought the band on stage was distracting as you only need to hear them.  I disagreed as it gave it the feel for the era and the various locations of the bus stops and bar scenes.

"That's What I Could Do" by Violet's father played skilfully with paternal detachment by Alexander Gemignani that had many tears rolling down many faces in the audience.   This is a brilliantly honest emotional solo.  Their cold familial relationship and the pain allowed many in the audience to feel some peace at Violet's journey.  Thank you Alexander Gemignani for assisting many to let go of some pain.

"Promise Me Violet" (reprise) by Flick and Violet is a song of hope and love.

"Bring Me to Light" provides us with the final images of each character carrying their luggage lightly - as if they are releasing their own emotional baggage from their lives.  It is a revelation that only we, alone, can change ourselves.  That is why this is such a masterful work of healing for many people.

"Violet" shows us the good and evil aspects of life: the spin of religious conmen, the fraility of
human relationships, our belief systems, father and daughter relationship, our childhood memories, independence, trust, faith, hope and the manipulation of  all of these.

"Violet" is a great companion piece to the musicals "Heathers The Musical" and "Beautiful."  Sutton Foster is sublime in a role that stretches her as an actress and us as an audience, it is like we are travelling on her transformational journey on Broadway too.

"Violet" is about so many aspects of human nature that it moved some people to tears with recognition of their own journey.  With the letting go and acceptance of Violet's self we appreciate more about the beauty of life. It is about gratitude.  As Martin Seligman suggests gratitude brings happiness.  It is about growth, and,  thank you Roundabout Theater for growing our perspective with this beautifully written and composed musical.

The American Airlines Theater staff of ushers and crew all need to be congratulated for their vigilance in respecting that attending the theatre is an occasion and can be expensive.  They show respect by trying to ensure that everyone's attendance is not disrupted by annoying phones beeping or flashing to check the time!

Off means off!  Not silent.  Off with cell phones please!

American Airlines Theatre are role models as they have a very strict rule of NO PHONES FULL STOP.  Cheers!  Tears of joy for this needs to be the standard AT ALL BROADWAY THEATRES.

Thank you American Airlines Theater and also St James Theater as you both win my "respect this moment" or "respect this memory" award!

A friend of mine from New York was sitting in the Orchestra at this same performance.  She told me about one young lady in the audience who was openly crying, not tears rolling down her face, but convulsively weeping and as a result was being assisted in being healed by Violet.

August 8th 2014 (Our 6th anniversary of our first trip to NYC!)

Thank you to Roundabout Theater and to the producers of "Violet" for bringing it to Broadway.

This production receives 8 /10.

Heathers The Musical New World Stages, Off Broadway August 1 2014

Heathers The Musical. New World Stages, Off Broadway  August 1 2014

Draft version  I am still writing this Aug 4th 2014

Principals:

Veronica: Charissa Hogeland

JD: Dave Thomas Brown

Heather Chandler: Jessica Keenan Wynn

Heather Duke: Kristolyn Lloyd

Heather McNamara: Elle McNamara

Martha: Katie Ladner

Kurt: Daniel Domenech

Ram: Jon Eidson

Principal/Ram's Dad/Big Bud Dean: Daniel Cooney

Coach/Kurt's Dad/Veronica's Dad: Dustin Sullivan

Ms Fleming/Veronica's Mom: Molly Hager

"Heathers The Musical" is sheer bliss.  Palpable drama that touched my heart and will be remembered as a musical theatre event to change history.

That may seem a big statement to make but I could barely fault this show.  What struck me was that it spoke to many generations but most importantly to young people, especially young teenagers.  To watch these teenagers understand the depth of the messages makes me proud to see that this adaptation of the film to a musical speaks volumes about humanity.

I think "Heathers the Musical"  has legs.  Well spider legs.  Eight legs or even octopus tentacles with its potential impact on young people.  Its messages ring loud and clear through the violence and schlock stylised drama.

I remember clearly the impact that "The Rocky Horror Show" had on me when I was a teenager.  I have the same feeling for "Heathers" as it reaches a similar demographic but more.  It is like "Grease" blended with "The Rocky Horror Show" to reach both audiences, though "Heathers The Musical" has a much more resounding impact on humanity.

I have never seen the film and bought it as it reminds me of "Once" which translates and becomes even a better musical than a movie.  So I am eager to see how the film compares to "Heathers The Musical"  written by Daniel Waters.    The musical has a book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe  is superbly coherent and does not have holes like some bigger known musicals. They create a driving force to move the story forward and allow dynamic shifts in character development   and also balance the comedy with the dramatic and serious messages of this musical.

"Heathers The Musical" appears on the surface to be a teenage angst musical, as it is set when the teenagers are pubescent and around 17 years of age.  Obvious rivalries and hierarchies are evident in schools.  Is this any different to the outside world.   The three Heathers remind me of the perceived bullying of the large corporations, banks and lobby groups.  They too can be intolerant.  I am intolerant of intolerance!

"Heathers The Musical" has larger than life characters that we can still relate to.  There are so many  archetypes.  We have the college thugs and the dorky nerds and the fat supposedly ugly girl and the "Gorgeous at all times" girls!  

Direction is by Andy Fickman and is sublime.  I enjoy theatre as I can look where I want rather than what the director wants me to see with a film.  Andy Fickman delivers in ensuring our focus is zoomed to the important moments.  I watch those moments but also make sure I see what is happening in the complete opposite direction.  This was pure bliss to see the direction and detail of the ensemble created real "Michael Chekhov" atmospheres in 95% of scenes when ALL actors were focused. The atmospheres, on a couple of occasions, were lost when an actor lost concentration and allowed their attention to shift off stage or into the audience.

Andy's direction was so detailed and touched the emotional heart and pulled us emotionally on a roller coaster journey with Veronica Sawyer played by Charissa Hogeland and the three Heathers.  The focus of the ensemble with their characterisations was near faultless.  On three occasions I saw a cast member slip out of character to check out the audience of whisper to someone off stage in the upstage right hand corner! ( I shall be nameless!)   One male actor regained focus when he caught my eye.  Creating an atmosphere requires the entire ensemble, you are not just extras in the background.  We as an audience can sense the connection to the other actors.

Choreography by Marguerite Derricks is effective and so appropriate for this show without being too refined.  I loved the "Queen" "Bohemian Rhapsody" moment in Act Two, where the ensemble created a triangle behind the main singer during the song.  Their head movements were also reminiscent of ABBA's "Mama Mia" song.  Marguerite uses clever, inventive choreography constructed with sheer simplicity to emphasise the drama and comedy.  I was laughing so much at times that I want to see it again to remember the exact song and savour some moments again.

The entrance of the three Heathers Heather Chandler: Jessica Keenan Wynn, black Heather Duke: Kristolyn Lloyd and petite Heather McNamara: Elle McNamara was stylish, elegant and evil.  The three Heathers are led with such assurance and confidence by Jessica Keenan Wynn.  She is superb in maintaining her demeanour even during her ghostly scenes.

Fight direction by Rick Sordlet and Christian Kelly-Sordelet is also sublime, especially the slow motion fight sequence in "Fight For Me".  Slow motion seems to be such a cliche but here they take it up a few notches with such controlled slow motion facial expressions that co-ordinate with the moves. Not only funny at times but so clever and I am in awe at the skill of the actors to be true to the  emotional context of the angry fight.

The two college hunk, thugs, bullies Kurt (Daniel Domenech) and Ram (Jon Eidson) were a great team.  One the dumb supposedly handsome dude and the other the curly haired sycophant.  I loved their easy pace, energy and their levels of radiation.  

The ensemble all held freezes for an extended time and some actors were in very difficult positions.  (Martha Graham would have been proud at the off centre balances!)  Some of the classic positions was The occluded jaw of the Heather Duke  played by Kristolyn Lloyd was held with such unwavering intensity and honoured the shock of the situation.

There is a moment when a few of us clapped in the audience and it is where Veronica stands up to the others.  She consequently isolates herself.  Veronica shows strength, courage and leadership.  This to me is the essence of the message - to stand up for what you believe in.  ( I hope the young lady behind me got the message of this show.  She was so rude when I asked her politely to turn off her cell phone)

The music is superb.  When I received my "Heathers The Musical" CD in the mail about early July 2014 I played it three times straight away without a break. I was instantly hooked and my partner advises me if he likes tthe opening song or not.  We just had to see it and thankfully our timing work out so.

"Heathers The Musical" speaks volumes to many generations: those going through these teenage years and those who either have fond memories or wish to forget those times.  For those who want to forget these years it bring s out more humanity as it speaks to us as well.  If you are fat, or not tanned, or not muscular, or geeky, or homosexual or questioning your self etc.  This musical score and lyrics touches the soul and hearts of all of us and gets us to reflect upon our impact on the world.

This musical is about diversity and stuff these selfish "Selfie" moments'.  This musical is about humanity and what we can all do to make a difference.  It is the "WEESIE" musical.  (Think a selfie with more than one person!)  We were there when this musical made a difference and affected so many young people.  I met three young teenagers who have seen this show between three and five times!  

Producers take note that this musical requires an intimate theatre to enhance that connection to physically reach out to audiences.  This show needs to be picked up by so many cities and tour with a few companies to get the message out their quickly.  Forget doing just one big version on Broadway.  Spread the love!  Make a difference.  Think "Jumpstart the World" by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

The souvenir/concessions stand could do with displaying the price list.

The Cloak Room could do what "The Lyric Theatre" in Sydney does is write customer's name and phone number on their cloak receipt in the case of forgotten items going to the Lost and Found department.  New World Theatres could lead the way in this regard and take the holistic theatre experience to a higher lever.

Singing was superb with only a few bung notes during the whole night.  So impressed at the quality and texture of the voices and also the harmonies.

Simple and effective staging and superb lighting that resonated the various atmospheres of various locations.  The building of the lights for each scene changed with the warmth of the colours and the areas lit created defined spaces.  This lighting plot by Jason Lyons is one of the most visually emotionally attached to a production I have seen in years.  Jason creates moods and defines our attention to the requisite area for our complete focus.

I watched the various lighting changes and there was a lot of thought to create moods and context for each scence.  Sheer brilliance.

I loved the very stark and simple set.  It reminded me of Sydney Theatre Company's version of "Falsettos" directed by Wayne Harrison.

The ensemble roles for the Principal/Ram's Dad/Big Bud Dean were played with differentiating skill by  Daniel Cooney.  The Coach/Kurt's Dad/Veronica's Dad: Dustin Sullivan.  I watched you both to determine identify how each of  your character's centres would change.

J.D played by Dave Thomas Brown is mesmerising as a performer.  His performance had a sincerity and truth that was palpable.  His connection to Veronica played by Charissa Hogeland was electric, gas and water mains pressure.  Think all of the public utilities as they embraced their connection with dedication and focus.

Dave Thomas Brown looks like Johnny Depp and his handsome features melted many young ladies heart.  He played his role with so many levels and textures that enveloped his character.  I am in awe at his emotional connection that radiated like a beacon.

His characterisation was truthful and honest with human frailties. I was watching his performance until I was immersed by his character.  I could not see him acting.  He was this person.  He radiated with such energy and composure. He allowed us into his world by this fine actor's qualities and imagination to transport us.  I am in awe at his skill.

My heighest emotional response is like deja-vu or astral-travelling and few shows have taken me there.  But some have and that is my greatest acknowledgement.  Sometimes a performer can take me to this space, or their reality due to their performance but this accolade is rarely given by me.

In this case it was the connection between Dave Thomas Brown and  Charissa Hogeland that created goosebumps but had me flying in my emotional element.  I emphasise I do not see this incredible connection often and it was pure bliss.

The car / gang rape scene was written with such biting disposable accuracy.  Poignant and sadness underlay the humour.

The sword fighting sequence was choreographed so well and honoured Errol Flynn and other pirate movies mixed with the "Tea bagging incident" from "Big Brother" Australia.  The audience werein stitches   and the choreography then educated the audience by demonstrating a "spit roast" for those audience members who did not understand this new version of sword fighting.

The theatre is a perfect size as this show suits a more intimate venue for immediate connection to the audience. It is perfect vehicle for The Comedy Theatre in Melbourne!

"Shine a light" used the torches effectively.  The teacher, Ms Fleming played by Molly Hager with the right amount of spiritual care.  She also played Veronica's mother and clearly differentiated the two characters.

When Ms Fleming shone the light on the front row victim who was rejected.  It was a great 15 seconds of fame and a great example of a Dame Edna  moment of embarrassment.   I think it also sent up reality tv shows like "Big Brother" because of the instant connection with the audience.  You do not necessarily get that sort of cringe factor by watching tv.  Most people in the audience would be relieved it was not them in this moment.

Martha played by Katie Ladner sang the "Kindergarten Boyfriend" with honesty and sincerity.  She touched our hearts and allowed us to remember our first childhood love.  She also allowed the larger young lady to have self respect and I spoke to a other audience members and was heartened at the positive  impact of Martha's character and song.  She showed us what beauty is.  Not in a cliched manner but with truth.

The finale "Seventeen" is such a poignant song so rich in truth and maturity.  I think we will all remember what it was like to be 17.  Charissa sang this with such pure honesty that it reached out and cut into my heart that tears rolled down my face.  Let us enjoy the moment together!  Let us be!  It was like a meditation.

"Heathers The Musical" is a musical about hope, love, acceptance, diversity, respect, bullying and suicide.  I have never seen a musical that speaks loudly to not only young people but all of humanity with such dignity and honour.  It is not patronising.  It is a must see and sadly I do not have time to see it again.

Producers around the world should snap up this production and tour it simultaneously to spread the magical world.

I also cannot wait to see it again.  As well as the filmed version of this show.  It has an instant audience and I can see young girls and drag queens dressing like the three Heathers to attend screenings.   Is is sheer brilliance.

Principal:

Veronica: Charissa Hogeland

JD: Dave Thomas Brown

Heather Chandler: Jessica Keenan Wynn

Heather Duke: Kristolyn Lloyd

Heather McNamara: Elle McNamara

Martha: Katie Ladner

Kurt: Daniel Domenech

Ram: Jon Eidson

Principal/Ram's Dad/Big Bud Dean: Daniel Cooney

Coach/Kurt's Dad/Veronica's Dad: Dustin Sullivan
Ms Fleming/Veronica's Mom: Molly Hager