Laugh with the "Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins"

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A Red-Hot, Very Funny Show

By Skip Sheffield

Barbara Bradshaw made her Boca Raton debut in 1975 in the inaugural season of Caldwell Playhouse for its very first show. She was the title character in the Neil Simon comedy “Star-Spangled Girl.” It was not a very good play, but Barbara was the best part of the show. Michael Hall obviously recognized talent when he saw it. Bradshaw became the resident leading lady at Caldwell and even taught Theater 101 at College of Boca Raton (now Lynn University).

Barbara is no longer an ingénue, but as an actress she is busy as ever and taking on new challenges.

Barbara Bradshaw makes her Women’s Theatre Project debut in the one-woman show “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins.” The show continues through Sunday, March 16 at the Willow Theatre of Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton.

Born in California, Molly Ivins had the misfortune to be raised in Texas in an ultra-conservative suburb of Houston. Her father James, an oil executive known as General Jim or Admiral Jim, was a staunch authoritarian right-winger. Of course his rebellious daughter would grow up to be a “bleeding-heart liberal.”

Throughout her career Molly Ivins would insist she was not a liberal, but on the other hand she was contemptuous of lock-step conservatives who trampled human rights and kowtowed to big business.

The script, created by Margaret and Allison Engel, is lifted directly from Ivins’ satirical columns in the Minneapolis Tribune, where she was the first female police reporter; the Texas Observer magazine, New York Times, Washington Post and finally Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

As the title indicates, Molly Ivins was very witty. She was also laugh-out-loud funny as quoted by Bradshaw.

“Red Hot Patriot” is performed without intermission in less than 90 minutes on a spare set resembling a newsroom. There is one wordless walk-on role of “copy boy,” performed deadpan by Joseph Franklin.

Genie Croft directed the show, but the major lifting is done by Barbara Bradshaw, memorizing a complicated, diverse monologue. I left the Willow Theater with renewed respect both for Bradshaw and for courageous Molly Ivins, who died prematurely at age 62 of breast cancer in 2007.

Tickets are $25, but you can get a discount through the Cultural Connection. Call 561-445-9244.

Set the WABC Machione for "Mr. Peabody and Sherman"

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Mr. Peabody and Sherman” Finally Hits the Big Screen

By Skip Sheffield

“The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show” aired from 1959-1964 and continues to this day in television re-runs. The crudely-animated show featured corny puns, satire and self-referential humor aimed more at adults than children.

“Peabody’s Improbable History” was a regular segment of the show. In it a dog named Mr. Peabody and his adopted human boy Sherman would journey back to key moments in a time-travelling device known as the WABAC (pronounced “Way-Back”) Machine.

Now “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” is a 3-D animated feature movie. It is bigger, longer but not necessarily better than the more sarcastic black-and-white original.

Still, “Mr. Peabody” is a lot of nostalgic fun for Baby Boom era adults. I imagine the 3-D special effects have been added to appeal to a younger generation. It was a 12-year effort for director Ron Minkoff (“The Lion King”) to make “Mr. Peabody” a reality.

Tiffany Ward, daughter of “Rocky & Bullwinkle” creator Jay Ward, served as executive director and creative consultant for the script, based on her late father’s characters and expanded by screenwriter Craig Wright.

An all-star cast of voices was recruited, topped by Ty Burrell as Mr. Peabody, the world’s smartest dog, and Max Charles as Sherman, his adoptive human son.

The setup comes when Sherman gets in a conflict with snobby Penny Peterson (Ariel Winter) at school and Mr. Sherman tries to mediate with her parents (Stephen Colbert and Leslie Mann) when social worker Mrs. Grunion (Allison Jenney) threatens to remove Sherman from Mr. Peabody’s custody.

Sherman has been forbidden from using the WBAC machine without Mr. Peabody, so of course Sherman does so in an effort to impress Penny.

Sherman and Penny travel to ancient Egypt, revolution-era France and ancient Troy, where they experience misadventures with historic characters.

The relationship between Mr. Peabody has been expanded and deepened for the movie. This adds sentimentality that was not in the original, but in aiming the movie at a family market it is smart to emphasize family values.

"The Wind Rises" a Class Act

 

For a sheer class act, you won’t go wrong with “The Wind Rises,” which is billed as the last animated film by Japanese writer-director master Hayao Miyazaki.

Jiro (voice of Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a Japanese boy who aspires to be a pilot, but because of poor eyesight he settles on a career of aircraft design instead. Jiro joins the aircraft company that designed the famed Japanese Zero in 1927. The chief designer, Italian Caproni (Stanley Tucci), becomes Jiro’s mentor and inspiration.

The story also illustrates the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, a major tuberculosis epidemic and Japan’s entry into World War II. A romantic side plot has Jiro falling in love with Nahoko (voice of Emily Blunt).

Like his earlier works "Spirited Away" and "Howl's Moving Castle," “The Wind Rises” is majestic, lyrical and beautiful.

More West Bank Violence in “Bethlehem”

Hard on the heels of “Omar” comes the similarly-themed “Bethlehem,” co-written by Israeli director Yuval Adler and Arab journalist Ali Waked, who spent years on the West Bank.

Shadi Mar’i plays Sanfur, the 17-year-old younger brother of Abu Ibrahim (Tarik Kopty), a notorious Palestinian guerrilla fighter. Like “Omar” there is an Israeli Shin Bet (secret police) officer, Razi (Tsahi Halewi) who is pressuring Sanfur to give up terrorist secrets. Unlike “Omar” there is no romantic angle.

“Bethlehem” is a grim, gripping thriller set in one of the most violent, dangerous places on earth.

 

It's Never To Late to Declare Your Love

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"Fighting Over Beverley"

By Skip Sheffield

How lucky are we that an internationally-acclaimed playwright has taken a personal interest in a local theater company?

The playwright is Israel Horovitz. The company is Theatre at Arts Garage and the play is “Fighting Over Beverley,” running through March 23 at 180 N.W. First St., Delray Beach.

Arts Garage theater artistic director Louis Tyrrell first became acquainted with Israel Horovitz when his Florida Stage performed his work in Manalapan.

Horovitz visited Delray Beach last year when his “Gloucester Blue” was staged.

Set in Gloucester, Mass. in the winter of 1997, “Fighting Over Beverley” is a romantic comedy triangle with a twist: the characters are all but one senior citizens.

Archie (Dennis Creaghan) is a 70-year old British veteran of World War II. When he was 20 he fell madly in love with 18-year-old Beverley (Sandra Shipley. Instead of marrying Archie, Beverley jilted him and was swept away by a heroic American pilot who lost his leg when his plane was shot down.

Zelly (Paul O’Brien) whisked Beverley back to America, leaving Archie to stew ever after. Archie, who lived with his mother until her death, never married. Now that mom is gone he has embarked on a quixotic quest to win back Beverley.

Zelly is understandably upset when he discovers the true nature of Archie’s visit to their Gloucester home. Emotions rise through the first act and peak in the second act when Beverley and Zelly’s daughter Cecily (Erin Joy Schmidt) makes her appearance.

Cecily has just left her abusive husband. Through Cecily’s eyes we see a marriage that is not exactly made in heaven.

Director Tyrrell has cast first-rate professionals, including the locally-based Creaghan and Schmidt; O’Brien, who is an Israel Horovitz specialist who has acted in 14 of his plays, and British born and bred Shipley, who also has numerous Horovitz credentials.

It is quite a treat seeing such polished pros parrying Horovitz’s clever banter. While there is a serious side to the subject, “Fighting Over Beverly” is never a downer. This play has special meaning for someone who loved, lost and mourned at a young age. I did and I do still.

Tickets are $30-$45. Call 561-450-6357 or go to www.artsgarage.org.

 

The (Not So) Greatest Story Ever Told

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A “Son of God” for the Faithful

By Skip Sheffield

The Bible and specifically the New Testament story of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ have been perennial subjects of plays, books, music and movies.

The first movie on the life of Jesus Christ was the Cecil B. DeMille epic “King of Kings” in 1927.

The latest re-telling of “The greatest story ever told” is “Son of God,” distributed by 20^th Century Fox.

“Son of God” is a pared down, less than two-hour version of the 10-hour History Channel mini-series “The Bible.” Directed and co-written by Christopher Spencer, “The Bible” proved the History Channel’s most successful series ever.

The cast is largely unknown by American audiences. It is lead by Portuguese actor-model Diogo Morgado. Like all of the more than a dozen cinematic Jesuses, Morgado is a really handsome man. However, Morgado the actor is no match for some previous film Jesuses, including Jim Caviezel in Mel Gibson’s controversial “The Passion of the Christ” and charismatic Ted Neeley in the rock musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1973.

“Son of God” is considered by some an antidote to the perceived anti-Semitic “Passion of the Christ,” released ten years ago. “Son of God” even has an endorsement by Anti-Defamation League leader Abraham Foxman.

The bad news is that “Son of God” does not live up to the passion of its story. The acting is amateurish; the CG special effects obvious and the biblical Jerusalem sets fake-looking. I am well versed enough in The Bible that I knew what dialogue was coming next, starting with the opening excerpt from the Book of Genesis “In the beginning was The Word and The Word became flesh.”

“Son of God” is being marketing to church-going faithful, which makes a lot of sense. There’s a lot of money in them there mega-churches. I just wonder what the Jesus who overturned the tables of the money-changers in the temple would think?

Joe DiPietro and David Bryan Meet in "Memphis"

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Joe DiPietro and Bon Jovi Keyboardist David Bryan Met in “Memphis”

By Skip Sheffield

Joe DiPietro is one of those rare talents who hit a home run early in his career, than followed with an even more substantial hit.

DiPietro wrote the book and lyrics to “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” It was only DiPietro’s third published play, written with composer Jimmy Roberts, and his first one actually produced in 1996. The show ran for 12 years Off-Broadway, and has since become a staple of theaters all over the USA and Canada. It enabled him to be a full-time independent writer.

“Memphis The Musical” is another collaboration, this time with Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan.

“I gave my script to several rock ‘n’ roll managers because Memphis is about the birth of rock ‘n’ roll and I wanted a real rocker,” he explains. “I got a call that said `Hi Joe, this is David Bryan. I’m the keyboardist for Bon Jovi and I just read your script. I’d like to know how I can write the score.”

DiPietro told Bryan to pick any lyric in the script, do whatever he’d like to it, and write a song.

DiPietro got a CD in a FedEx box the very next day. On it Bryan sang “Music of My Soul,” which introduces the main character of Huey Calhoun. DiPietro had found the right guy.

DiPietro kept sending Bryan drafts of the script, and Bryan would right new tunes in the spirit of roots rock, blues and gospel, and they would discuss back and forth.

Tony Award voters were so impressed they voted “Memphis” Best Musical of 2010, with Best Book and Best Songs. DiPietro feels it is the universality of “Memphis” that gives it such popular appeal.

“Music is an art that really shows our common humanity,” he states. “The birth of rock ‘n’ roll was a precursor to the Civil Rights movement. Dick Clark, who is mentioned in the show, made it acceptable for black artists to perform for white teenagers. We have come a long way with racial relations, but we still have a way to go.”

Making Music in "Memphis"

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“Memphis” Brings “Music of the Soul” to Broward Center

By Skip Sheffield

Imagine if you will a world without rock ‘n’ roll music. That was mainstream America in the early 1950s.

“Memphis The Musical,” the rafter-raising Best Musical Tony Award-winner 2010 musical at Broward Center through March 9, imagines the events that changed that situation and brought black rhythm and blues and blues music to a larger white audience.

Joe DiPietro (book and lyrics) and David Bryan (music and lyrics) have crafted a musical fable about a white Memphis disc jockey who introduced black rhythm and blues to what had been a segregated radio market.

The prototypical wild and crazy disc jockey Huey Calhoun is loosely based on the real-life radio and television personality Dewey Phillips.

The fable has elements of history, romance, changing attitudes on racial segregation and a whole lot of gospel-fused and blues-based music.

Huey Calhoun (Joey Elrose) is a high school dropout living with his mother (Pat Sibley) and working a menial job as stockboy at a Memphis department store.

Clumsy Huey quickly loses that job, but talks his angry boss into letting him spin some records in the store to promote greater sales. Huey spins a record from his own collection of rhythm and blues (“Scratch My Itch”) and celebrates the genre in the song “The Music of My Soul.” Despite selling a record 29 records at his first attempt, Huey gets fired anyway because his boss doesn’t like “race music.”

Huey loves “race music” so much he ventures into an all-black nightclub on Beale Street (“Underground”). The owner, Delray (RaMond Thomas) doesn’t cotton to white boys coming around, especially when they show a special interest in his little sister Felicia (Jasmin Richardson), who sings at the club.

A word about Jasmine Richardson: Fabulous. She is tall, gorgeous and svelte, and she has a voice as powerful as a locomotive.

It is no wonder that Huey thinks he can make Felicia a star, and no wonder he becomes smitten with her. This is a time when inter-racial romance is taboo and thereby lies the conflict of this romance.

Other cast standouts are hefty but agile janitor-turned-announcer Bobby (Jerrial T. Young), who is a significant gospel belter himself; and Avionce Hoyles as bartender Gator, who is mute through most of Act One then reveals an angelic tenor voice.

There is a crack band onstage to liven things up even more. If you aren’t moved by this music of the soul, you better check your pulse.

Tickets are $34.50 and up. Call 954-462-0222 or go to www.browardcenter.org.

 

Full Monty at Wick Theatre

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“Full Monty” Fully Enjoyable at Wick Theatre

By Skip Sheffield

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, as the old says goes.

The phenomenon of male strip-teasing coincided with the rise of women’s liberation. Why should men have a monopoly on ogling the opposite sex?

And so began “Ladies Night Out.” Chippendale’s, the first and best-known of the male revues formed in 1979, was comprised mostly of professional dancers in prime physical condition.

The main joke of “The Fully Monty,” which began as a 1997 British film comedy set in the former steel town center of Sheffield, England, was that an ordinary bunch of blokes would go circumspect Chippendale’s one better by going the “full monty,” or completely naked.

“The Full Monty’ became a stage musical in 2000, with book by Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by David Yazbek. A locally-sourced version of the show is now in residence at the Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, through March 23.

If anything the stage version is an improvement over the movie. The book, by much-honored four-time Tony Award-winner Terrence McNally, is more compact and moving. The music, by David Yazbek (“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”) amplifies and improves upon the movie soundtrack.

The stage version has been Americanized and moved to another faded industrial town, Buffalo, New York. Michael Orozco plays the designated hunk, professional stripper Buddy “Keno” Walsh.

It is Orozco who gets the ladies going during the overture, strutting his stuff. The main character is Jerry Lukowski, an out-of-work steel mill worker played by Preston Ellis. Jerry is a rugged Everyman kind of guy driven to desperation by his financial situation. The rest of the male cast is various types. Reggie Whitehead is the smooth black dude. JP Sarro is the reluctant fatty. Barry Tarallo is the older guy with a beautiful voice.

“The Full Monty” has a large cast, half of whom are female. It’s fun watching the women playing audience members egging on the guys to take it off.

In the final analysis there is nothing obscene or even shocking about “The Fully Monty” under the direction of Dom Ruggiero. There is a reason it is called strip “tease.” If it’s a fun evening you seek with a wink and a nod, Wick Theatre’s “Full Monty” fills the bill.

Tickets are $58 general admission or $52 group. Call 561-995-2333 or go to www.thewick.org.