Monthly Archives: May 2015

Ferry foibles can’t sink BPA’s ‘Drowsy Chaperone’

0501_KSFE_Drowsy3Play-goers stuck in the May 8 ferry back-up between Seattle and Bainbridge, fretting that they’d be late for the opening-night curtain of Bainbridge Performing Arts‘ “The Drowsy Chaperone,” needn’t have worried: Members of the cast and crew they were going to see were — so to speak — in the same boat.

The show was about 25 minutes late getting started, and showed no ill effects of the delay. A number of patrons did arrive late, however, and were ushered directly in (normal protocol would ask them to wait for a scene change or other break in the action).

BPA did benefit, in an off-hand way, from the ferry flub. A KIRO-TV news crew found director Joanna Hardie and a carload of cast members waiting on the Colman dock and making them part of their report. Free publicity; can’t be bad.

Further ferry foibles permitting, the “Drowsy Chaperone” runs through May 24. Information: 206-842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org.

Read the full review here: http://www.kitsapsun.com/entertainment/theater-bpas-chaperone-shrugs-off-late-start-and-dazzles_88619280

Old news, but good news: BPA 2015-16 season is out

This is old news to many of you, but since we’re on a theaters-announce-new-seasons tear right now, we’ll add in the already-revealed 2015-16 season for Bainbridge Performing Arts:

July 9-26 — “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Shakespeare at his most comical, performed at Bloedel Reserve.

Oct. 9-25 — “Hair,” the 1960s Hippie Musical.

Dec. 4-20 — “Mary Poppins,” very different from the movie, but still Practically Perfect in Every Way.

Jan. 22-24 — An evening of David Ives one-acts titled “All in the Timing,” presented by Swinging Hammer Productions.

Feb. 5-14 — “Love Letters,” classic A.R. Gurney comedy.

Mary 11-27 — “Amadeus,” a little night (or afternoon, if matinees are your thing) music.

May 13-29 — a TBA entry BPA is billing as “a new family classic,” but can’t reveal the title just yet.

Check out BPA’s Web site — bainbridgeperformingarts.org — or call 206-842-8569 for more information on tickets and packages.

— MM

Jewel Box announces 2015-16 season

While we’re letting cats out of bags re the local theater scene, the Jewel Box has also released — via Facebook — their 2015-16 season, which goes a little something like this:

September — “The Marvelous Wonderettes in Caps and Gowns,” another entry in the popular chamber-musical franchise.

November — “Some Assembly Required,” another little-seen holiday-themed show that the JB does such a good job of finding.

January — “Arsenic and Old Lace,” classic comedy about little old ladies who are mass murderers.

Spring — “9 to 5, the Musical”

Later spring — “Complete Hollywood, (Abridged)” a movie mashup in the style of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)”

Summer — “Don’t Dress for Dinner.”

We’ll get exact dates and other details as they become available. You’ll also be able to get info from the JB Web site, jewelboxpoulsbo.org, or by calling 360-697-3183.

— MM

WWCA announces 2015-16 season

Western Washington Center for the Arts‘ program for the May 2 production of “The Addams Family” included a list of shows in their 2015-16 season. No exact dates yet, but the season looks like this:

Fall — “Something’s Afoot,” a comic spoof of Agatha Christie-style mysteries.

Holidays — “A Year in the Life of Frog and Toad,” an all-ages charmer making a return to The Little Playhouse on Bay Street.

Winter — “You Can’t Take It With You,” classic George S. Kaufman-Moss Hart comedy.

Spring — “Romeo and Juliet.” Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.

Later spring — “A Little Night Music.” Sondheim, inspired by Ingmar Bergman, and a show that hasn’t been performed around these parts in at least a decade.

Summer — TBA. I always look forward to TBA.

We’ll post more information as it becomes available, or you can contact WWCA at 360-769-7469, wwca.us.

— MM

All-aces ‘American Buffalo’ beats a (tiny) full house

I got to go see the inaugural performance by the new Swinging Hammer company on May 1 of David Mamet‘s “American Buffalo” in the tiny 0508_KSFE_Buffalo venue.

Pretty gripping stuff, and highly recommended. The only drawback to the little (40 seats) room is that a ticket might be hard to come by. Try; you won’t be disappointed.

Here’s the review:

http://www.kitsapsun.com/entertainment/theater-american-buffalo-plays-all-aces-in-swinging-hammers-debut_45958308

MacMaster was shepherding six kids; but I had it tough …

There’s one thing I’m fairly certain of from an interview I did earlier today with Cape Breton fiddle whiz Natalie MacMaster, who plays the Admiral Theatre on May 8 with her fiddle-superstar husband, Donnell Leahy:

Neither one of us had anything on the other, as far as who went through the most to make the interview happen.

MacMaster was speaking from a playground in Carmel, Calif., where the MacMaster-Leahy “Visions from Cape Breton and Beyond” tour had pulled over for a May 1 show on its way up the coast to Bremerton. Hardly rough duty, until you consider that she was trying to talk to me at the same time she having a little family enrichment time with her six kids, ages 10 years to 12 1/2 months.

Me? I was in so0508_KSFE_MacMaster3me sort of rock quarry arrangement off Totten Road near Poulsbo, across the street from where my auto mechanic was awaiting the part that would make my ride, Rocket, whole again. I had picked out a pair of Tom-and-Jerry boulders — the tall one was the desk, the short one was the chair — and found a discarded pizza box to serve as a writing surface. With all my state-of-the-art reporting paraphernalia back at the Sungeon, I took notes with — get ready to kick it old school — a pen and some paper.

MacMaster had her half-dozen offspring. I had some curious little lizards. And, unbelievably, the same sun shone on us both, more than 900 miles separated.

I had to balance the pizza box. MacMaster had to balance the attention lavished on her kids, not to mention dealing with a fall by her youngest, Sadie Agnes, that forced us to take an Interview Break.

Because we’re both dedicated professionals, the interview happened, and the Sun’s preview story will feature MacMaster’s thoughts on the upcoming show, the first official MacMaster-Leahy CD (“One,” which you’ll hear a meaty chunk of during the concert) and the whole idea of taking your kids on the road.

“Our gauge is our kids,” said MacMaster, who home-schools all the school-aged progeny. “If they weren’t liking it, we’d have to do something. But right now, they’re loving it. And it’s great for me having them with us.”

— MM