There are three levels of Broadway musical: the great ones – Porter and Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart… & Hammerstein to Sondheim, Webber and Wildhorn. There are also the well-known unknowns – forgotten pieces like Redhead, Top Banana, Little Me, Pipe Dream, etc. They are lauded for their invisibility. But there is another set of musicals, competent ones like Applause, Seesaw, 110 in the Shade, and She Loves Me, that, while still played, don’t capture a place in the big leagues. HFPPlayers, one of Staten Island’s most enduring companies, bravely grabbed one of these misunderstood gems and breathed life in to it for a well-done limited run last month.

Once Upon A Mattress, with music by Richard Rodgers’ daughter, Mary, is a clever retelling of The Princess and the Pea. This musical rendering of the famed search throughout the land for one of royal blood to marry the Prince, but yielding an unlikely candidate, bears all the earmarks of the golden age, but its dated and wordy book and maybe-too-sweet score, have kept it from being true royalty.

Director Eric Stein saw this and cleverly injected topical humor into the production. This was quite ingenious as it kept it squarely retro (much like a TV variety show sketch) but the strains of TV theme songs and pop culture music and references gave the exuberant cast fresh performance fodder and the audience new and identifiable reasons to laugh and cheer. The best examples were Tiffany Raile’s Jersey Shore lady-in-waiting at the show’s opening and a singing nightingale in the second act that turned into a riotous routine thanks to Alexandra Stein.

We meet the entire cast in a tableau surely designed to lampoon classical Shakespeare with outrageous medieval costumes and overblown accents. Each character came with his/her own brand of high energy, low humor, and clever original touches, starting with a disdainful Minstrel (Kevin Daly) and poker-faced Jester (Kristin O’Blessin), each showing contempt for the kingdom. In the Minstrel, it gave his narration needed bite and charm and in the case of the Jester, it was an inspired touch creating a jaded jester. The second act showed us that the Jester is also an expert dancer in one of the show’s high-point numbers. Following them were Christine Conway’s faux-British uproarious wicked queen in an equally uproarious Valkyrie costume;  a game show host Wizard played magnificently by Joe Conway, whose presence and vocal quality was a highpoint; a pregnant Damsel in Distress well-sung by the lovely Dayna-Marie Palma and for the knight who impregnated her, local celebrity John Stillwaggon imbued Sir Harry with Spamalot-style slapstick and a wardrobe that included Las Vegas style armor. The audience had almost as much fun watching Sir Harry as Stillwaggon did playing him. Richard Peidra charmed up his prince by adding intelligence to what we are mistakenly lead to believe is a nebbishy Dauntless and Michael Nucciarone’s Buster Keaton face and gestures made the silent King compelling and a joy to watch.

Arriving from the moat with a classic spit-take is the titular Princess for whom the Pea is destined – Princess Fred – played to the hilt by Kathryn Stein. Ms. Stein could’ve taken the easy way out and just joined the cast in its potpourri of double takes and funny noises. Instead she deftly underplayed the role, turning Fred into the straightman and an innocent wanting-to-be-liked Princess. While there was no shortage of shtick from Fred, each was delivered as if she was afraid to be funny. Ironically, this excellent character choice enhanced the humor and gave her stronger likeability. It also brought new depth to her show-stopping numbers, “Shy” and “Happily Ever After.”

Tina Kenny corralled beautiful music out of a very large cast and Tom Wortmann’s set emulated gothic styles well. The production had a choreographing team of Michael Whelan, Christina Lorenz and Kristin O’Blessin making three cheers even more appropriate in this case. Christine Conway’s costumes were simply marvelous, with equal parts story book respect and comic take-off with Prince Harry in tights and work boots; jeans peeping out of togas of the royal court; and glasses left on the ladies-in-waiting like a classic Farside cartoon. Unfortunately, the sound (by Brooklyn Association for the Performing Arts) was inconsistent and proved hindering from time to time. More careful consideration should have been taken by them to ensure accommodating HFPP’s very large theater.

By the varied ages of the cast and the liberal buffet of raffles and giveaways, HFPP is very much a fixture of its surroundings. Here, too, they could have taken the easy way out and provided a pleasant community diversion, but the production’s obviously high standards and attention to detail show us that HFPP is a cut above. That’s why HFPP takes risks with obscure works; that’s why HFPP can woo professionals to its ranks; that’s why HFPP will continue performing happily ever after into its third decade.

Evan Meeña is a former member of EMT: Emerging Musical Theater Co.  in San Diego and writes for Liberal Librettos, a magazine exploring new views on classic musical theater.

IN THE BRONX: Lovinger Theatre @ Lehman College • Fri., May 13 & Sat., May 14 @ 7:30 p.m. Tkts: $15 – $30 (800) 838-3006 • www.BrownPaperTickets.com/EVENT/130913

IN HEMPSTEAD, LONG ISLAND: John C. Adams Playhouse @ Hofstra University • Fri., May 20 @ 8 p.m. & Sat., May 21 @ 2 p.m. Tkts: $30 • (516) 463-6644 (ask about discounts for senior citizens, students & others) to purchase tickets from Hofstra’s web site, cut and paste the URL:http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?orgid=416&schedule=list

The audience was confidently lead through the funny but darkly-twisted plot of The Bronx Opera’s presentation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, laughing out loud frequently during what did not at all feel like a three-hour opera. Abundant action with focus and crisp characters, Nicole Lee Aiossa directed these famed characters and beloved music with aplomb. Performed in well-crafted, often witty English, the cast successfully kept the momentum going, with not a lull experienced. Vocally, the donnas filled the theater much more than their counterparts, but all cast members sang well enough to bring life to their characters. The chorus animated the stage with both voice and movement.

Jason Plourde’s twisted, scheming visage as the lecherous Giovanni was magnetic. Brace Negron’s Bolgeresque Leporello was truly hilarious. He and Plourde ping-ponged perfectly as odd master-servant companions. Colorful, both musically and theatrically, were the peasant couple played by Sara Fanucchi and Scott Lindroth.  Stand-out solo’s include Hannah Rosenbaum as Donna Elvira and Robert Hughes as Don Ottavio, although Hughes seemed a bit restrained in other scenes.

Eric Kramer meticulously batoned the orchestra through the plot, getting as excited or disturbed by each scene along with the audience – adding to the fun. Some exuberance often drowned out a cantante’s lower notes.  The finale, full of sepulchral smoke, eerie lighting and demonic dancers, was icing on this 18th century cake (still fresh, for sure!).

This opera lover is now a convert to BxO. I look forward to enjoying more from this group in future productions.

Christopher Sirota is a performer and a cinematographer as well as independent reviewer, having performed off-Broadway and regionally. Recent achievements include film sequences for Genesis Repertory.  Probably not unlike many, he fell in love with opera, years ago, thanks to Puccini’s Tosca.

Let’s here it for innovation. It’s more than a trend for classical works to be re-imagined with a modern twist. This keeps material fresh and relevant. Sometimes however, there are pieces that are meant to be savored just as they are. Mozart’s Don Giovanni is one of them. The Bronx Opera has given us a gift: a production in lavish period costumes, striking scenery, and a full orchestra and chorus. Sitting in the steeply-racked Lovinger Theater one can easily transport themselves back to the time when Wolfgang himself conducted.  It’s plot – if modernized would be too dark with too many health concerns for today’s standards – tells of a lecherous rouge and his mercenary servant and their exploit toying with the fairer sex. At the onset, we see that this amoral pair is not afraid to even kill for their pleasure. Setting in motion a hunt for these two upper class swine.

As the title character, Jason Coffey was never nefarious. He gave us the arrogant aire of the less-than-nobleman who knows his coin buys him time and pleasure. This allowed us to never hate Giovanni but watch with a bit of envy. In excellent voice, Coffey strutted and leered, swaggered and posed, and never lost our attention. A wise choice. Jack Anderson White gave us an hilarious manservant Leporello. White was smart enough to know that even servants have hierarchy and gave an educated wit to this clownish role that elevated his performance. He and Coffey were an excellent pair. White’s deep tones gave us a vocal rim-shot for many humorous lines.

The supporting cast were all well-played and sung. Rob Joubert as the Commendatore gave us a finale worth waiting for, while Elizabeth Perryman, Steven Wallace, and Catherine Meyers contributed arias of great strength and passion. Natalie Megules and Rich Bozic as a hapless peasant couple caught in the grip of the nasty noble lightened things but contributed equal command.

Nicole Lee Aiossa directed a classic production, cleverly winking at other classic style in the meanwhile. The appearance of the deceased Commendatore reminisced many a classic horror film, while the omnipresence of three eerie damsels  (Emily Edwards, Robin Higginbotham, and Caitlin Trainor) permitted the audience hypothesis of everything from Greek tragedy to Macbethian witches. Both inspired touches.

Ben Spierman’s translation was to-the-point and kept the action digestible, Arthur Oliver’s striking period-style costumes were simply excellent; Meganne George’s stone pillars became houses and graves effortlessly, and Tyler Learned lighting accented the whole thing in period ambiance.

Bob Greene is a former playwright and retired history professor. He’s had works presented in New York and regionally since 1978. Today, he writes for several online services.

Andrew Liebowitz is the staff photographer for WrightGroupNY

HFPP XX Three Cheers on One Score!!

Once Upon A Mattress

Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14 @ 8:00 pm; matinee on Sunday, May 15 @ 3:00 pm

Friday, May 20, 2011 @ 8:00 pm and Saturday, May 21 @ 3:00pm & 8:00 pm

HFPP @ Msgr. Glynn Theater

366 Watchogue Road, Staten Island, NY 10314 (corner of Watchogue Road and Woolley Avenue)

Tickets $15 – Reserved Seating

(718) 761-6663

tickets.hfpp@gmail.com

hfpp.webs.com

Across the Verrazano Bridge, nestled in a cozy community center resides the HFPPlayers who – for 20 years – have brought quality entertainment to Staten Island. They begin their 20th season with a revival of Mary Rodgers, Marshall Barer, and Jay Thompson’s uproarious musical comedy, Once Upon a Mattress.

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, the search for a true princess of royal blood takes many wild turns in this production directed by Eric Stein with musical direction by Christina Kenny and choreography by Michael Whelan, Kristin O’Blessin, and Christina Lorenz. The award-winning company will also present a series of radio play adaptations, a holiday production in December, and has already begun collaborations with companies off-Broadway.

“For a generation, we’ve been proud to enrich our borough with the lively arts” says co-founder and managing producer, Kathryn Whelan Stein, “we are very excited about this season, we are setting the bar higher, taking more risks, presenting a more diverse program, and even have plans to take productions on tour,” she continued. “It’s about sharing our love and respect for the arts with our neighbors” says Michael Whelan, co-founder, (here pictured in the company’s acclaimed production of The Music Man and with John Stillwaggon in last season’s The Odd Couple) “… and bringing professional work right here to Staten Island,” concluded Eric Stein. The Whelan (and Stein) families has been at the forefront of this performing arts center since its inception and continue to be a major force to this day.

John Stillwaggon, who created the role of Dick in the off-Broadway musical, The Deciders, and professional dancer, Kristin O’Blessin appear in this production. Ms. Stein appears in the role of Winnefred the Woebegone.

Once Upon A Mattress features a whole company of talented artists from across the borough – and the country. The cast includes Kevin Daly, Richard Piedra, Christine Conway, Dayna-Marie Palma, Michael Nucciarone, Joseph Conway, Christina Lorenz, Alexandra Marrano, Sabrina Bogen, Lisa Fiore, Tiffany Raile, Alexandra Stein, Nancy Bates, Kristin Kaelber, Charlie Laquidara, Joseph Motola, Denise Sosa, Sabrina Bogen, Francesca Compagno, Christina Helgesen, Jared Holness, John Mancuso, Josephine Mauro, Marissa Mauro, Angela Nouvertne, Julia Nouvertne, Jack Obichinetz, Melissa Stuck, and Marylou Veasey.

HFPP's The Music Man

Oscar & Felix, respectively. HFPP's The Odd Couple.

Beneath the Rock
1:00 p.m.,
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Quad Cinema
34 West 13th Street
New York City

The film trailer: http://vimeo.com/20888752

Excerpts from the promotional information on “Beneath The Rock”

Eliana Ujueta was raised in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn and attended High School in Fort Greene. She became a police officer in the east village and retired right before 9-11.

“As an officer in the east village, I saw how the officers were dispersed within the parameters of the precinct. Most officers were assigned to the west side of the command vs. the east side. As a light skinned Latina I instantly thought this was some sort of internal institutional discrimination. When the east village was mostly Hispanic populated, I realized that the lack of police presence was mostly due to the communities’ lack of involvement.  The police department acts on complaints. So if no one expresses a complaint to the police precinct they in turn will not act.I used a real incident from when I was a police officer at the 9th Precinct as the foundation of “Beneath the Rock.” A man named Santiago controlled drug sales from where he lived on E7th Street between Avenue B and C. Most of the people that lived on the block either worked for him or were silenced by him. In “Beneath the Rock,” I substituted drugs for gambling. Also, in my movie I used a myth circulated on my block in Bushwick about a girl named Cherry who died in the police alley/lot. Now I believe it was started by parents on the block to prevent us from playing in that police area.”

Genesis Repertory was founded on the idea of making theater – classical theater mainly – accessible to everyone. They do this by transferring the Bard’s works into new locations. Jean Cocteau once stated that a legend belongs to all times and places, so as it is with Genesis and Shakespeare. Through their history, productions were translated into Hebrew and Arabic, German and Spanish, and everything was brought to this century. Shylock debated with Nazis, Caesar was gunned down, and Juliet was Muslim.

In Manhattan, the company renovated and ran The Mazer Theater on East Broadway and the Jan Hus Playhouse on the Upper East Side. In Long Island City, the company utilized the Greek Cultural Center and the 30th Avenue Masonic meeting hall– which legend has it once was a performance spot of Ethel Merman (hence the Shriners lyric in Gypsy). Now here in Brooklyn – between Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst – they become the resident theatre company of The Block Institute, utilizing their 350-seat theatre, a lovely structure, ironically reminiscent of The Globe, with its wooden-columned architecture.

Act I of the decade celebration was a compilation of great moments from the company’s stabbing at the Bard followed by a really fascinating Romeo & Juliet segment citing all the musical and classical versions – including two musicals, two operas, and its likeness to Rostand’s Les Romantiques. The second act consisted of coming attractions of the company’s new musical theater division, which will present a concert of the Stephens – Flaherty, Sondheim, and Schwartz; a tribute to American standards; a children’s show; and even original works by the company’s musical director, Jake Lloyd, who put together some lovely solos and ensemble work for the evening. Lloyd’s original material was as good as anything presented from the great musical masters.

The company is distinguished by a plethora of young, passionate, intelligent artists. Each set forth a double portion for our enjoyment: Francis Callahan set the pace with “alas poor Yorick” and truly convincing as Shylock; Mary Elizabeth MiCari (the company’s artistic director and one of the two surviving founders) conveyed an electrifying Lady Macbeth, tugged at our heart-strings with Cry Me a River, and brought down the house with “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables. Joy Donze gave us imaginative takes on Juliet and Ophelia then broke our hearts with a ballad in the second act; Amanda Gagnon tackled two male roles – Mercutio and Dr. Faustus – with skill and vigor. Nikki Bohm was a sturdy Titania and intimidating Queen Margaret; Anna Frankl-Duval was rousing in a passage from Taming of the Shrew and demure as Louisa in The Fantasticks; Michelle Alexandra was a child-like Desdemona only to emit glorious sounds as Maria in West Side Story; Theresa Chow showed fine stage command in drama and comedy with Portia’s famed speech from the Merchant of Venice and a new musical piece from Jake Lloyd’s interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. Likewise was Louis Tullo, whose Marc Antony displayed cunning while his turn at music – one original and one from Wicked – showed stage charm. A nod to Lisa Tosti, whose Juliet in the famed balcony sequence was engaging and her rendition of “On My Own” from Les Miz was rich with pathos. Omnipresent in Act I was John Stillwaggon crossing genres as Romeo and the “Romeos” of the musicals, West Side Story and The Fantasticks. John’s charm and ease at jumping from the classics to classic musicals combined with a palpable stage presence make him one to watch in the coming season.

Amid the aforementioned tour de forces were star turns and guest spots: Wayne Gant was a smooth crooner while Robin Watkins – an obvious cabaret grand-dam was stunning; Dancer/choreographer Joyce A. Adams displayed great versatility as a venomous Queen Margaret from Richard III; Kristin O’Blessin and Robert Saunders (one from Genesis actors program, the other, a decade-long member, respectively) made classical appearances with strong competent pieces: Ms. O’Blessin as Lady Capulet from you-know-what and Mr. Saunders reciting a passage form a rare work of one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries – or if you believe the narration by director Jay Michaels (the other surviving founder) a target of possible plagiarism. The company gained notoriety in the New York Times some years back regarding a “lost works” series of Shakespeare that examined the famed conspiracy. It seems bits of that may be making it to Brooklyn.

Other members of the actors program were in the production including DeAnna DeCillis and members of the children’s division including Delia Feeney, Alondra Vargas, Alice in the whistling form of Ashley Chico, Molly Callahan presenting a lovely Puck, Adele Wendt displaying power far beyond her years with her rendition of “Castle in the Clouds,” (so you think, maybe, they plan on doing this musical someday?) and a truly marvelous “All the World’s a Stage” delivered by young Marc Carbonaro.

The company gave us an enjoyable two hours with tasty refreshments. What makes this newsworthy is what was said by Ms. MiCari at the top of the program. The company is here because they want to be here and give art to the patrons of Brooklyn. They were in Manhattan, they are here now, in the heart of Brooklyn. Shakespeare wrote for the people, Genesis presents him to the people. One can imagine the company becoming another regional staple, in which making the pilgrimage to Shore Parkway and Bay 44th is all part of the great experience.

The company returns in a month with Dickens’ Christmas Carol. Once you’re on the belt parkway, it’s smooth sailing.

The Reader’s Ensemble Company presents four staged readings at
The University of the Streets
130 East 7th Street
New York City
$8 All Seats (check the website for discounts)
www.readersensemblecompany.org for reservation or further information.

Monday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m.:Press Cuttings by George Bernard Shaw, Laura Livingston, dir.
Monday, July 27 at 7:00 p.m.:The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux, J. Michaels, dir.
Tuesday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m.:He Who Gets Slapped by Leonid Andreyev, Erik Gratton, dir.
Monday, August 10 at 7:00 p.m.:Intimate Apparel by Lynn Notage, Leslie Guyton, dir.

New York – The Readers’ Ensemble Company (Justin Flagg & Dana Iannuzzi, producers) opens its doors in downtown Manhattan with “REC Summer Festival ’09,” a month-long series of fully staged readings of rarely performed works. Presented at the University of the Streets for its casual and accessible setting, each piece depicts part of the Recession Cycle: Greed, Collapse, Revolution, and Rebirth. The company’s goal is to reintegrate these forgotten masterpieces into the active dialogue on pop-culture and current events. In much the same way Encores! breathes life into forgotten musicals, REC plans to spotlight plays on the edge of obscurity and make them again worthy of production and discussion. A Q & A follows each performance.

The roster for 2009:
Monday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m.:Press Cuttings by George Bernard Shaw, Laura Livingston, dir.
This early 20th Century comedy pits a greedy general and prime minister against women’s rights activists, the fear of foreign invasion, the consequences of universal draft, the arms race, and a population that now takes democracy seriously!

Monday, July 27 at 7:00 p.m.:The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux, J. Michaels, dir.
Paris, 1945 or New York 2009 – hard to tell – as the city is overrun with bankers and financiers collapsing the economy for their own profit. The only ones left to save the world are the artists, tradesmen, and vagrants – led by an enigmatic “madwoman” whose plot might be crazy enough to work!

Tuesday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m.:He Who Gets Slapped by Leonid Andreyev, Erik Gratton, dir.
Paris, 1920. The lure of fame and the bitter aftertaste of celebrity are seen in this Russian revolutionary drama about a great scientist wronged by a larcenous financier. Eventually the scientist becomes nothing more than a circus attraction in which humiliation is his gimmick.

Monday, August 10 at 7:00 p.m.:Intimate Apparel by Lynn Notage, Leslie Guyton, dir.
NYC, 1905. Esther, a black seamstress, must choose between two suitors: a Caribbean man she knows only through letters and a Hasidic clothing merchant. Esther’s choice and what she does with her life because of it is the basis for this tale of rebirth – her own and that of the entire world.

The program only lists an executive producer, Mr. Rocco LoFaro Buonpane. I am guessing that the church itself produced this show along with Mr. Buonpane.

The orchestra led by Jake Lloyd was superb; very small but very talented. I especially was impressed with Daisuke Suzuki the Violinist. He offered me many opportunities to see a fine musician enjoy playing music, added great dimension to Mr. Lloyd’s orchestration and was a delight to watch. The orchestra was situated on the floor center stage. This caused me to watch them (no problem for me) at times much more than the performers on stage. Perhaps next time they ought to be on the side more. Jake Lloyd’s orchestrations were beautiful as well. He also handled the vocal arrangements wonderfully. Congratulations to him. A fine job.

There was A LOT of music. All of it disjointed with no through line. No explanation of the thought behind what songs were chosen for this review, no narrator to help me understand. That all said, in general the show aimed at a high standard. The choreography by Dustin Cross was also top-notch. Fun, fast and exciting. It helped the show come alive!

There were some performances that were standouts. Rocco Buonpane had a great stage presence and wonderful voice. Dustin Cross a triple threat (actor, singer, and dancer), and gorgeous to look at, was a delight to watch in each number. Erica Vasaturo sang gorgeously. William Doyle was funny, with excellent stage presence. Dancer Elizabeth Brocsious was terrific. There was some competent singing by Jessica Unice and Carly Howard’s acting ability brought the music to life.

Understandably when doing local talent-based productions there are some people that are cast that require further training. However, what some lacked in talent and training they seemed to make up for in energy.

Problems arose from technical elements. Lighting was dark and unfocused, sound came in and out, the set…wasn’t — people got trapped in it, on it, and behind it. It made a small stage even more cluttered. The choice of color….melon … unappealing … what did that set have to do with the music? Not sure. Choices of clothing and costume changes were confusing to me. I was not sure what I was looking at. It might have been better to have just concert clothing for the singers and dancewear for the dancers. There were many shiny faces, sweaty and pale… leading me to believe that there was no makeup on many faces…a no-no when there are such strong lights and a warm theater. In addition, if you have tattoos cover them on stage.

Overall, it was a pleasant night filled with energy, good music and an energetic cast. The producers should be proud of brining culture to Bay Ridge in an easy to understand form.

As an aside, the room was very warm. This was a problem for the audience on and off during this show. The show started late, which caused the children in the audience to become agitated and noisy. In addition, when first entering the theater I noticed some of the singers milling around in shorts in the house when I arrived well after the half hour. Some of them were already in their “costumes” as well. This also happened at the end of the show. Most actors and singers know to at least change before greeting their audience. There should be no performers in the house after the half hour. It breaks the illusion.

Just a suggestion for next time.

The world is starting to see the light – through the grit – but still seeing it. In fits and starts as well as planned change we are now looking to heel our bodies.

Bodies, here, can be euphemistic many times over.

We have polluted the main body – the earth; we have polluted our government with a war and crippling inflation; we have polluted out minds with Internet imagery; and there is no doubt we have polluted our own bodies. Whether it is through the inertia of slothful inactivity or ingesting harmful chemicals or tortured animals (I’ll have my antibiotic-filled hamburgers super-sized, please), we are hurting ourselves and want to stop.

Enter The Magic Apothecary. Creating a line of hand made products that – through herbal properties and aromatherapy – will help you heel.

Heel can be euphemistic many times over.

The Magic Apothecary is a line of soaps, bath products, oils, incense, candles, and meditations designed to empower you to better living. Named after ancient deities long associated with various strengths and powers, these simple handcrafted items, mixed with your own desire for better health and happiness, assist in your body’s natural desires for everything from courage to calm.

Each bar of soap, each candle, each bag of incense is handmade with real ingredients. Real herbs from bay leaves to chickweed and genuine essential oils including the likes of Rose of Damascus (a rare and expensive item in and of itself) are found in each. Each shower or bath opens your senses to the properties in these herbs; each mediation over a candle or incense fills your soul with the temperament of that particular god or goddess.

Make no mistake, The Apothecary’s weight-loss soap bar or her scented love candle will not magically make you thin and popular; the money soap and High-John the Conqueror candle will not get you the job at HBO, but the herbs in them will help strengthen your natural resolve to pull the god or goddess out of you. Sometimes all we need is that special aroma or texture to make us say, “I deserve it.”

Skeptics abound, even within the very community that supports such ideologies, so I asked a few of her clients (without telling them why). I got these comments:
Bob of Brooklyn said he’d been alone for far-too long. He bought a love kit and now he and his girlfriend are very happy (she just met mother); Mitch from The Bronx remarked on how he was living from paycheck to paycheck. He showered with the money soap until he could see the penny in the center of the bar. A loan came through enabling him to move to a better apartment; and even deeper, is Pat from PA – recently diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy – was allergic to most lotions and perfumes, so the burn of her treatment seemed unstoppable. She was able to sooth her chemo-seared skin with The Magic Apothecary’s Moon bar … safely, naturally.

The Magic Apothecary does not have a product that washes away skepticism but at costs below similar chemically made, factory-produced, store-bought items… what’s the harm? And she even supplies certificates of authenticity with her merchandise.

Reprinted by permission of site and author. Originally published July, 2008,

Bronx NY – The Bronx Opera begins looking to a half century as the borough’s only opera/musical theatre company with its 41st season. The year and the season start with Bedrich Smetana’s mischievous and melodious game of love, Two Widows. This romantic comedy tells of how Karolina – through flirtation and trickery – finds a mate for her widowed (and reluctant) cousin, Anezka. Michael Spierman & Elizabeth Scott conduct a production directed by Royston Coppenger. This is a rare opportunity to see an obscure piece of great musical art performed in English.

Bedrich Smetana’s TWO WIDOWS
Performances are at two venues: IN THE BRONX: Saturday, January 10, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 11, 2009 @ 2:00 p.m. at The Lovinger Theatre @ Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Call for tickets: 1.718.960.8833. IN MANHATTAN: Saturday, January 17, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 18, 2009 @ 2:00 p.m. at The Kaye Playhouse @ Hunter College, 68th Street near Lexington Avenue. Call for tickets: 1.212.772.4448. Production performed in English.

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Season 41 continues with Mozart’s ultimate flight of fantasy, The Magic Flute performed in English. The opera, conducted by Mozart himself at its premiere over 200 years ago, tells of Sarastro, the wise priest of Isis and Osiris, who has taken Pamina to the temple for the purpose of releasing her from the influence of her mother, the Queen of the Night. The queen induces the young Prince Tamino to go in search of her daughter and free her from the power of Sarastro. The rest is a fantastic rollercoaster ride reaching a High F6! A glimpse of what this might have looked like at its premiere is seen in the Academy Award winning film, Amadeus.

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THE BRONX OPERA
What began with a performance of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte on the stage of Vladeck Hall in the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative in the northeast Bronx has grown into an acclaimed and respected opera and musical theater company – the only one of its kind in the Bronx – presenting operatic works sung in English. Under the direction of Michael Spierman as artistic director, The Bronx Opera has brought art and culture to a myriad of audiences in the Bronx and the tri-state area. While always having a series of performances in its home base of the Bronx, The Bronx Opera presents works as close as Manhattan and Long Island, and as far off as upstate New York. Educating the next generation has always been in the forefront of each season. The Bronx Opera’s in-depth public school program brings students to the opera and brings opera to the students with a series of school visits and special performances.

When the curtain came down on the fifth and final one-act of Brooklyn One Theater’s “A Playwright Grows In Brooklyn”, two overused but still-endearing cliches came to mind: Slow and Steady Wins The Race, and Rome Wasn’t Built In a Day.

Tom Kane and Anthony Marino, first and foremost, are to be commended for continuing to bring vibrant, exciting, meaningful, entertaining theater to the good citizens of Brooklyn, USA. In this fast-moving, add-water-and-mix, I-want-everything-yesterday society we presently inhabit, it is hard enough to get people to leave the friendly confines of their living room for some live entertainment: after all, even with a gluttonous amount of electronic diversions,  there (still) is nothing like a live performance. If I wore a hat, I’d absolutely and gratefully tip it in their direction.

Here’s where the first cliche comes in handy: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and if the quality of the plays selected are any indication of the future of this particular festival, then it will take a lot longer than one day to build this little town.

The first two plays,”Extreme Duress”, and “Beautiful”, were terrible messes. Terrible productions of terrible plays.

John Capo, the author of “Extreme Duress”, has seen Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” way too many times (he even mentions him in the play). A trio, two brothers and a femme fatale, take turns scheming each other, with one layer of unbelievability added to another. By play’s end, you wish for all the characters to be dead and gone. To compound matters, Mr Capo decided not only to direct his own work, but to act in it as well. Note to Mr. Capo: This triple play of yours, in the Spiral Notebook of Theatre Production, is a Bad Bad Idea. Please refrain in the future.

Catherine Tandy and Clay Helms completed the cast and, sadly, contributed nothing. A sense of urgency, of pace, style, of moment-to-moment reality, of planned spontaneity, of empathy, of change, even of simply entertainment, ideas that are a staple to an actor’s essence, were nowhere to be found. The dialogue was straight out of junior year in high school, and the acting was about the same.

However, compared to “Beautiful”, “Extreme Duress” was Brando in “Streetcar”.

“Beautiful”, pardon the obvious play on words, was anything but. In fact, it would take a long journey down memory lane to recall a play that was so poorly written. It was a 55-minute session at the dentist. The play concerned something about Reality TV, or our national obsession with external beauty, or both. Ordinarily, these are important themes, and if Dana Fuchs, the playwright, had set out to write a satire, or a cautionary tale about the excesses of these vices, then all would be well and good. Unfortunately, Ms. Fuchs had no idea what she wanted to say, and had no idea in how to say it. The characters are cartoons, the dialogue is unnatural, tepid, and as dull as dishwater, and the performances were simply lousy from top to bottom.

Intermission, and not a moment too soon. To Leave or Not To Leave, that is the question. No, I will stay. Hope: It’s what keeps us alive. Sure enough, allow the other cliche to make its entrance: Slow and steady wins the race. That is true for horse racing, marriages, elections, and evenings in the theater. The second act, consisting of three shorter works, gave the evening the U-Turn it so desperately needed, and ultimately made the evening moderately successful.

The first of these plays, “The Midnight Radio Show” by the late Vince Mazza, was pretty standard fare, with a decent twist ending:Jonathan Beaumont, an obnoxious talk-radio host, ably played by Dustin Cross, begins receiving strange, then threatening phone calls from his various listeners. Director J Michaels keeps things moving along briskly, a breath of fresh air from the abyss of the first act. Michael Ruocco, who starred in “The Music Man” recently on the NCT stage, again shines as Tom,
Mr. Beaumont’s long-suffering producer; Christopher Sirota completes the cast in an effective manner as Mr. Sunshine, one of the off-the-wall callers. Slowly but surely, the U-Turn had begun.

It picked up speed with “Say What You Mean/Mean What You Say”, a nice little skit/play by Aaron Jaros. A man and woman, in their early twenties, meet in their basement laundromat, and engage in the mating dance in a quirky, sweet, compelling way. The play appeared well cast, with Nicola DePierro and Stephen Ryan playing the would-be lovers, but both had an alarming propensity for turning inexplicably out to the audience, suddenly breaking the fourth wall and destroying the momentum and the illusion of the believability of the situation. Still, the play was well directed by Anthony Marino, and had more than a few clever lines of dialogue. Best of all, the production and the play had the sense of moving forward into unexplored terrain, which is all anyone could hope for, and which after all is the point.

The evening’s final play, “True Blue”, by Mary Steelsmith, was a strange way to end the evening, and left an even stranger taste in the mouth. Ms. Steelsmith has an obvious knack for playwriting, an excellent ear for dialogue, a clear understanding of exposition, a strong sense of pace, and an affinity for dramatic tension. The direction by Michael Coluccio was strong, and the acting, by Stephen Fontana and Anton Koval, was first rate, and the evening’s best. What was missing was the point. It was easy to miss; the substance of the play,–two competing soldiers in a mysterious room competing for something– was too eccentric to be readily understood. The soldiers were competing against each other in some fashion, but I, for one, was not sure what was the nature of the competition, and why. Were they both American soldiers, just on different teams? Or was one Russian, one not? (One dark-haired actor, one blonde) Or were they two sides of the same person, a la ” The Fight Club”? Wasn’t sure. Still, a success, completing a modest “three-peat”.

There didn’t appear to be any semblance of a technical design (lighting, costume, make-up, etc.) The standard ‘set’, used by all the plays, consisted of some sort of fence with little masking to speak of. Actors made exits, but you’re never really sure if they are off-stage at any time. Black curtains would have prevented portraits of Robert E Lee and Ulysses S Grant from staring at the audience while hanging on the center stage wall. Easy, obvious things were not addressed that are essential to completing the theatrical experience. Things to put on the top of the to-do list for the fourth annual festival.

Robert Liebowitz is a published and produced playwright. His productions have received contract runs off-Broadway and premieres at The Fringe Festival. He is the author of the anthology, “Awake & Aggravated.” He is artistic director of None of the Above theater, a 20-year-old stage company based in
- and on – New York City.