[NEohioPAL]Another Glowing Review for SHAKESPEARE REVUE at Actors' Summit

Tue May 17 11:06:14 PDT 2005

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Actors=E2=80=99 Summit=E2=80=99s =E2=80=98Shakespeare Revue=E2=80=99 grand,=20=
glorious fun=20

By David Ritchey=20
HUDSON =E2=80=94 Guests at Actors=E2=80=99 Summit Theater=E2=80=99s producti=
on of =E2=80=9CThe Shakespeare=20
Revue=E2=80=9D won=E2=80=99t need to review any of William Shakespeare=E2=
=80=99s plays to enjoy this=20
production of grand and glorious fun.=20
Shakespeare=E2=80=99s greatest parodies on stage=20
The revue is composed of 36 songs, dances and sketches and averages two or=20
three big laughs a minute. The cast, director and musician started with=20
first-rate material. Then somewhere along the line, Shakespeare=E2=80=99s wo=
rds became=20
ragtime, showtime and playtime.=20
Christopher Luscombe and Malcolm McKee devised =E2=80=9CThe Shakespeare Revu=
e.=E2=80=9D=20
Luscombe and McKee obviously went to the original source, Will Shakespeare,=20=
and=20
then found other materials by more recent writers and brought those together=
 for=20
this show.=20
For example, Alan Melville (words) and Charles Zwar (music) wrote =E2=80=9CW=
hich=20
Witch?=E2=80=9D for the revue =E2=80=9CSky High=E2=80=9D (1942). The song is=
 performed by an out-of-work=20
actress who finally has a paying job. She=E2=80=99s hired to play one of the=
 witches=20
in =E2=80=9CMacBeth.=E2=80=9D But she wonders which witch she will play. Her=
 musical analysis=20
of the three witches leaves the audience to draw only one conclusion =E2=80=
=94 =E2=80=9Cthere=20
are no small roles, only desperate actors.=E2=80=9D

=E2=80=9CThe Night I Appeared as MacBeth=E2=80=9D was written by William Har=
greaves (1922)=20
and revised by Tom Lehrer (1982). This is an over-the-top song-and-dance num=
ber=20
that attempts to describe an actor=E2=80=99s first performance as MacBeth.=20
Perry Pontac wrote =E2=80=9CAnd How is Hamlet?=E2=80=9D for a show titled=20=
=E2=80=9CHamlet, Part II=E2=80=9D=20
(1992). This is a wonderful sketch performed for the benefit of someone who=20
was out of the country during the events that take place during the play=20=
=E2=80=9C
Hamlet.=E2=80=9D As the returning courtier asks about the health and well be=
ing of each of=20
the characters in the play, someone responds, =E2=80=9Cdead.=E2=80=9D=20

The five-person cast includes performers familiar to the audiences of Actors=
=E2=80=99=20
Summit. Greg Violand, Mary Jo Alexander, Ron Lee Davis and Shani Ferry sing,=
=20
dance and remind us of how much fun the Bard of Stratford-on-Avon can be. Th=
e=20
fifth performer is Michael Flohr, who is also the pianist. Flohr keeps the=20
revue moving at a brisk pace. He accompanies, but does not overtake, on the=20
piano. He is excellent as the accompanist. He is also an excellent performer=
 as=20
singer and skit player.=20
One of the highlights of the evening comes when Neil Thackaberry (director)=20
gives notes to an imaginary cast following a rehearsal for =E2=80=9CHamlet.=
=E2=80=9D At one=20
point he coaches one of the gravediggers, =E2=80=9CShakespeare didn=E2=80=
=99t give us much for=20
you to say. So, just toss in some of the lines you remember from =E2=80=98Th=
e Odd=20
Couple.=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D

=E2=80=9CThe Shakespeare Revue=E2=80=9D is a madcap romp through Shakespeare=
=E2=80=99s plays and=20
contemporary writers=E2=80=99 parodies of the most familiar of Shakespeare=
=E2=80=99s plays.=20
Everything works because of the talented cast, excellent direction, a first-=
rate=20
playwright and the playwright=E2=80=99s admirers.=20
=E2=80=9CThe Shakespeare Revue=E2=80=9D is on stage through May 22. For tick=
ets, call (330)=20
342-0800.=20

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<H2>Actors=E2=80=99 Summit=E2=80=99s =E2=80=98Shakespeare Revue=E2=80=99 gra=
nd, glorious fun </H2>

<H2> </H2>By David Ritchey 
HUDSON =E2=80=94 Guests at Actors=E2=80=99 Summit Th=
eater=E2=80=99s production of =E2=80=9CThe Shakespeare Revue=E2=80=9D won=
=E2=80=99t need to review any of William Shakespeare=E2=80=99s plays to enjo=
y this production of grand and glorious fun. 
Shakespeare=E2=80=99s greatest parodies on stage </S=
PAN>
The revue is composed of 36 songs, dances and sketch=
es and averages two or three big laughs a minute. The cast, director and mus=
ician started with first-rate material. Then somewhere along the line, Shake=
speare=E2=80=99s words became ragtime, showtime and playtime. 
Christopher Luscombe and Malcolm McKee devised =E2=
=80=9CThe Shakespeare Revue.=E2=80=9D Luscombe and McKee obviously went to t=
he original source, Will Shakespeare, and then found other materials by more=
 recent writers and brought those together for this show. 
For example, Alan Melville (words) and Charles Zwar=20=
(music) wrote =E2=80=9CWhich Witch?=E2=80=9D for the revue =E2=80=9CSky High=
=E2=80=9D (1942). The song is performed by an out-of-work actress who finall=
y has a paying job. She=E2=80=99s hired to play one of the witches in =E2=
=80=9CMacBeth.=E2=80=9D But she wonders which witch she will play. Her music=
al analysis of the three witches leaves the audience to draw only one conclu=
sion =E2=80=94 =E2=80=9Cthere are no small roles, only desperate actors.=E2=
=80=9D 
=E2=80=9CThe Night I Appeared as MacBeth=E2=80=9D wa=
s written by William Hargreaves (1922) and revised by Tom Lehrer (1982). Thi=
s is an over-the-top song-and-dance number that attempts to describe an acto=
r=E2=80=99s first performance as MacBeth. 
Perry Pontac wrote =E2=80=9CAnd How is Hamlet?=E2=
=80=9D for a show titled =E2=80=9CHamlet, Part II=E2=80=9D (1992). This is a=
 wonderful sketch performed for the benefit of someone who was out of the co=
untry during the events that take place during the play =E2=80=9CHamlet.=E2=
=80=9D As the returning courtier asks about the=20=
health and well being of each of the characters in the play, someone respond=
s, =E2=80=9Cdead.=E2=80=9D 
The five-person cast includes performers familiar to=
 the audiences of Actors=E2=80=99 Summit. Greg Violand, Mary Jo Alexander, R=
on Lee Davis and Shani Ferry sing, dance and remind us of how much fun the B=
ard of Stratford-on-Avon can be. The fifth performer is Michael Flohr, who i=
s also the pianist. Flohr keeps the revue moving=
 at a brisk pace. He accompanies, but does not overtake, on the piano. He is=
 excellent as the accompanist. He is also an excellent performer as singer a=
nd skit player. 
One of the highlights of the evening comes when Neil=
 Thackaberry (director) gives notes to an imaginary cast following a rehears=
al for =E2=80=9CHamlet.=E2=80=9D At one point he coaches one of the gravedig=
gers, =E2=80=9CShakespeare didn=E2=80=99t give us much for you to say. So, j=
ust toss in some of the lines you remember from=20=
=E2=80=98The Odd Couple.=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D 
=E2=80=9CThe Shakespeare Revue=E2=80=9D is a madcap=20=
romp through Shakespeare=E2=80=99s plays and contemporary writers=E2=80=99 p=
arodies of the most familiar of Shakespeare=E2=80=99s plays. Everything work=
s because of the talented cast, excellent direction, a first-rate playwright=
 and the playwright=E2=80=99s admirers. 
=E2=80=9CThe Shakespeare Revue=E2=80=9D is on stage=20=
through May 22. For tickets, call (330) 342-0800. </BODY></HTML>

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