Five Course Love | Ladies Man | Winter Wonderettes | Bully

Bully

'Bully' showcases actor's talents
By Kerry Clawson

Bully: An Adventure With Teddy Roosevelt is a tour de force for actor Neil Thackaberry, who sweeps the audience along through this historic figure's adventures in a one-man show at Actors' Summit.

From his opening moments dramatizing one of Roosevelt's vigorous walking expeditions, to his enactment of Roosevelt's twilight years as the former president dreams of his former military prowess, Thackaberry creates rich insight into Roosevelt's dramatic life.

Thackaberry's booming voice embodies Roosevelt's renowned boldness and exuberance. And with the help of a toupee, long mustache and glasses, the actor creates a believable physical likeness to the robust 26th president of the United States, who served from 1901 to 1909.

Roosevelt was a rough-and-tumble sort of guy, but he could also quote Shakespeare and Goethe. He was Harvard-educated, yet he never felt he fit in with the genteel scholars there.

Jerome Alden's 1977 script has a heavy share of political stories, but it rarely gets bogged down. Chief among the political conflicts is Roosevelt's description of his failed attempt to wrest the Republican nomination from incumbent William Howard Taft in 1912.

Much of that action takes place on the campaign trail, with Thackaberry delivering speeches from a railing that symbolizes a train.

Rory Wohl's handsome set is dominated by rich wood panels, a leather chair, desk and large portrait of Roosevelt at center stage, nicely lit by Kevin Rutan. Wohl researched Roosevelt's study at his beloved Sagamore Hill home on Long Island, a National Historic Site, to re-create the gracious space.

In Bully, Thackaberry's most soul-stirring moment comes when his Roosevelt describes the death of his young wife, Alice, two days after giving birth to their daughter. In describing this tragedy on Valentine's Day 1884, playwright Jerome Alden used the only words from his diary that day: "The light has gone out of my life."

In another high point, Thackaberry personifies a heartbroken Roosevelt who, dressed in his signature Rough Riders uniform, is turned down by President Woodrow Wilson to lead the volunteer regiment in World War I. This painful scene is followed by a flashback to Roosevelt's glory days in the Spanish-American War.

One-man shows depicting historical figures are a specialty in Thackaberry's repertoire: Over the years he has also portrayed John Brown and Clarence Darrow.

Roosevelt was a tough guy whose adventures led him from living as a cowboy in North Dakota to exploring the Brazilian jungle. Yet he was also known to play hide and seek and have pillow fights in the White House with his four sons.

Through BULLY, we learn that his contributions to today's pop culture in America include the teddy bear, the plush toy created and named after Roosevelt after it was reported he wouldn't kill a bear cub during a hunting trip. Roosevelt, who lived from 1858 to 1919, also left us with the famous foreign policy slogan "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

At Actors' Summit, each performance is followed by illuminating talks with Roosevelt scholar Mark Dawidziak. He stresses in the program notes that Roosevelt was a study in contradictions: a warmonger and Nobel Peace Prize winner; a big game hunter yet an avid conservationist.

Alden's script draws forth these contradictions without hitting audience members over the head.

Roosevelt's life was so vivid in his mere 60 years that Bully is full of satisfyingly dramatic moments. Thanks to Thackaberry, the rich history of a man who came to be known as one of America's greatest presidents comes alive on stage.

Winter Winderettes (2 Reviews)

Actors' Summit's 'Winter Wonderettes' holiday treat
By David Ritchey, West Side Leader

It’s that time of year — time to shop for holiday gifts and hope you get at least one item you really want. You’ll find a big holiday gift ready for you at Actors’ Summit Theater with its production of “Winter Wonderettes,” which runs through Dec. 23.

This show is a musical holiday treat for everyone in the family. I saw grandparents and children (10 and older) enjoying the show.

The plot is simply an outline for 28 secular Christmas songs. The story is set at Harper’s Hardware on Main Street during Christmas in 1968. This is the night of the company’s Christmas party, and four of the employees have worked up a little cabaret show. Betty Jean Reynolds (Beth Jones), CindyLou Huffington (Aubrey Caldwell), Missy Miller Lee (Shani Ferry) and Suzy Stevens (Laura Cook) lead the audience (we’re the company employees) through songs, stories and personal reactions to the holiday season.

The four women have beautiful voices that fill the theater for solos and, yet, blend for close harmony. “Santa Baby” falls near the end of the show. But this is one of the best scenes in the show. Each of the four women, in turn, wears a white scarf to use while flirting with Santa and asking for special expensive gifts. The singers performed the song well — making it naughty and nice.

In another song, “Suzy Snowflake,” Cook, dressed like a snowflake, sang and tap danced her way through a production number, which celebrates the first snow of December.

Director MaryJo Alexander and choreographer Julie Schullo kept the show moving at a fast pace (about 100 minutes with intermission).

“Winter Wonderettes” was created by Roger Bean and premiered at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Bean and Brian Baker, who were responsible for vocal arrangements, constructed a holiday show that should become a holiday standard. Baker also was responsible for musical arrangements.

If you enjoy this type of musical, which emphasizes music of an era or of a theme, you may enjoy Actors’ Summit’s production of “Route 66,” which was created by Bean, too. This will play at Actor’s Summit June 21 through July 29. On June 22, the production will start on the top-deck of the parking lot across the street from the theater. The entertainment includes a display of vintage cars. After the performance in the theater, audience members may return to the top-deck for more music, desserts, beverages and other entertainment.

The next production at Actor’s Summit will be “Bully,” a one-man show featuring Teddy Roosevelt, on stage Jan. 19 through Feb. 5. Artistic Director Neil Thackaberry will play Roosevelt.

'Winter Wonderettes' at Actors' Summit
By Kerry Clawson, Beacon Journal arts writer

Winter Wonderettes is a frothy confection that goes down as sweet as a peppermint mochaccino with lots of whipped cream on top.

The holiday musical revue, playing at Actors’ Summit downtown, provides a big shot of Christmas cheer and general silliness as a quartet of former high school friends — Betty Jean, Missy, Cindy Lou and Suzy — reunite in 1968 to entertain at Harper’s Holiday Hardware Party.

Under the direction of MaryJo Alexander, Beth Jones, Aubrey Caldwell, Shani Ferry and Laura Cook work in sweet synchronicity as these campy cuties, who got together as a girl band more than a decade ago at their high school prom. Winter Wonderettes is a sequel toThe Marvelous Wonderettes, which is still playing Off-Broadway. The original show follows the quartet at the prom and at their 10-year reunion. The revues were created by Roger Bean, the first around radio and jukebox hits, and the winter sequel around well-loved Christmas tunes.

The characters sing a range of musical styles for the holiday show, including pop, plenty of Christmas standards, swing sounds and even a sassy mambo. Caldwell and some of the others get into a little bit of R&B and diva attitudes, which I would have liked to have heard more.

According to co-artistic director Neil Thackaberry, the show comes packaged with a pre-recorded accompaniment. That is most unfortunate, because for a professional ticket price, audiences expect live music. Winter Wonderettes’ recorded music at times reminded us all too loudly of Muzak.

That being said, these four actresses created beautiful, complex harmonies, especially in the velvety slow Snowfall with all its complex, augmented chords.

Ferry’s castmates pack more power than she does vocally, but her light soprano works well with her nerdy, cheery character Missy. That makes things all the funnier when she turns on a vampy act later in Santa Baby.

Winter Wonderettes has a thin story, so the show’s main draws are the bevy of holiday tunes and the humor the actresses bring to them. The revue isn’t as funny as some of its similar predecessors, such as Forever Plaid, but these women do dish up some sweet comedy.

Chief among them is Cook as the daffy, perpetually pregnant Suzy. Cook’s a very talented comedic actress who brings a snowflake costume to crazy heights in, of course, Suzy Snowflake.

At times, the quartet’s schtick feels like a wacky Saturday Night Live skit, Cheri Oteri style, as when the women perform a nutty cheerleading routine for their Chipmunks alma mater. The group also repeatedly introduces itself as “the Winter Wonderettes, snow snow …” trailing off in campy fashion.

Caldwell’s Cindy Lou is a tough chick who’s had a hard life but, even so, both her eye makeup and her characterization are a bit harsh for this show. Actors’ Summit newcomer Jones is a beauty as Betty Jean, who’s harboring a secret. When Betty Jean gets sloshed at the company party, she sings and dances in loosey-goosey fashion, but it goes on a bit too long, to the point where she seems more uninvolved than inebriated.

At this party gone awry, Santa has gone missing and the sparkly dressed Wonderettes must save the party the only way they know how: with holiday tunes, which are set to basic choreography by Julie Schullo. The set, designed by Alexander, is very nice, dominated by two huge presents upstage that turn around to reveal Christmas scenes of hearth, wreaths and a tall Christmas tree.

For those who’d like to take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle to hear some good singing, Winter Wonderettes provides escapism plus refreshing audience participation that’s good old-fashioned fun.

Five Course Love (2 Reviews)

New play set in five restaurants features 'delightful nonsense'
By David Ritchey, West Side Leader

A new script makes a production more exciting and more fun. That's what's happening with "Five Course Love," which is now playing at Actors' Summit. Gregg Coffin (playwright) wrote the music, lyrics and book for the show.

The plot deals with three characters who are looking for love. Each scene of "Five Course Love" is played in a different style restaurant: barbecue, Italian, German, Mexican and a typical American diner.

In each scene, three characters look for love (or a date). Those characters are played by Stephen Brockway, Aubrey Caldwell and Keith E. Stevens. The script provides these three performers an opportunity to display their talents by singing, dancing, acting and working in various accents.

Brockway, a recent addition to the company, has a great singing voice and the ability to play physical comedy with ease.

Caldwell, in her first production with Actors' Summit, moves easily from being a cowgirl, to dominatrix, to a diner-dolly. Caldwell sings well, dances with ease and seems to have a sense of humor about her characters.

Stevens is doing his 22nd production with Actors' Summit. He has honed his comedic skills, sings well and seems at home on the Actors' Summit stage.

MaryJo Alexander created the costumes. Alexander's skills are obvious in this production. When Caldwell makes her first entrance in each of the five scenes, one has trouble realizing this is the same actress we've watched in other scenes. Alexander combines vastly different clothing with wigs of various colors and styles, giving Caldwell a completely different look for each scene.

Alexander and Neil Thackaberry (co-directors) did some interesting work in this production. Certain lines and comedy bits re-appear in each of the five scenes. The directors make these bits comedic. They make the physical humor truly silly and good entertainment. In one scene, Brockway rides a stick horse while both wear similar cowboy hats. Caldwell rides a stick horse, too, but she keeps the stick horse behind her — she's riding side-saddle. This type of delightful nonsense runs throughout the production.

Marcia Snavely (musical execution) and Justin Hart (percussion) accompanied the performance and kept the music moving at a brisk pace. Michael Anderson (musical director) trained and rehearsed the cast.

'Five Course Love' serves up zany fare
Kerry Clawson, Beacon Journal

Five Course Love makes for a yummy evening with its irreverent, moderately off-color, melodramatic fun at Actors' Summit in Akron.

The musical presents five scenarios where characters are searching for love, each in a different restaurant. The show, which runs without intermission, clips along at breakneck speed as three actors portray 15 roles with distinctively over-the-top characterizations.

It took some serious imagination on the part of Gregg Coffin, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, to come up with these widely varied restaurant scenes. Actors Stephen Brockway, Aubrey Caldwell and Keith Stevens create the most pricelessly funny bit in a German restaurant scene that gives new meaning to the words "love triangle."

The incongruity of this scene in the Der Schlupfwinkel Speiseplatz restaurant makes it truly hilarious as a leather-clad dominatrix meets her lederhosen-clad, nerdy waiter boyfriend. They're interrupted by another, Eurotrash-type boyfriend, Klaus (Brockway), in a see-through black shirt who moves, dances and talks just like the wild German guys from the old Sprockets skit on Saturday Night Live.

The spike-haired Brockway is a sight to behold as lederhosen boy Heimlich complains, "Is there no bottom to my despair?" followed by Brockway's Klaus sticking out his bottom.

Stevens is a natural comedian who makes us giggle just watching his silly facial expressions. But he's especially humorous playing a nervous Italian waiter who gets completely wrapped up in an orange phone cord.

Small touches by directors MaryJo Alexander and Neil Thackaberry running throughout the show add to the hilarity, including Stevens wearing the same bow tie from his nerdy single-guy scene into a later scene as the lederhosen-clad waiter. In these goofy worlds, a stick horse wears a curly wiglet in a Spanish restaurant and menus are shaped like guns in a cowboy-themed barbecue restaurant.

The audience gets to participate a bit in the show, too, and a running gag in each restaurant scene also ends up making theater-goers part of the hilarity.

Caldwell, a newcomer to Actors' Summit, is a chameleon who changes personalities each time she changes her wigs, from a rough-edged mobster's wife to a redheaded dominatrix, a spicy Rosalinda and finally, a lovelorn blond waitress. She and her male counterparts work seamlessly together.

A couple of the show's tunes drag on a bit too long and none of the melodies is memorable. But all three cast members are strong singers who carry off polished performances.

The Actors' Summit production features recorded music and percussion by locals Marcia Snavely and Justin Hart. The directors said that decision was made because of the difficulty of booking live musicians for the full, extra-long five-week summer run.

According to Alexander, although this show was recorded live locally, the rights to recorded accompaniments are available for many musicals. These days, school concerts and musicals all too often order recorded accompaniments for their productions. If Actors' Summit's show is any indication, that could become more common for professional musicals. It would be an unfortunate cost-cutting trend, considering nothing beats the experience of hearing live musicians.

Ladies Man (2 Reviews)

'Ladies Man' too good to miss
By David Ritchey

One little lie motivates the action in Actors’ Summit Theater’s zany production of “The Ladies Man.”

Some people say a little lie is impossible, since all lies are big. You need to see “The Ladies Man” and decide for yourself.

“The Ladies Man” is turn-of-the century comedy-farce at its best. This type of French comedy was popular during the years prior to World War I.

Originally written in 1888, “Taileur Pour Dames” was George Feydeau’s (1862-1921) first theatrical success. Actors’ Summit is now performing an English version of the script, which was freely translated and adapted by Charles Morey. Feydeau may be best known for another comedy, “A Flea in Her Ear.”

This is the first time “The Ladies Man” has been performed in the Akron area.

The story deals with Dr. Hercule Molineaux (Ric Goodwin), who is married to a much younger wife, Yvonne Molineaux (Jen Walker). In their more intimate moments, she whispers “tiger, tiger, tiger” to him. He thinks that “tiger” is funny, laughs and, shall we say, spoils the moment. In order to bring romance back into their lives, he tells Yvonne she snores and then begins sleeping in the study.

Suzanne Aubin (Leah Frires) is one of his patients and convinces him to meet her at the Moulin Rouge. Suzanne doesn’t have medical issues on her mind, though. When he reaches the Moulin Rouge to meet Suzanne, everything goes wrong. This culminates in his sleeping on a park bench in the rain and getting home just after his wife and Etienne (Keith Stevens), his valet, discover that he did not spend the night at home.

Hercule’s life is complicated by a busy-body patient, Bassinet (Frank Jackman), who has a speech impediment.

The arrival of Madame Aigreville (Margo Parker), his mother-in-law, creates one of the funniest confrontations written for the stage. Madame Aigreville is described as Medusa by other characters, and she is truly a wicked witch out to destroy her daughter’s marriage and Hercule’s life.

Gustav Aubin (Alex Nine) is a Prussian officer married to Suzanne. Gustav has some of the best lines in the script. He does awkward translations of what he hears and what he wants to say. He becomes so confused when he meets Madame Aigreville that he thinks she is the queen of Greenland. She is equally confused and thinks he’s a dressmaker.

This loopy mix of characters provides an evening of laughter as they try to unravel the romantic nonsense they’ve created.

Director Neil Thackaberry has done a superior job with this light, fluffy comedy. The characters are well-defined, and the action doesn’t permit anyone, performer or audience, time to take a breath.

The actors have a talent for comic timing and for making Feydeau’s nonsense seem reasonable, at least for a minute or two.

When you attend the performance, be sure to notice the gowns the actresses wear. MaryJo Alexander designed and constructed the spectacular gowns. Madame Aigreville’s dress is especially stage-worthy. These dresses have to be well-constructed to take the physical action of the production. Suzanne’s skirt has to rip off in a second, as do Etienne’s pants. This provokes one of the funniest lines in the play. Etienne runs across the stage several times screaming, “I’ve lost my pants. I’ve lost my pants.”

The set has five doors. This is a French comedy, which means many characters race across the stage and run in and out of doors. Note how well the set is constructed. Nothing seems fragile — doors are slammed, thrown open and jumped through without any thought of the set not being able to survive the action.

This production is too good to miss. That’s no lie — little or big.

'The Ladies Man' farce hits the high spots
Fran Heller

I’ve never been a fan of farce, with its hopelessly convoluted and ridiculous plots and subplots and endless slamming of doors.

Despite such bias, I found myself smiling and chuckling through much of “The Ladies Man,” a classic French farce replete with comic romantic intrigue, mistaken identities, misguided suspicions and inopportune encounters. This updated version of “Tailleur pour Dames” (The Ladies’ Dressmaker) by Georges Feydeau (1862-1921) is written by Charles Morey. It’s at Actors’ Summit through April 3.

In a theatrical style in which breakneck speed, impeccable precision and timing are everything, director Neil Thackaberry’s bubbly production and a sufficiently antic ensemble hit all the high spots.

The silly plot centers on Dr. Hercule Molineaux, a middle-aged man married to the much younger Yvonne. Two months into their marriage, the couple now occupies separate bedrooms. When Yvonne discovers her husband has not slept in his bed one night, she suspects he is cheating on her. That suspicion is confirmed when a bedraggled Molineaux returns home through the window after spending the night on a park bench in the pouring rain.

Afraid to reveal the truth, Molineaux tells Yvonne he was tending to a very sick patient all night. When the aforementioned patient suddenly shows up in a state of perfect health, one lie spawns another as Molineaux tries to acquit himself of the perceived accusation of infidelity.

Making the plot even funnier is that he is innocent! Embarrassed by his inability to perform his husbandly duties in the bedroom, he agrees to an assignation with a sexy female patient. But conscience and fidelity lead the doctor to abort the clandestine meeting, whereby he runs afoul of a Prussian officer, loses his house-key, and ends up sleeping outdoors.

The play is as linguistically challenging as it is physically demanding. The well-rehearsed cast executes the fast-flying dialogue and nonstop action with panache and nary a pause. It’s a remarkable feat for an opening night performance to exhibit such exactitude and complexity. It can only get better during the course of the run.

All the actors acquit themselves extremely well; three are standouts. They are Keith Stevens, Frank Jackman and Alex Nine.

With his hair slicked back and a face that speaks volumes, a mustachioed Stevens is riotously funny as Dr. Molineaux’s obsequious and much put-upon valet Etienne. Stevens’s impeccably flavored French dialect stands in stark comic relief to the other actors, who speak with little or no French accent.

A droll Jackman is positively hilarious as the lisping Bassinet. As the doctor’s patient, friend and comic foil, the burly Jackman is the perfect combination of character and clown.

Nine is laugh-out-loud funny as the Prussian officer Gustav Aubin, obsessed with the idea that his wife Suzanne is cheating on him. One of the funniest scenes occurs when Gustav, having downed a sleeping potion, falls fast asleep in the middle of a sentence.

Ric Goodwin is true to type as the hapless doctor Molineaux. Jen Walker is pretty to look at as the fetching young wife Yvonne, who wilts under the thumb of her domineering mother Madame Aigreville, played by a suitably officious Margo Parker. Her character reminded me of the imperious Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Aigreville’s pointed commentary on the social classes, creativity and theater arts adds some weight to an otherwise superficial comedy.

Leah Frires sparkles as the sensual Suzanne Aubin, Hercule’s patient whose predatory pursuit of the doctor underscores a desire to teach her insanely suspicious husband a lesson. Ashley Conlon fills the bill as Marie, the saucy maid with a secret.

Thackaberry’s inventive set design, including the strategic placement of five doors and a window, works wonders with a thrust stage (audience on three sides). The actor-driven set conversion from the dressmaker’s shop to the Molineaux residence is a clever coup de théâtre.

Special mention must be made of MaryJo Alexander’s costumes. Alexander is a genius with a needle, and her sumptuous Belle Epoque frocks for the ladies, with amazingly lifelike wigs to match, are an artistic triumph.

Thackaberry’s tightly wound, fast-paced direction and a fine-tuned cast pull off all the farcical elements like clockwork. But the two-hour play goes on for too long, including a wordy and anti-climactic final scene that loses its comic fizz, a flaw in the writing.

Farce is fiendishly difficult to pull off. “The Ladies Man” is an artistic stretch for Thackaberry and company, who succeed in spades.

Actors' Summit is a professional, not for profit, 501-c-3 professional arts organization. We are seeking volunteers and board members. For more details, email us or call MaryJo or Neil at 330-374-7568.

Actors' Summit is working under a developmental agreement with Actors' Equity Association (the Union of professional Actors and Stage Managers.)