'Rocky Mountain High' recalls music of John Denver
May 12, 2013(As originally seen on MassLive by Keith O'Connor)
Although he doesn't consider himself to be an impersonator, Ted Vigil, who bears a passing resemblance to the late John Denver, will bring his Rocky Mountain High Tribute concert to CityStage on Thursday and Friday.
And, he's bringing a special friend along.
Vigil will be accompanied in the concert by Steve Weisberg, Denver's lead guitarist.
"For this show, it's just going to be Steve and me singing John's songs and telling stories. There will be a lot of good music and a little bit of comedy, too," said Vigil.
"Steve will be playing lead guitar and dobro, as well as performing all those signature licks and solos you've heard on John's records. He'll also be sharing his stories about working with John and I'll be telling my own stories. What we're trying to do is to have the audience get to know us and to feel like they're part of the show," he added.
Prior to joining up with Weisberg, Vigil has been doing the tribute show alone for about seven year.
"I started out doing some small casino gigs and fairs. It wasn't a full-time thing at first, but it really took off. People miss John and his music, and there are thousands of Elvis impersonators, but only a handful of John Denver tribute artists," said Vigil.
Denver's music evokes memories of an era which was both inspiring and influential. His music was a combination of romance such as "Annie's Song," folk including "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," country with "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," and environmentalism for his song "Calypso."
The popular singer/songwriter grew up in the military where his father was a U.S. Air Force officer. His musical career got an early nudge when at the age of 11 he was given his grandmother's guitar. Guitar lessons followed next, as well as joining a boys' choir, which led him a decade later to pursue his dream of a career in music.
He recorded nearly 300 songs, 200 of which he composed, which led to 12 gold albums and four platinum albums, as well as an Emmy and two Grammy Awards.
Among his accomplishments in spreading the message of peace, Denver toured the USSR in 1986, the first performances by an American performer since the start of the Cold War. He was also the first artist from the West to tour mainland China back in October 1992.
His life and music career came to an untimely end when on Oct. 12, 1997, he died tragically in a plane crash, leaving three children, Zak, Anna Kate and Jesse Belle behind.
"We're going to try very hard to play all of John's big hits, because if we don't, there is always someone who will come up to us and say they were very disappointed that we didn't play their favorite song, like 'Sunshine on My Shoulders,' for example. So, we'll be playing all the hits and even some obscure songs by John," said Vigil.
Vigil has been writing, recording and performing his original compositions, leading to winning the national title for Talent Quest in Laughlin, Nevada in 2006. After his win, he began to plan a John Denver tribute show. He began singing his way across the United State and in 2005 shared the stage with Keith Anderson, Jeff Bates and Kevin Sharp on the annual Traveling Kountry Kruz with the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. That same year he won the Komo TV Northwest Afternoon "Celebrity Look-alike" contest, and in 2010 he performed with Weisberg and Eddie Kilgallon, keyboard player for award-winning bands Ricochet and Montgomery Gentry. Vigil and Kilgallon have written songs together which they have recorded in Nashville on their compact disc project called "Sing My Songs," produced by Kilgallon.
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'Tap' to come knocking at Symphony Hall
May 5, 2013(As originally seen on MassLive by Keith O'Connor)
Wondering what's on tap for entertainment this week at Symphony Hall in Springfield?
How about "Tap: The Show" on Saturday night?
"The title gives us away. We're totally and completely a tap dance show," said Maria Logan, singer, dancer, choreographer and company manager for the show.
"Tap: The Show" – fueled by a non-stop explosion of rhythmic energy – celebrates the artistry of tap dance from around the world. Wrapped in dazzling costumes and backed by a soaring orchestral score, the cast of award-winning dancers and singers tap their way aimlessly over decades of styles from Broadway and big band to world music and pop/rock.
"We go through the entire history and range of what tap is in our entertainment and cultural lives, starting with old school "42nd Street" Broadway tap, which is most known by everyone, then cross over into the movie musical," Logan said.
Each section of the show brings to life iconic tap moments from the past, while creating new moments of joy to further mesmerize audiences. Included in the tap extravaganza are recreations of all-time favorite numbers by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, Broadway showstoppers, smooth and sultry soft shoe, flamenco, tribal, Irish step and more.
"We take the audience to places you wouldn't think of as tap dance, starting with an African tribal number, which is more about rhythm and dance as communication and cultural expression, then go into Irish step dance and flamenco. So, we really do cover the whole genre that tap dance can be expressed in," Logan said.
"One section that people tend to like a lot is when we do a medley from the movie 'Singin' in the Rain.' People will recognize 'Good Morning' and 'Moses," two classic, iconic numbers from the movie," she added.
Creator-writer-director Scott Seidl, who for many years taught theater and music at the University of Wisconsin, is leading the "Tap" creative team. He has appeared in numerous shows from "Annie Get Your Gun" to "Man of La Mancha" and from "Lee Greenwood's Portrait of America" to "Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede." As a director, he has overseen productions from "42nd Street" to "Annie" to "Godspell."
During 2005 and 2006, he served as road manager to Steven Tyler and the iconic rock band Aerosmith, and as a composer and arranger has his own pieces being performed in shows across the country. His song "Go Red" was used by the American Heart Association to promote their "Go Red for Women" campaign.
Co-creator and choreographer Mike Minery is considered by many to be one of the finest tap dancers and choreographers working today. He has been named the 1997 World Tap Champion and was a recipient of a Princess Grace Dance Fellowship Award. He toured the world as a soloist with the internationally acclaimed Manhattan Tap company, and has been featured at The Supper Club on Broadway and in the '40s revue "This Joint is Jumping."
Minery has created his own tap company, Tapaholics, which debuted at the famed Duke Theatre in New York City and has performed in countless theaters and on television. He has also choreographed pieces for Manhattan Tap, New Jersey Tap Ensemble and North Carolina Youth Ensemble, as well as numerous companies and studios around the world. In addition to choreographing "Tap: The Show," he is director and choreographer of SLIDE, a tap workshop and Off-Broadway show.
"I was so inspired by the old and great tap dancers like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Now there is a generation of tap dancer who are trying to keep the art alive to whom a lot of taps look up to like Mike Minery, our primary choreographer," Logan said.
Logan grew up dancing, singing and listening to music from the time she was born. Now a New Yorker, she called Nashville home for most of her life and went to school at Belmont University where she received a bachelor of music in musical theater. She has played Brooke Wyndham in "Legally Blonde" at the Westchester Broadway Theater, Miss Dorothy in "Thoroughly Modern Millie," and was a featured performer in the tour of "Red Hot Hollywood."
"I stared dancing when I was about the age of five. Much like our other cast members when they were learning dance as youngsters, I began with ballet, jazz and tap. Then you eventually break off into what strikes your fancy," Logan said.
"I never had the natural body or feet for ballet, so tap really made sense for me, and since I grew up in a musical family, the musicality of tap drew me in," she added.
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'The Hungry Hungry Games: A Parody' to have premiere at CityStage
May 4, 2013(As originally seen on MassLive by Keith O'Connor)
There's another world premiere coming to CityStage and it's from the same folks who brought their "Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody" to Springfield for a test drive.
This time around the joke is on the popular book and mosvie "The Hunger Games," which they have turned into "The Hungry Hungry Games: A Parody."
"Springfield is a lucky charm for us. Since premiering our 'Spank!' parody at CityStage, we now have two touring companies touring 100 cities in the United States this year and it just opened in Australia," said Jim Millan, director and head writer of the new book to movie to stage parody.
"Since we already have fans in the Springfield audience, we called CityStage and asked them what they thought about again hosting one of our premieres. They got behind us and we're looking forward to being back in town," he added.
Based on the best-selling novel by Suzanne Collins, "The Hunger Games" is a futuristic thriller in which the lead character, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers to save her younger sister by taking her place in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the finish, where two teens are chosen from each of the 12 Districts of Panem to compete, with only one coming out alive.
So, why pick on "The Hunger Games" next?
"First of all, we just loved it. 'The Hunger Games' was a great book and movie, and it just seemed to be catching everyone's attention at the time, just as 'Fifty Shades of Grey' was a year ago when we put its parody together," said Millan.
"There is a movie sequel coming to 'The Hunger Games,' and it seems to be something everyone is still aware of, and we wanted to address something that continues to be on the top of people's minds," he added.
When interviewed, Millan said he didn't want to give too much away about the show to help keep it a surprise, but at the same time noted they were still writing and refining parts of the show and getting ready for rehearsals in Toronto.
"We've been having a lot of fun playing around with the science fiction, action, and romantic aspects of the story," said Millan about taking on the novel's focus on poverty, oppression, war, and 12-year-olds with bows and arrows.
The writer and director of the parody said their story is similar to the book "with a classic spin on things."
"So, Katniss is Kat in our parody and her teenage identity isn't quite as solid and heroic as the character played by Jennifer Lawrence in the movie. The majority of the 'games' take place in the second act, where we expand its world a little bit to see what is going on behind the scenes and who is pulling the strings," he added.
After seeing the play, audiences can have their voices heard as part of Talk Back sessions with Millan and the cast. There will be no Talk Back on the final night's performance.
"I believe people are interested in anything fresh and really funny. I'm hoping they will welcome us back to Springfield and will be curious enough to see what we are doing next ... curious enough to give us another shot," said Millan.
And, for those who might be wondering, "The Hungry Hungry Games: A Parody" is not associated with or authorized by Collins or her publisher Scholastic.
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Caroline Rhea caps comedy series in downtown Springfield
April 29, 2013(As originally seen on MassLive by Keith O'Connor)
Comedy continues to be king – or queen in this case – at CityStage and Symphony Hall.
Caroline Rhea will close this season's edition of the Bud Light STAND UP Comedy Series at the downtown Springfield venues. She will perform at CityStage on Saturday night. The series is now in its fourth year.
"The series is a great way to keep our venue busy, and people seem to be embracing the site for comedy. It's also just an easy, fun and affordable night out in downtown Springfield," said Tina D'Agostino, president of CityStage and Symphony Hall.
With no pun intended, D'Agostino said it's comical when people ask if the comedian coming to Springfield is going to be funny.
"I mean, that's the point, after all. Seriously, I get what people are really asking, and liking a comedian is a matter of preference and personal taste, but this year's comedians have been especially hilarious. They each bring their own style and technique, and sometimes play off of the audience reaction, and even with local material," D'Agostino said.
Recent appearances by Jake Johannsen and Paul D'Angelo were sell outs. And, D'Agostino noted, they are looking forward to Rhea's fresh and spontaneous style as the final performer in this season's comedy series.
Rhea, a native of Montreal, left her Canadian home behind to head to New York to start what she hoped would be a successful career in stand-up comedy. She studied in the stand-up program at the New School of Social Research and trained at the comedy club Catch a Rising Star. Her status quickly rose as nightly gigs at New York's venerable clubs began to pile up, and she became an integral part of the city's comedy scene. Her career was further boosted by numerous appearances on "MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour," "Comic Strip Live" and "Caroline's Comedy Hour."
Caroline's television career reached a highlight playing the witch Hildy Spellman, one of "Sabrina The Teenage Witch's" protective aunts on the hit television show starring Melissa Joan Hart. The show, which first appeared on ABC then moved to The WB network, ran from 1996 to2003.
Rhea hoped her good luck would continue on television when she became Rosie O'Donnell's choice to replace her when she left her enormously popular daytime talk show in 2002. But, filling Rosie's shoes proved a hard task and the show was canceled in its first season. She later hosted the NBC reality show "The Biggest Loser" for two.
On the big screen, Rhea was featured in "The Perfect Man" with Heather Locklear; a supporting role in "Man on the Moon," the story of the late comedian Andy Kaufman, co-starring Jim Carrey; "Christmas With the Kranks" opposite Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis; and the wrestling film, "Ready to Rumble," opposite Oliver Platt, David Arquette and Scott Caan.
Her other credits include being a regular guest on Whoopi Goldberg's "Hollywood Squares," Drew's girlfriend on ABC television's "The Drew Carey Show," the made for television movie "Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire" and "Pride and Joy" on NBC. Other spots include Comedy Central's "Pulp Comic," "Comic Relief 8" and "HBO's One Night Stand 2005." She also appeared in the pilot of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," written by Larry David.
Although Rhea's official website said she was last seen in a one-hour stand up special, part of Bravo's "Funny Girls," entitled "Rhea's Anatomy, which aired on Halloween 2006, and that she will "next be seen in Lifetime's made for television movie "Fat Like Me," airing on January 8, 2007," she has worked since then appearing on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
In 2007, Rhea was asked to voice the mother on the popular Disney television cartoon "Phineas and Ferb." She also starred in 2008 with Rue McClanahan and Olivia Newton-John on the made-for-cable sitcom "Sordid Lives: The Series." Also, Rhea starred in the Lifetime holiday movie in 2012, "The Christmas Consultant," playing opposite David Hasslehoff.
Ask Rhea what her greatest production has been to date, and she'll probably tell you it was giving birth to her first child, Ava, in 2008 at the age of 44.
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Maria Logan: Singing with the tap stars
April 22, 2013Interview with Maria Logan, one of the featured performers of "Tap – The Show"
(As originally seen on In The Spotlight & DidYouWeekend by Shera Cohen)
Imagine being the only female vocalist in a troupe of some of the best tap dancers currently touring the country. Now imagine singing some of the most well-known tap numbers of the past century – "42nd Street," "I've Got Rhythm," and "Singing in the Rain." Then imagine performing on Springfield's beautiful Symphony Hall. Finally, imagine singing John Lennon's signature piece "Imagine," which is also the focus of the rousing dance-music performance "Tap – The Show."
Maria Logan doesn't have to imagine any of the above. This is exactly where the 26-year-old is in her life right now. With a background in music and dance which started at age 5, Logan especially credits one of her first dance teachers as well as her studies in music at Belmont University in Nashville.
Logan admits that Lennon's work isn't typically considered music for tap. However, she calls it the "thesis of the show. It's music and rhythm all coming together as one language that we can all speak." That's something wonderful to imagine.
Starting as a 30-minute gig in Hershey, PA three years ago, "Tap" has grown into a two hour production, and in less than one year, has already toured 45 cities.
While Logan is the singing star of the show, along with her male counterpart, she can also tap – doing just a few steps while onstage. "I am a little jealous when everyone else is dancing, but singing comes first for me. We all have a part to play and I love my part in the show," she said.
She also has double duty as the Show Captain; the person in charge of putting out fires once on the road. She spoke of one challenge, where the performance site's stage was too small to accommodate "Tap's" portable dance floor. The entire production had to be reblocked.
Then, there are the joys of touring. Every performance is followed by a Meet & Greet. "So many from the audience, of all ages, talk to us and ask questions. It's especially nice to see anyone trying to do a 'shuffle ball change' [a tap move]," Logan said.
According to Logan, the tap of the MGM era has not stayed the same through the years. "Tap" has a lengthy tribute to the old movies with "42nd Street" as the highlight. "This show is such an inspiration. The dancers are so versatile. They've opened up my eyes to new tap, called 'street tap' – it's dance that has evolved to become something fresh," she continued.
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'Fiddler on the Roof' heading to Symphony Hall
April 16, 2013(As originally seen on MassLive by Keith O'Connor)
The award-winning Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof" will bring its universal theme of tradition to Symphony Hall in Springfield on Sunday night.
For years, "Fiddler on the Roof" has captured the hearts of people all over the world with its humor, warmth and honesty. In the little village of Anatevka in the pre-revolutionary Russia of the czars, Tevye, a poor milkman, tries to keep his family's traditions in place. Yet, times are changing. And when Tevye's daughters want to make their own matches, he must choose between his own daughters' happiness and those beloved traditions that keep the outside world at bay. Yet it is Tevye's love of his family, pride and faith that help him face the dangerous forces in Anatevka which threaten to destroy the very life he and his fellow villagers are trying to preserve.
Robert Summers II, who plays Tevye, is no stranger to the role having first stepped into the "fiddler's shoes" some 28 years ago.
"What draws me to the play is its heart and the hope it exudes. Tevye is so human and has so many layers to him – his love of family, love of life, and his abiding faith, he has conversations with God. Tevye always has hope, no matter what is happening, not matter what tragedies have befallen, he feels there is always hope," said Summers.
"I was a young man when I first took on the role of Tevye. Now flash forward 28 years and I'm in my 50s with more life experience and a daughter, and I understand much better why Tevye is the way he is," he added.
The play, with a book by Joseph Stein, broke the established Broadway musical mold by taking on serious issues. It opened on Sept. 22, 1964 with Zero Mostel as Tevye and ran for 3, 242 performances at the Imperial Theatre. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won all except for one, include Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Direction and Best Choreography. It was followed in 1971 by the big screen version featuring Norma Crane, Molly Picon, and Topol, and also spawned several Broadway revivals.
"Fiddler on the Roof" is filled with a rousing, heartwarming score – with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick – featuring such memorable songs as "Tradition," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "If I Were A Rich Man," and "Sunrise, Sunset."
But will a younger audience turn out for such a traditional play in today's modern world of theater? Summers said "yes."
"It's very interesting. Young people come to see the play and are blown away by it. It has a message that transcends all generations. And it doesn't matter if you are Jewish, Catholic, Protestant or otherwise, even though it's about a Jewish family, everyone knows about love and faith," said Summers about two of the major themes in the play.
"Many people, both young and old, can also understand about being displaced from their homes today by the many foreclosures happening in the current economy," he added.
Summers love of acting dates back to his grammar school days.
"I was performing in a play in the 5th grade about the Constitutional Convention. I played Alexander Hamilton, and that's when the acting bug bit me. I went on to college to major in theater, but let's just say it was the '70s and I didn't finish. I spent the next three years as a professional actor, then I got married and joined the U.S. Army for 12 years, but had to leave because of a non-combative knee injury that I received," said Summers, who eventually returned to acting.
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'The Marvelous Wonderettes' to feature songs of the '50s, '60s
April 14, 2013(As originally seen on MassLive by Keith O'Connor)
Music lovers can take a trip down memory lane to the glory days of bobby sox and blue jeans and mini skirts when the off-Broadway hit musical "The Marvelous Wonderettes" makes its way to CityStage for four shows beginning Wednesday.
The Marvelous Wonderettes takes its audience back to 1958 at the Springfield High School prom where they will meet the Wonderettes, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts.
The show uses music from the 1950s and '60s to tell its story as the girls perform such classics as "Lollipop," "Dream Lover," "Stupid Cupid," "Lipstick on Your Collar," "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," "It's My Party," and over 20 other classic hits.
As the lights come up on the prom's special entertainment, The Marvelous Wonderettes, the four best friends – Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy – launch into the "Sugar & Spice Medley: Lollipop/Sugartime." The girls, who are also the trophy-winning varsity song leaders for Springfield High, are the replacement act for the prom's originally scheduled group, the Crooning Crabcakes. Billy Ray Patton, the lead Crab, got suspended from school for smoking.
The second half of the show springs forward to a decade later at the Springfield High School Class of '58 10-Year Reunion, as the Marvelous Wonderettes take the stage to begin their performance with "Heatwave." During the reunion, the audience learns about each girl and the different roads they've traveled since graduation.
Ashley Pankow plays Betty Jean in the play who she described as the "class clown, the tomboy of the group, who will punch anyone who makes fun of her friends….she's always up for trouble."
Pankow said after traveling to many cities with the show, most people didn't really know what kind of show they were coming to.
"Many think this is just some sort of girl group musical revue. But it's much more than that. The girls each have their own distinct personalities and there's a lot of back story about their relationships," said the performer.
More than just a musical, the show is also about nostalgia, noted Pankow.
"We talk to people after the show and many tell us their cool stories about their own proms. And, it's interesting, depending on what generation they're from, some may get the '50s jokes and puns in the show, but not those from the '60s decade," said Pankow.
Unlike Betty Jean, Pankow grew up on the music of the sixties, more so than the fifities.
"I just love the innocence that these girls have. And it's really cool to see them grown up in the second half of the show and to learn how they have been dealing with life," said Pankow.
Oh, and the audience gets to vote for prom queen.
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Dinosaur Petting Zoo coming to downtown Springfield
April 13, 2013(As originally seen on MassLive by Keith O'Connor)
What child doesn't like making friends with cute and cuddly barnyard animals at a local petting zoo? But getting up close and personal with prehistoric creatures who once roamed the Earth, well that's another question.
The answer is no further than inside CityStage in downtown Springfield where on Tuesday the popular theater will lend its space to Erth's Dinosaur Petting Zoo.
"Kids either really love it, or others, especially some younger ones, get really scared," said show host Samantha Hickey.
As host, Hickey said she does all the talking and introduction of the dinosaurs, while helping to lead them around the stage. She said she also tells jokes, mostly for the benefit of the adults. "They call me Sam the dinosaur wrangler, the keeper of the dinosaurs," she added.
But it's not their intention to scare the ever lovin' daylights out of kids and send them home with night terrors, noted the show's host.
To quote creators of the dinosaur playground from "down under," their show offers "heaps of interaction for kids and adults" as they travel with Erth's multi-faceted performers on a journey through the prehistoric ages. Audiences young and old will experience an equally playful and menacing selection of dinosaurs and creatures that overran the Earth million of year ago. And kids will even have the opportunity, if they dare, to go up on stage and feed, water and care for these prehistoric marvels.
"These are definitely puppets large enough and realistic enough for kids to think they are alive on stage. There's definitely a few kids who will walk away terrified. But I believe it's a good terrified as we offer them a really interactive experience to come up and give them a pat," said Hickey.
"We have some of the puppeteers on stage, wranglers as we call them, and it's quite funny from their perspective as they see the reaction of the kids who are staring them right in the eyes. And it's really funny because they know they are being operated by us, but at the same time they get all caught up in the imagination side of the whole experience," she added.
The Meganeura, Dwarf Allosaur and Leallynasaura can't wait to be petted and fed, noted Hickey, who said most of the dinosaurs in the show roamed Australia and New Zealand, as well as some in the United States.
The lifelike dinosaurs – made from many different materials such as latex, leather and glass for the eyes – roar, move their mouths, and make other noises.
Erth is a visual and physical theater company based in Sydney, Australia, combining a unique aesthetic with performance through the use of large-scale puppets, stilts, inflatables and aerial techniques. Erth has created over 12 productions and tours the world extensively with performances at many major Australian and international festivals including the Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in 2000, Singapore Arts Festival, Shanghai World Expo and others. The Dinosaur Petting Zoo is on a six-month tour of the United States which began in January.
Hickey said they usually recommend the 50-minute show for kids from 5- to 12-years-old, but that a lot of younger children often attend.
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CityStage to turn into a Dinosaur Petting Zoo!
April 11, 2013(As originally seen on Macaroni Kid)
Erth's awesome prehistoric creatures, from cute baby dinos to teeth-gnashing giants, will take to the stage for three performances only at 10am, 2pm and 6pm! Dinosaur Petting Zoo allows heaps of interaction for kids and adults while they travel with Erth's multi-faceted performers on a journey through prehistoric ages. Tickets are $20 and are available by phone at (413) 788-7033 or online HERE. Ask about the BOGO coupon for the Springfield Museums when purchasing your tickets through the Box Office!
Print out this Dino Fact Sheet for some educational fun with your mini macaroni and then get ready to ROAR for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the 10am performance of Erth's Dinosaur Petting Zoo next Tuesday, April 16 at CityStage! To enter, simply click HERE and LIKE CityStage & Symphony Hall's facebook page and then post a video of your mini macaroni's best ROAR to their Timeline. Video not to exceed 30 seconds. The video with the most LIKES by Friday 4/12 at 3PM will be the lucky winner. Don't forget to post MAC KID SENT ME when you upload the video!
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