Opera is no doubt a powerful, highly expressive art, but most productions of operas usually disappoint. Why? Simple–every other production element that goes into making a theatrical event is simply ignored; all that is concentrated on is the actual singing. Acting, directing, set design, costumes, make up, lights…these get treated like step-children and, unbeknown to the director, their production suffers as a result. Add the Met’s recent production of Tosca to this list of passable but mediocre endeavors.

Happily, however,  this notion has made a U Turn of sorts, at least for the short while. The Bronx Opera’s production of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale has not only exceeded expectations, but has done the near impossible–taken a minor, insignificant work, and converted it into a captivating, entertaining, successful evening. Sometimes taking a small step, sometimes a great leap, this version surprises at every turn.

Donzinetti composed this near the end of his life, taking all of two weeks; sometimes it feels as if he were double parked while writing. The music is unmemorable and as dull as dishwater; the plot is a tiresome, grade-school cliched collage of trickery that dozens of composers have done better. The hidden gem, however, is the libretto, sung in English, and still sparkling 160 years after its inception. A tip of the hat goes to Director Royston Coppenger for simply having the good insight or fortune of casting correctly, which in turn brought this gem into a vital, glistening light.

It is highlighted by the brilliant, wise-cracking, scheming-but-with-a-good-heart Ms. Nicole Lee Aiossa. She portrays the sexy, wistful Norina with uncommon wit and charm, and is worth the price of admission by herself. She is helped by the able Jack Anderson White, who portrays the title role quite effectively.

The company is also to be commended for its non-traditional casting of Robert Arthur Hughes in the role of Ernesto, Don Pasquale’s nephew. Mr. Hughes need a bit more seasoning as far as his acting goes, yet his voice– in his arias but in particular in his duets with his love interest Norina–provides a haunting contrast, and made for several memorable stretches of true dramatic story telling.

As mentioned, some of the other elements of dramatic story telling fall by the wayside in a sea of neglect. If an actor is waiting for a cue for their entrance, they must not be seen in the wings actually waiting. If one receives a letter from a servant, it must be in an envelope; if it is not, it changes the plot of the play. If one is packing clothing in a pair of suitcases, it must appear that there is at least something in these cases besides air. If a significant part of the Act II plot hinges on an actual slap, from husband to wife, then an actual slap–fingers to cheek–must occur. When you are successful, the willing suspension of disbelief enjoyed by the audience will go a long way…but then is momentarily destroyed when these inexcusable missteps occur. The costumes are from the Edwardian England Era, which would be quite an accomplishment, since the opera takes place in Italy, and the Era was nearly 70 years away, safely ensconced in the following century. A program note of time and place is required.

No matter. The Bronx Opera on the beautiful Lehman Campus hosted an enjoyable night at the opera!

Every season, The Bronx Opera dares to be different and present a rare or unique opera to start its year. This time, they present one that is rare AND unique. Die Drei Pintos, a piece created by Carl Weber, was incomplete at time of his passing. It was parceled from composer to composer until – 65 years later – it was brought to fruition by Gustav Mahler. What is finally there is an engaging, joyous work brought to appreciative audiences in The Bronx and Manhattan. The plot focuses on privileged student Don Gaston deciding to have a little fun with immensely MORE privileged squire Don Pinto by stealing his papers and attempting to woo his rich fiancée, Clarissa – call it 17^th century identity theft. He drags girlfriend Inez and long-suffering servant Ambrosio along for the ride. He thought it would be easy as Clarissa’s father, Don Pantaleone, never met the man to become his daughter’s husband, until he encounters a stumbling block in her secret boyfriend Don Gomez – who Pantaleone also never met. Get the picture?

Eapen Leubner as Gaston has a marvelous voice and excellent stage presence. He played the adventurous young man like a matinee idol complete with self-absorption and ultra-brite smile. He was a great foil to Kirk Dougherty’s Gomez who – macho in voice and presence – found all the fun in the role. Jeremy Moore achieves perfection as the droll servant Ambrosio with a top notch voice peppered with great falsetto and well-timed double-takes. Moore was a standout. Hannah Rosenbaum was lovely as Inez, playing the innkeepers daughter with a wink towards Carmen. Catherine Meyers and Patrice Eaton were simply superb as the befuddled bride-to-be and her savvy servant. Both were in great voice and both handled Ben Spierman’s witty topical translation to perfection. Kudos to Brace Negron, who played the pompous Pantaleone with great command, and special nods to Jonathan Harris as the snarky innkeeper and Michael Sarnoff-Wood as the sycophantic servant to the lord of the manor.

And then there was the titular Pinto. An orchestra unto himself, Michael O’Hearn’s interpretation of the foppish Pinto in question was truly uproarious. Clothed straight out of Moliere, O’Hearn’s deep tones and larger than life presence was a guilty pleasure from beginning to hilarious end. His delivery of such simple lines as “I shall marry … a woman” brought peals of laughter from the house. A touch of a snore was enough to make an hilarious drunken bit end perfectly. One can imagine O’Hearn as a Falstaff with ease.

Ben Spierman’s deft pairing of classical style staging with a witty and even slightly sarcastic translation make a visit to The Bronx Opera enjoyable for all tastes. Meganne George’s sunny day in Spain set was gorgeous and made for a fine canvas to Joshua Rose’s expert lighting plan. Meg Zeder’s costume design – like Spierman’s juxtaposition of past and present – gave a hint of time period and a helping of social status for each character with Gaston looking like a (non-Tramp) Charlie Chaplin, Ambrosio straight out of Dickens and Pinto – as a parable to him being behind the times – in full classical wig and cloak.

The orchestra sounded lovely under the baton of Michael Spierman (Eric Kramer – who penned the bright and breezy overture of the opera – conducted the opening). And a top-notch chorus was wrangled well by Michael Hagler.

If you were to Google current productions of Boheme or Traviata, you would undoubtedly get scores of hits – pardon the pun. Goggling rare works like this will supply a lot less – and that shows the real bravery and dedication of The Bronx Opera. They are on to the more intimate and recognizable Don Pasquale in May in its native Bronx and out to Long Island. With quality an expectation from this sincere company, I am sure it will be worth the trip to The Bronx – and beyond.

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.

Reviewed by Christian Graysen

Unless you’ve been living in outer space for the last few years, you know that every industry that had a “boom” is now going “bust.” For further evidence, there’s Genesis Repertory’s production of The Check Is In The Mail for the 13th Annual Fringe Festival. This high-speed one-act gives us an eye-in-keyhole view of the travails of a once flourishing business, now suffering due to one stupid move.

Playwright Robert Liebowitz once again hands us a well-written play spoken by the people for the people. Two Fringes ago, he put family matters in The Twilight Zone with the ghost story, The Wisdom That Men Seek. In this case, Check is the story of two partners in a prosperous printing firm (Allen Lewis Rickman and Jay Michaels) who made their first million in the days when business was run on cocktail lunches, a working knowledge of Yiddish and ribald humor, and a healthy dose of misogyny. The aforementioned stupid move was from founder, Leon Lipkin (Rickman), shortchanging star salesperson Janet Kupper (Cynthia Granville). Kupper instantly quits and sends the company into a tailspin with no way out … except one.

The cast is a group of seasoned pros and fresh faces: Allen Lewis Rickman and Jay Michaels as partners Leon Lipkin and Jerry Case, respectively, are enthralling. At once Bialystock & Bloom, then Felix & Oscar, Laurel & Hardy, Jekyll & Hyde, then Hyde & Hyde, the two banter almost non-stop for 70 minutes with humorous kibitzing giving way to dark accusations and devastating plot twists with Michaels excellently carrying the lion’s share of maneuvering the plot through all its sharp turns. Cynthia Granville deftly plays salesperson Janet with a world-weary air while maintaining a vulnerability needed to carry the subplot involving her relationship to Leon. Completing the quorum is Francis Callahan as Tommy, the lawyer for the unlawful. Callahan imbues Tommy with a savage persona then covers it with a lilting tenor tone. A perfect wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Populating the office was a bevy of supporting players whose countenance served as commentary for the action. Theresa Chow as Jerry’s officious assistant played the admin-afraid-of-losing-her-job with grace; Domenick Petito, stone-faced and imposing, as Cavanaugh’s right arm; and Kristin O’Blessin, the light comedy of this dark comedy as Helen, the befuddled office manager. O’Blessin’s presence turned her scenes with the two partners into a vaudeville routine prompting high-pitched screams from Rickman and old-fashioned double-takes from Michaels. O’Blessin then joined the dance trio for top-notch routines. That is not a typo, there are dance routines.

The play by itself is lively and engrossing but in the hands of director Mary Elizabeth MiCari (that’s right a female director for a play about chauvinistic white men) it is turned into an inspired piece of theatre. Injecting modern music, eerie lighting, and surreal dance breaks that seemed to both sum up and foretell, MiCari turned a naturalistic play into an ancient parable of hubris. Three dancers (O’Blessin, veteran dancer/choreographer Joyce A. Adams, and the fleet-footed Stefanie Smith, memorable as Leon’s less-than-perfect date) tapped, swayed, clogged, and marched to the beat of tunes played under foreboding newscasts of world affairs spoken by actual announcers from WPLJ. The company prides itself on finding ancient markings within all art and MiCari (the company’s new artistic director) outdid herself. The dancers were pagan priestesses, Greek chorines, or Macbethian witches, take your choice.

Technically, the show proved that less is more. Two desks made different by a soup of character driven props were all that was provided. While you might have wanted Leon to have an old woody desk and Jerry some modern piece of glass; the old monitor and chatkies on Leon’s desk told his tale while Jerry’s laptop, prescription pill buffet and stone statue summarized him. Likewise were the costumes. Jerry’s pinstripes battled the rumpled brown of Leon, with Janet in basic black and Tommy, a Clarence Darrow knockoff. Genesis’s crew – Shauna K. Smart from Hunter and Andrew Liebowitz from Brooklyn College (from the company internship program) – led by stage manager Robyn Gabrielle Lee, handled the lighting set-up, precision light and sound cues with ease.

Genesis Repertory is a parable of these changing times in and of itself. Once owners of the Jan Hus Playhouse, the company survived its lean years coupling with colleges and arts programs. Now a decade old, it can take its place as a fixture of the New York independent theatre scene, always presenting worthy works. This fall it begins work in its new 350 theatre in Brooklyn.

The Fringe – ironically – also is a parable. After 13 years, the Fringe is no longer the innovators but the competitor, with Fringes and Fringe-style Fests cropping up from Brooklyn to the Berkshires. But with clients like Genesis remaining loyal to the company store, New York will always have Fringe benefits.

The Check Is In the Mail has one more weekend – August 29 & 30. Go to www.fringenyc.org for details.

The expression “history is written by the winners” can be interpreted for theater productions as “works that are affordable are remembered.” Encores got a hold on countless musicals teetering on the brink of obscurity and gave them life, now the Readers’ Ensemble Company does the same for straight comedies and dramas. This new group dedicates itself to finding and presenting, in de-constructed format, works that are either not done or can’t afford to be done anymore. The latter case fits their second entry in a four-play series – The Madwoman of Chaillot. We’ve all heard of this play, we may have seen it in a university setting, but when was the last time you saw a 24-character play performed on, or directly off, Broadway?

Director J. Michaels gave himself every obstacle in this Jean Giraudoux surreal comedy written as a response to World War II. A staged reading is tricky – daunting when done by two-dozen actors. He added performance elements (a dancing deaf mute, masque work – albeit very simple, and touches of modernization like a Spanish-speaking flower seller and a yuppie stock broker). His gamble paid off as the evening yielded a fine show.

The play opens in cartoon fashion with a President, Baron, Broker, and Prospector (Nick Fondulis, M. Alan Haley, John Stillwaggon, and Michaels himself, respectfully) gleefully chatting about their wealth, how to get more, and the middle and lower classes whom they disdain. Fondulis supplies us with an excellent mixture of mustache twirling villainy while keeping things real enough to make us think of every bank president across the country today, he is complimented by Haley’s confused aesthete of a baron, willing to sell his name to make money. The electricity was turned-up tenfold by Stillwaggon’s high-speed banter and game show host smile as the broker. J. Michaels added to the humor as a humorless old hermit prospector, deadpanning around the three corporate stooges.

They are greeted by the titular character, Countess Aurelia, the Madwoman of Chaillot. The casting choice was spot-on with Sheila Mart. Ms. Mart’s majestic presence in a tiny frame epitomized the character. Her staccato delivery fooled the audience by alternating between doddering and ingenuous. This allowed us to follow her down her rabbit hole (literally) to the play’s surreal conclusion.

There are also lovers (of course). The innocent, not-from-these-parts, Irma (played by Brianna Carlson-Goodman) and the repentant juvenile Pierre (Jim deProphetis). Carlson-Goodman and deProphetis played off of each other well, sharing innocence and pain, love and loss. Carlson-Goodman’s Act I monologue was a refreshing moment of clarity, while deProphetis’ scenes with Aurelia were charming and engrossing.

The financial wizards are forced to do battle with a cacophony of tradesmen and vagrants including a sassy waitress (played with great vigor by Sara Minisquero), a Latina flower seller (played in Spanish by Jessica Real-Mohr, whose gestures allowed even the most dense to understand her dialog), a lunatic foot doctor (Tracy Lipson doing her best impression of a 3 a.m. infomercial), two wacky policemen (Josh Silverman, hilarious as a new cop on the beat, and John Payne, truly funny and commanding as an old-fashioned beat cop complete with brogue) all led by an urban Ragpicker, played by Lorenzo Valoy. Valoy’s high energy and inventive delivery as the bearer of bad news in Act I and fire and brimstone channeling of all the evil of the world in Act II were high-points of the evening.

Act II brings a group of new characters. A sewer man (played with surreal joy by Robert Saunders) who thinks he’s a stand-up comic; three other madwomen: Constance (Dana A. Iannuzzi), whose choice of puppet dog over invisible dog – how it is normally played – was inspired; Gabrielle (Carla Kelly), an innocent chanteuse with an overactive libido, whose facial expressions and strange noises were a source of great humor, and the commanding Josephine (queenly played by Theresa Chow). Chow manages to make some of the play’s most absurd dialog sound totally logical.

Wide-eyed, tattered, and diminutive, teenager Adele Wendt – a trained ballerina – danced her lines (another inspired touch) as the deaf mute, adding a new dimension to this reading. Her frenetic “conversations” with Irma were a witty diversion and her Act I “ballet” (choreographed by Joyce A. Adams) became the play’s parable – the smallest flower can have the deepest soul.

Producers Dana A. Iannuzzi and Justin Flagg are to be commended for making possible a series that includes a rare George Bernard Shaw one-act (last week’s Press Cuttings), a Russian work made famous by Lon Chaney (next week’s He Who Gets Slapped) and rising star Lynn Nottage’s African-American drama, Intimate Apparel, which closes the festival. The small, warm theater chosen for the presentations might be an indication of an austere budget – a fitting parable as to why certain plays are allowed to vanish.

The festival is at University of the Streets on East 7th Street.

For more details log on to readersensemblecompany.org

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.

For as long as there was – well – anything, there was art and artists. Maybe it was a cave painting to document a hunt, maybe it was ornate uniforms to strike awe in the hearts of adversaries, maybe it was fire-and-brimstone preachers of any and all faiths… or maybe it was children dancing to celebrate holiday and harvest. Nonetheless, there was always art and the finest came from real people like you and me.

J’s New Dance Center, the little studio that could – and has – for more than 20 years presented its annual dance recital this past weekend to thunderous – and well-deserved – applause.

The J in J’s belongs to Joyce Beck – a theatre and film dancer with credentials including All That Jazz – runs a thriving studio on Fifth Avenue and 74th Street in Bay Ridge Brooklyn that gives – what looked like – 100 students a chance at self-expression, and that is what theatre truly is intended to do.

The production opens with a sweet-voiced announcement regarding what you would expect – “turn off cellular phones, no flash pictures, etc.,” to the clever – “don’t stand up, your head will ruin our video.”

Then the fun began.

Down the aisle came some of Miss Joyce’s adult students in a rendition of the traveling number from Kiss Me Kate. Nice touch having the dancers in the aisle, also a clever beginning, setting the tone of a vaudeville-like presentation. There is a sense of separation once the performer is bathed in the light of the stage but there, neighbor dancing inches from neighbor, the electricity was more evenly shared. The audience then settled back to nearly 50 different dance pieces – from the cutest baby ballerinas and tapers dancing to melt your heart (one little exuberant girl sang the words to the song to which she was dancing at the top of her lungs) to impressive feats of acrobatics mixed with dance moves, to adults executing intricate classical ballet steps with really amazing precision.

The music was eclectic with Broadway standards following 50s ditties then countering with a modern piece, then Mozart, then children’s favorites (even Paddy Cake).  Dance styles also followed this eclectic scheme: tap, jazz, salsa, ballet, Pointe, acrobatics, barre work, etc. And while some studios might boast such a roster, the unique juxtaposition of music with the dance styles made for a lively and interesting evening. To hear a cutting edge modern tune done with barre work, or see tap-dancing cowboys, or listen to a 50s standard while jazz and acrobatic styles cover the stage was a true step above. Several performers seemed to master many styles including one omnipresent young woman whose stature might lend you to think that she is not a dancer but her amazing physical prowess and fleet-footed ease at every style displayed is a standing tribute to her talent and drive – and to the masterful teachers at J’s Dance Center.

Glimpses of other programs appeared in the production as well. Broadway performers Mary & Jay – whose voice and acting program is rapidly gaining ground in Brooklyn – sang a Broadway ditty as a warm up for the grand finale of Act I and Tara, the belly dance teacher wiggled and floated across the entire stage, she was framed nicely against the company’s Sgt Pepper-like psychedelic background. This was a lively portion in Act II. Tara is a professional belly dancer who tours the tri-state area and beyond and Mary and Jay run Genesis Repertory, a Manhattan-based theatre company now opening an office in Bay Ridge. Miss Mary has a long list of Broadway credentials and one of the most powerful natural voices you’re likely to hear in such a setting. She struck a striking presence in a black retro gown.

Each act also featured an appearance by the arbiters of the weekend-long event. Act I featured a power-packed routine laced with modern dance and sharp jazz styling by the agile Miss Joan and the second act solo by Miss Joyce herself, in which the dance veteran brought down the house with a high-steppin’ routine filled with jazz and tap that could have easily been pulled from a Broadway show. It is easy to see why everyone from babies to baby-boomers were able to make everything look easy.

The funniest performers of the evening were the parents and grandparents. They, too, seemed to learn dance from Miss Joyce and Joan. The sight of their children, nieces & nephews, siblings, and grandchildren dancing in stunning costumes acted as an elixir or powerful sermon to these residents of Bay Ridge and the neighboring provinces. Parents became acrobats and bounded from their seats, tap-dancing down the aisle to get a better shot of their baby ballerina; grandparents performed feats of incredible strength and agility carrying massive bouquets and balloons all the way around to the dressing areas; brothers and sisters – thinking they were unnoticed – would attempt to copy a step or two in the corner of the lobby during intermission; and like any red-carpet event, flash bulbs were popping and video cameras rolling from every conceivable corner … totally ignoring the sweet-voiced request at the opening of the show.

I wonder how many heads made it to the video.

J’s New Dance Center boasts a friendly and accepting atmosphere where all you need is a desire to dance and the willingness to have fun doing it.  Dance brilliance comes later … but it does come.

Summer Program starts July 13th.
Fall registration will be held September 1st.
For information call 718-680-6111

Classes include:
BABY RHYTHM (For kids ages 3 & 4) Learn Tap, Ballet, and Tumbling.
KINDERDANCE (for kindergarten & first graders) A great introduction to the world of dance.
TAP 45 (for graduates of Baby Rhythms and Kinderdance) 45 mins. of tap & 15 mins. of jazz.
ACROBATICS An excellent base for gymnastics, exercise, and the elements of a healthy lifestyle.
JAZZ Ethnic rhythms combined with the popular dance styles of today like hip hop.
TAP  A technique of quick footwork & lively rhythms.
BALLET Ballet is a classical form of dance. It is a MUST for any serious dancer.
POINTE  The ultimate progression of ballet. Dance On Your Toes!
BELLY DANCE An exotic form of Middle-Eastern dance excellent for spine & hip alignment.
SALSA Salsa is an exciting and highly popular style of dance.
ACTING Learn how to Audition and work in the professional theatre!
VOCAL TRAINING Do you want to sing in a musical, a choir, or concert? This class is just for you.
THEATRE COMPANY leading students are invited to join Genesis Repertory an off-B’way theatre

Aside from an excellent array of new books (the major names and independents, the mark of a smart dealer) including recent back issues that one might have missed (like EVERY PRINTING of the Obama Spiderman), there is an extensive area for trades, hard covers, and anthologies (I am an EC fan and there was an entire shelf devoted) and a room devoted to action figures, models, and other memorabilia. All being guarded by a breath-taking statue of The Silver Surfer. But for me, the thing that makes Dave’s place all things to all collectors is his terrific back-issue area. Most stores have a section of issues going back maybe a decade with the usual fare in the bargain bins, but not Dave.

Comics on the Green has an extensive amount of Silver and Bronze Age books in great condition for prices that shook my poker-face. To see 12 and 15 cent comics in collectible condition for prices that are highly accessible without having to go to a convention and hope for the best was truly a delight.  My nephew, displaying curiosity for war comics, is now in possession of Sgt Fury Annual #1. There it was, right there, fine condition, affordable!

Dave himself is a gentleman. My first trip, he checked his entire stock for one lone Action Comics I needed and my second trip he went out of his way for just about every customer in the room, remembering names, engaging in relevant conversation, and just plain being a nice guy. Again, Comics Stores oft-times have the stereotypical “comic book guy” (yup, just like the one on The Simpsons) who can make you feel stupid for not knowing when Ditko left Spiderman and can make you feel embarrassed because maybe you go to other places now and again for your collecting. Not here. Once every six months or once every day, you are a valued customer and a fellow collector. I remember calling from my mother-in-law’s home to get directions (I am a stranger in a strange land) and he gave me excellent directions, his phone number, and an offer to “talk me thru” if I get lost.

Comics on the Green is right for any level of collector. Go for the new issues – easy to find; go for a trade or hard cover – all kinds for interesting and engrossing reading; or go to find that treasured book you haven’t seen since you were a kid; or maybe go just for a chat with the owner, but surely go.

Looks like even comics are “Green.”

Comics on the Green

307 N. Washington Ave.

Scranton, PA 18503

570-342-5960

cotgreen@aol.com

Zandelle features singer/frontman George Tsalikis who is also well known on the local theater community with starring roles in Jekyll & Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar, and many others.

Zandelle has also released their first ever music video which can be seen on either of their two official websites:  www.zandelle.net www.myspace.com/zandelle

Zandelle, in association with Brooklyn Association of the Performing Arts will be celebrating the release of their new album on Friday June 26, 8PM at Christ Church Auditorium at 7301 Ridge Blvd in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, NY.  This all-age event will feature a 90 minute performance from the band as well as raffles, giveaways and a cash bar (for those 21 and over).

$10 Advanced tickets for this event are available through Brooklyn Association of the Performing Arts.
$15 at the door, the night of the event.

For tickets, email ZandelleTickets@gmail.com or call the B.A.P.A. hotline at 347-370-8973 ]]> http://outerstage.com/2009/06/rockin-bay-ridge-with-zandelle/feed/ 0 http://outerstage.com/2009/06/any-dream-will-do-at-christ%e2%80%99s-church-bay-ridge/ http://outerstage.com/2009/06/any-dream-will-do-at-christ%e2%80%99s-church-bay-ridge/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:57:22 +0000 Jay http://outerstage.com/?p=25 I want to first state that seeing ambitious and expansive productions of music in my own neighborhood is a wonderful thing. Being able to stroll to the theater on a nice summer evening to find myself in an old and well-kept church with a great amount of history, buzzing with energy was very nice.

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.