[NEohioPAL]CANDIDE A HIT!!! Read the Review...then come see it!
RNavisjr at aol.com
RNavisjr at aol.com
Thu May 13 04:01:03 PDT 2004
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DON'T MISS ONE OF THE REMAINING PERFORMANCES OF THIS SELDOM SEEN MUSICAL
THEATRE TREASURE. Leonard Bernstein's legendary CANDIDE.
SCENE MAGAZINE CALLS IT --- "A WHALE OF A SHOW!"
(entire review below)
Curtain times:
Thursday, May 13 7:30pm
Friday, May 14 7:30pm
Saturday, May 15 7:30pm
Friday, May 21 7:30pm
Saturday, May 22 7:30pm
Sunday, May 23 3:00pm
ALL SEATS SIX DOLLARS! Call Box Office at 621-3242
Performances at W 38th and Bridge Ave in Ohio City
..secured parking
The review in Scene Magazine:
Candide Hams
Near West Theatre does Voltaire beyond compare.
BY CHRISTINE HOWEY
feedback at clevescene.com
Candide
Details: Through May 23, 216-621-3242
Where: Presented by Near West Theatre at St. Patrick's Club, 3606 Bridge
Avenue
There's a theater in town that exudes such an atmosphere of inclusion,
vitality, and good cheer that it's contagious, even on the first visit. (And, not
incidentally, they put on a whale of a show.) The Near West Theatre has been in
operation for 27 years, bringing talented professionals together with
neighborhood folks, kids from shelters, and even homeless people off the streets --
all are welcome if they're willing to work, onstage or off, to put together a
major production of a musical. And they don't come much more major than the
current offering, Leonard Bernstein's Candide, a formidable mountain of satire set
to music, which runs for three and a half hours with one intermission and
calls for a cast of 40, hundreds of costumes, and some 25 set changes. At first
thought, the idea of a hybrid community theater dedicated to musicals and
carrying a social-service mission might sound like a Salvation Army band with light
cues. But under the executive direction of Stephanie Morrison-Hrbek and
artistic guidance of Bob Navis Jr., Near West clearly takes its theatrical goals as
seriously as its humanitarian ones. From start to finish, all the performers
in Candide know who they are, what they're doing, and deliver even the
smallest bits with concentration and precision. This is a tribute to the estimable
talents of Navis, who is director, music director, and piano player for this
complex tale of innocent young Candide's journey of discovery. Based on
Voltaire's 18th-century novel, the 30-some songs feature lyrics by Richard Wilbur,
Lillian Hellman, and Dorothy Parker. With that kind of literary lineage, backed by
Bernstein's compositions, you'd think Candide would be a slam-dunk hit. But
its history has been studded with more failure than success since it tanked on
Broadway in the early 1950s. That hardly seems to matter to a Near West troupe
that lustily tackles every scene and sheds light on many of Voltaire's ideas,
including the tyranny of wealth, religious hypocrisy, and the shallowness of
philosophical theoreticians. Amid a galaxy of secondary players who perform
with great spirit, if varying degrees of talent, there are some substantial
stars in this production. Andrew Narten as Voltaire provides a solid narrative
thread, and he doubles as the laughably optimistic Pangloss, who believes,
against all evidence, that "this is the best of all possible worlds." Kimberly
Lauren Koljat sings beautifully (and at times comically) as Cunegonde, and Carlos
Antonio Cruz -- who looks like a younger and more handsome Carl Lewis -- lights
up the stage with his earnestness. But the show is stolen by Trinidad Snider
every time she enters as The Old Woman with one buttock (a deformity she
explains, hilariously). Snider's timing is so well-honed, she could be a touring
headliner in shows at Playhouse Square. Put all that together with the spare yet
witty set designs of Michael Larochelle and some glorious costumes by Sandra
Harding and Jodi Maile (especially the towering Marge Simpson-like blue-hair
wigs of the courtesans), and you've got a lot of entertainment for the
ridiculously modest admission of $6. That's less than parking costs at some theaters.
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR=3D"#ff80ff" BACK=3D"#f=
fff00" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" SIZE=3D4 PTSIZE=3D14 FAMILY=3D"SA=
NSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><B>D</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#ff00ff" BACK=
=3D"#ffff00" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" SIZE=3D4 PTSIZE=3D14 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">ON'T MISS ONE OF THE REMAINING PERF=
ORMANCES OF THIS SELDOM SEEN MUSICAL THEATRE TREASURE. Leonard Bernste=
in's legendary </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#ff00ff" BACK=3D"#ffff00" style=
=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" SIZE=3D5 PTSIZE=3D18 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FAC=
E=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">CANDIDE.</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#ff00ff" BACK=3D"#ffff=
00" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSS=
ERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><BR>
</FONT></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000ff" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-=
COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LAN=
G=3D"0">SCENE MAGAZINE</B> CALLS IT --- </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#=
ff0080" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=
=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><B>"A WHALE OF A SHOW!"=
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000ff" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR:=20=
#ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"=
></B><BR>
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; (entire review below)<BR>
Curtain times:<BR>
<B>Thursday, May 13 7:30pm<BR>
Friday, May 14 7:30pm<BR>
Saturday, May 15 7:30pm<BR>
<BR>
Friday, May 21 7:30pm<BR>
Saturday, May 22 7:30pm<BR>
Sunday, May 23 3:00pm<BR>
ALL SEATS SIX DOLLARS! Call Box Office at 621-3242<BR>
Performances at W 38th and Bridge Ave in Ohio City<BR>
..secured parking<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR:=20=
#ffffff" SIZE=3D5 PTSIZE=3D18 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"=
><I>The review in Scene Magazine:<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR:=20=
#ffffff" SIZE=3D6 PTSIZE=3D24 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"=
>Candide</I> Hams</B> </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=
=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D5 PTSIZE=3D18 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FAC=
E=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"> <BR>
Near West Theatre does Voltaire beyond compare. </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#=
000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=
=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><BR>
<B>BY CHRISTINE HOWEY</B><BR>
<A HREF=3D"http://www.clevescene.com/feedback/index_html?author_email=3Dfeed=
back at clevescene.com&feedback_email=3Dnope&headline=3D%3Ci%3ECandide%3C/i%3E%=
20Hams&issuedate=3D2004/05/12">feedback at clevescene.com</A> <BR>
<IMG SRC=3D"http://www.clevescene.com/art/story/details.gif" WIDTH=3D"175"=20=
HEIGHT=3D"27" BORDER=3D"0" DATASIZE=3D"619"> <BR>
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#ffffff" SIZE=3D1 PTSIZE=3D8 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">=
<B><I>Candide</B></I><BR>
<B>Details:</B> Through May 23, 216-621-3242 <BR>
<B>Where:</B> Presented by Near West Theatre at St. Patrick's Club, 3606 Bri=
dge Avenue <BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR:=20=
#ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"=
> <BR>
There's a theater in town that exudes such an atmosphere of inclusion, vital=
ity, and good cheer that it's contagious, even on the first visit. (And, not=
incidentally, they put on a whale of a show.) The Near West Theatre has bee=
n in operation for 27 years, bringing talented professionals together with n=
eighborhood folks, kids from shelters, and even homeless people off the stre=
ets -- all are welcome if they're willing to work, onstage or off, to put to=
gether a major production of a musical. And they don't come much more major=20=
than the current offering, Leonard Bernstein's <B><I>Candide</B></I>, a form=
idable mountain of satire set to music, which runs for three and a half hour=
s with one intermission and calls for a cast of 40, hundreds of costumes, an=
d some 25 set changes. At first thought, the idea of a hybrid community thea=
ter dedicated to musicals and carrying a social-service mission might sound=20=
like a Salvation Army band with light cues. But under the executive directio=
n of Stephanie Morrison-Hrbek and artistic guidance of Bob Navis Jr., Near W=
est clearly takes its theatrical goals as seriously as its humanitarian ones=
. From start to finish, all the performers in <I>Candide </I>know who they a=
re, what they're doing, and deliver even the smallest bits with concentratio=
n and precision. This is a tribute to the estimable talents of Navis, who is=
director, music director, and piano player for this complex tale of innocen=
t young Candide's journey of discovery. Based on Voltaire's 18th-century nov=
el, the 30-some songs feature lyrics by Richard Wilbur, Lillian Hellman, and=
Dorothy Parker. With that kind of literary lineage, backed by Bernstein's c=
ompositions, you'd think <I>Candide</I> would be a slam-dunk hit. But its hi=
story has been studded with more failure than success since it tanked on Bro=
adway in the early 1950s. That hardly seems to matter to a Near West troupe=20=
that lustily tackles every scene and sheds light on many of Voltaire's ideas=
, including the tyranny of wealth, religious hypocrisy, and the shallowness=20=
of philosophical theoreticians. Amid a galaxy of secondary players who perfo=
rm with great spirit, if varying degrees of talent, there are some substanti=
al stars in this production. Andrew Narten as Voltaire provides a solid narr=
ative thread, and he doubles as the laughably optimistic Pangloss, who belie=
ves, against all evidence, that "this is the best of all possible worlds." K=
imberly Lauren Koljat sings beautifully (and at times comically) as Cunegond=
e, and Carlos Antonio Cruz -- who looks like a younger and more handsome Car=
l Lewis -- lights up the stage with his earnestness. But the show is stolen=20=
by Trinidad Snider every time she enters as The Old Woman with one buttock (=
a deformity she explains, hilariously). Snider's timing is so well-honed, sh=
e could be a touring headliner in shows at Playhouse Square. Put all that to=
gether with the spare yet witty set designs of Michael Larochelle and some g=
lorious costumes by Sandra Harding and Jodi Maile (especially the towering M=
arge Simpson-like blue-hair wigs of the courtesans), and you've got a lot of=
entertainment for the ridiculously modest admission of $6. That's less than=
parking costs at some theaters. <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT> </HTML>
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