A solid and spirited production best describes "Man of La Mancha," the current Human Race Theatre production at the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton.
Buoyed by the performances of Kevin Moore as the ever optimistic Cervantes/Quixote, David C. Maxwell as his faithful sidekick, Sancho Panza, and Melissa D'Amico as the passionate Aldonza/Dulcinea, "Man of La Mancha" scores a near perfect bull's-eye in this two-act musical staging.
Moore, the executive director and resident artist with the Human Race since its start in 1986,
has taken a temporary leave from his office duties to step into what he had called his "dream role" since his days at Bowling Green State University. In what is most likely his difficult and demanding roles ever, Moore is more than up to the challenge, moving effortlessly from his role of Cervantes, the author, to that of Don Quixote, the eternal dreamer in his quest "to fight the unbeatable foe" and "right the unrightable wrong" in an effort "to reach the unreachable star."
Moore's full-bodied performance in the title role captures the essence of the show set in Spanish prison that was written by Dale Wasserman in 1968.
D'Amico matches Moore step for step in her ebullient performance as Aldonza/Dulicinea, a portrayal with remarkable depth of feeling from start to finish. Maxwell is so right as Moore's sidekick, offering a nice mixture of lightness and poignancy.
Excellent supporting performances by Jamie Cordes as the Duke/Dr. Carrasco, Mike Kennedy as the Captain of the Guard, Jake Lockwood as the Barber, Kristoffer Lowe as the Padre and David Tillistrand as the Governor/Innkeeper keep the production right on track.
The motley crew of prisoners also add to the action and the atmosphere of the prison surroundings.
Kudos also to director Scott Stoney as well as the entire production crew for their superior skill in creating the feel and smell of a dungeon, complete with a unique runway upstairs to the Inquisition site. Credit goes to David A. Centers and Scott Kimmins for the set and Scot Woolly for the musical direction of his quintet.
"Man of La Mancha" continues through Sunday, Nov. 15. Call 228-3630 for ticket information.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Man of La Mancha
"The Man of La Mancha," produced twice in the 1970s by John Kenley at Memorial Hall, is making a welcome return to Dayton for the next two weeks.
Opening with a preview on Thursday, Oct. 29, the Human Race Theatre Company is presenting the powerful two-act musical by Dale Wasserman at the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton. The show directed by Scott Stoney opens officially on Friday and continues through Sunday, Nov. 15.
Set in the 16th century in a prison in the city of Seville, Spain, the entire action takes place there and in various places in the imagination of Miguel de Cervantes, otherwise known as Don Quixote.
In a rare stage appearance, Kevin Moore -- the Human Race executive director -- portrays the title role, heading a cast of more than a dozen supporting actors. Other leading roles are played by Melissa D'Amico as Aldonza and David C. Maxwell as Sancho Panza, Quixote's sidekick.
With music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, the sumptuous score includes "The Impossible Dream," "Dulcinea,", "It's All the Same," "The Dubbing" and "Aldonza."
Local musical director Scot Woolley is helming the Loft musical direction for "The Man of La Mancha."
Incidentally, playwright Dale Wasserman spent more than three years relentlessly pursuing the life of Miguel de Cervantes before taking pen in hand to write this classic musical. His goal was to pay tribute to Cervantes indomitable spirit.
The Broadway production nearly 40 years with Richard Kiley in the lead role literally galvanized audiences as well as the critics.
Tickets for the Human Race production range from $29 to $36. For ticket information, call 228-3630 or visit online at www.ticketcenterstage.com
Opening with a preview on Thursday, Oct. 29, the Human Race Theatre Company is presenting the powerful two-act musical by Dale Wasserman at the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton. The show directed by Scott Stoney opens officially on Friday and continues through Sunday, Nov. 15.
Set in the 16th century in a prison in the city of Seville, Spain, the entire action takes place there and in various places in the imagination of Miguel de Cervantes, otherwise known as Don Quixote.
In a rare stage appearance, Kevin Moore -- the Human Race executive director -- portrays the title role, heading a cast of more than a dozen supporting actors. Other leading roles are played by Melissa D'Amico as Aldonza and David C. Maxwell as Sancho Panza, Quixote's sidekick.
With music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, the sumptuous score includes "The Impossible Dream," "Dulcinea,", "It's All the Same," "The Dubbing" and "Aldonza."
Local musical director Scot Woolley is helming the Loft musical direction for "The Man of La Mancha."
Incidentally, playwright Dale Wasserman spent more than three years relentlessly pursuing the life of Miguel de Cervantes before taking pen in hand to write this classic musical. His goal was to pay tribute to Cervantes indomitable spirit.
The Broadway production nearly 40 years with Richard Kiley in the lead role literally galvanized audiences as well as the critics.
Tickets for the Human Race production range from $29 to $36. For ticket information, call 228-3630 or visit online at www.ticketcenterstage.com
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wicked event at bookstore
The ongoing fascination with the "Wizard of Oz" gets a new wrinkle with a creative event on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Barnes & Noble, the bookstore located near the Dayton Mall. The classic 1939 film, of course, has served as the offshoot of the Broadway smash "Wicked," which is the cornerstone production of the Victoria Theatre Association 2009-2010 season. The two-act musical focusing on the good and bad witches in the "Wizard of Oz" is slated in early 2010 for a three-week run at the Schuster Center.
So the Oct. 24 event, slated from 12-2 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, is a bit of this and a bit of that as it celebrates the 70-year anniversary of the MGM film's release. Theatergoers can sign up in advance for "Wicked" tickets, compete in a costume contest and gather for some story telling and music.
Organizers are asking the public to dress as your favorite "Wicked" or "Wizard of Oz" character for your arrival at the bookstore on Oct. 24. In addition to the costume contest, a"Wicked" trivia contest will give folks a chance to compete and win prizes. Plenty of characters to imitate in costume including Dorothy, The Lion, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, Professor Marvel, the Wizard himself, or Glinda, the good witch, or Alphabae, the bad witch. How about a munchkin?
Makes no difference what character you pick for the costume contest. Just dressing up and showing up at the event, whether you join the contest of just watch from the sidelines, is what it's all about.
As a sidebar, the VTA has made the commitment to donate 10 percent of all purchases made on Oct. 24 will benefit the VTA scholarship program for school children's Physicians for Kids Discovery Series slated at the Victoria Theatre.
Sounds like a lot of fun for young and old alike on Oct. 24 at Barnes & Noble. And a productive way of spreading the word about a film classic transformed into a stage classic.
For more information, call the VTA at 228-7591, ext. 3078 or email at info@victoriatheatre.com.
So the Oct. 24 event, slated from 12-2 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, is a bit of this and a bit of that as it celebrates the 70-year anniversary of the MGM film's release. Theatergoers can sign up in advance for "Wicked" tickets, compete in a costume contest and gather for some story telling and music.
Organizers are asking the public to dress as your favorite "Wicked" or "Wizard of Oz" character for your arrival at the bookstore on Oct. 24. In addition to the costume contest, a"Wicked" trivia contest will give folks a chance to compete and win prizes. Plenty of characters to imitate in costume including Dorothy, The Lion, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, Professor Marvel, the Wizard himself, or Glinda, the good witch, or Alphabae, the bad witch. How about a munchkin?
Makes no difference what character you pick for the costume contest. Just dressing up and showing up at the event, whether you join the contest of just watch from the sidelines, is what it's all about.
As a sidebar, the VTA has made the commitment to donate 10 percent of all purchases made on Oct. 24 will benefit the VTA scholarship program for school children's Physicians for Kids Discovery Series slated at the Victoria Theatre.
Sounds like a lot of fun for young and old alike on Oct. 24 at Barnes & Noble. And a productive way of spreading the word about a film classic transformed into a stage classic.
For more information, call the VTA at 228-7591, ext. 3078 or email at info@victoriatheatre.com.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
DAI offers "Hello World"
Once again, the Dayton Art Institute is hosting an exhibition of extraordinary beauty and diversity.
Running through Jan. 3, 2010, it's titled "Hello Word! Rarely Seen Art from Our Collection," which displays many of the DAI's "hidden treasures" from the its vaults as well as works from other sources.
DAI director Janice Driesbach describes the eclectic exhibition as one that is a compendium of "great paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, textiles and photography that have not recently been on view."
Moreover, the exhibition encompasses different cultures over a span of 2,000 years. It features works by Pablo Picasso, Ansel Adams, John James Audubon, Paul Cezanne, Jackson Pollock as well as Dayton artist Bing Davis.
Underscoring his decision to focus on themes in the "Hello World" exhibition, DAI curator Will South has mixed cultures and time periods in galleries of faces, figures, landscapes and flight.
"The exhibition offers visitors the chance of seeing ourselves and the commonalities we have," said South, who has a laser-sharp eye for the composition of the works of art.
For example, the faces are mostly close-up pieces of art that are more penetrating in their straight arrangement on the wall. Ditto with the sculptures and landscapes. The universal theme continues with its brilliant show of flight.
In addition, the DAI's offering of "Hello World" includes a film of interviews with DAI members and visitors as a montage of images and voices in tribute to the DAI. The montage of images and voices is an effective ways of incorporating a fresh viewpoint from the public.
Another bonus -- and its an historic one -- is the 7-minute short film titled "Dali and Disney: The Art and Animation of Destino," a experimental collaboration filmed in 1946 in the hopes of pro ducing a feature film, which never happened. Dali, a Spanish surrealistic artist, produced painting, pen-and-ink drawings and storyboards for the project.
But what remains, although brief, is a truly extraordinary slice of film making that is not to be missed. The film is offered to the public free of charge.
Tickets for the "Hello World" exhibition presented during regular museum hours are $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students and $1 for youth ages 7-18. Museum members and children 6 and under are admitted free.
For more information, call 223-5277.
Running through Jan. 3, 2010, it's titled "Hello Word! Rarely Seen Art from Our Collection," which displays many of the DAI's "hidden treasures" from the its vaults as well as works from other sources.
DAI director Janice Driesbach describes the eclectic exhibition as one that is a compendium of "great paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, textiles and photography that have not recently been on view."
Moreover, the exhibition encompasses different cultures over a span of 2,000 years. It features works by Pablo Picasso, Ansel Adams, John James Audubon, Paul Cezanne, Jackson Pollock as well as Dayton artist Bing Davis.
Underscoring his decision to focus on themes in the "Hello World" exhibition, DAI curator Will South has mixed cultures and time periods in galleries of faces, figures, landscapes and flight.
"The exhibition offers visitors the chance of seeing ourselves and the commonalities we have," said South, who has a laser-sharp eye for the composition of the works of art.
For example, the faces are mostly close-up pieces of art that are more penetrating in their straight arrangement on the wall. Ditto with the sculptures and landscapes. The universal theme continues with its brilliant show of flight.
In addition, the DAI's offering of "Hello World" includes a film of interviews with DAI members and visitors as a montage of images and voices in tribute to the DAI. The montage of images and voices is an effective ways of incorporating a fresh viewpoint from the public.
Another bonus -- and its an historic one -- is the 7-minute short film titled "Dali and Disney: The Art and Animation of Destino," a experimental collaboration filmed in 1946 in the hopes of pro ducing a feature film, which never happened. Dali, a Spanish surrealistic artist, produced painting, pen-and-ink drawings and storyboards for the project.
But what remains, although brief, is a truly extraordinary slice of film making that is not to be missed. The film is offered to the public free of charge.
Tickets for the "Hello World" exhibition presented during regular museum hours are $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students and $1 for youth ages 7-18. Museum members and children 6 and under are admitted free.
For more information, call 223-5277.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Victoria Theatre singing auditions
Want to sing with Broadway stars at the Victoria Theatre?
It's a possibility for the many local singers in the Dayton area. The Victoria Theatre Association show titled "Broadway Holiday" slated Dec. 8-20 at the Victoria is looking for some local singing support.
Those aspiring singers at least 13 years of age may submit a two-minute singing video posted online via YouTube, MySpace or Facebook. You have time to practice, for sure, as the audition deadline id Friday, Nov. 6.
"Broadway Holiday" is a two-act show offering a compendium of Broadway standards from such shows as "South Pacific," "Guys and Dolls" and "Jersey Boys." Yuletide favorites such as "White Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" are also in the show.
This Victoria audition process is an excellent opportunity for local singers to step up and give a strong audition. For audition guidelines and rules, visit www.VictoriaTheatre.com/Broadway/Holiday/Auditions and download the Broadway Holiday audition form.
Two overall winners and up to 10 runners-up will be announced Monday, Nov. 9 on the FOX45 in the Morning TV show. For more information, call 228-3630.
It's a possibility for the many local singers in the Dayton area. The Victoria Theatre Association show titled "Broadway Holiday" slated Dec. 8-20 at the Victoria is looking for some local singing support.
Those aspiring singers at least 13 years of age may submit a two-minute singing video posted online via YouTube, MySpace or Facebook. You have time to practice, for sure, as the audition deadline id Friday, Nov. 6.
"Broadway Holiday" is a two-act show offering a compendium of Broadway standards from such shows as "South Pacific," "Guys and Dolls" and "Jersey Boys." Yuletide favorites such as "White Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" are also in the show.
This Victoria audition process is an excellent opportunity for local singers to step up and give a strong audition. For audition guidelines and rules, visit www.VictoriaTheatre.com/Broadway/Holiday/Auditions and download the Broadway Holiday audition form.
Two overall winners and up to 10 runners-up will be announced Monday, Nov. 9 on the FOX45 in the Morning TV show. For more information, call 228-3630.
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