<div dir="ltr"><b><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><br><br>•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</span><br><br>“Murder Ballad” continues high quality collaboration between BW & PhSquare</b><br><br>Roy Berko<br>(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)<br>
<br>PlayhouseSquare
and Baldwin Wallace’s renowned music theatre program and the school’s
arts management program, have come together for seven consecutive years
to present an opportunity for the students to interact with professional
theatrical figures in a real world unique way.<br><br>The theatre
students get an opportunity to work in the second largest arts complex
in the country. The arts management students get to collaborate with
the PhSq professional market wizards. What better educational
experience could a student ask for?<br><br>This year the theatrical
production moved from the cramped space, formerly known as the 14th
Street Theatre, to the Allen complex’s Helen Stage. The Helen is a
black box facility which allows for as many configurations as the mind
can conceive. For MURDER BALLAD, the audience was partially seated
three-quarters of the way around a rectangular performance area. The
remaining patrons were seated at tables. Against one walls the band was
placed. A pool table and a long bar were intermingled among the
tables. The design of the theatre space made the performance
appropriately up-tight and personal.<br><br>MURDER BALLAD is a “sexy and
dangerous” rock musical which played a five-week limited engagement in
2012 off-Broadway. Reviewers called it, “hot and sweaty,” “energetic
and intriguing,” “rough and ragged,“ “sexy and explosive,” and
“sultry.” In spite of generally positive reviews, the preview run ended
earlier than scheduled. <br><br>The story centers on a love triangle
gone wrong. Sara, an Upper West Sider seems to have it all...handsome
and devoted husband, a healthy child, and a life of luxury.
Unfortunately, she can’t rid herself of her desire for bad-boy
bartender, Tom. <br><br>We luxuriate in a strong musical score,
listening to such melodies as “Troubled Minds,” “Turning into
Beautiful,” “Mouth Tattoo,” “My Name,” “Built for Longing,” and “You
Belong to Me,” as the plot leads us through the complications of love,
the compromises that people make in the name of amour, and the betrayals
that love can generate in people, while undoing them.<br><br>“Murder
Ballad,” is the type of script that Victoria Bussert directs so well.
It requires creative staging, a fine sense of story development, and a
talented cast. Bussert is more than capable of the former duo, and has a
treasure trove of “Vickie’s Kids”—the musical theatre students at
Baldwin Wallace University. As a survey of Broadway casts over the
recent years proves, she picks, trains and sends out the cream of the
crop.<br><br>The four performance run of “Murder Ballad” showcased two
different casts. I only saw the “Spades” cast, so my comments will be
narrowed to their performances. What wonderful performances they were!
I can say, however, that I have it from a “knowledgeable source,” who
was seated next to me at Moko Café between the two Saturday shows, that
the “Clubs” cast was, ”also good.”<br><br>The role of Michael, Sara’s
husband, was portrayed by tall and matinee idol handsome Anthony
Sagaria. He’s much in the mold of Strongsville High and BW grad, Corey
Mach, who recently was in town playing the lead role in “Flashdance.”
He has a strong singing voice, excellent stage presence and good acting
chops. His duet, “I’ll Be There,” with Narrator Nyla Watson, was one of
the show’s highlights.<br><br>Watson, of powerful voice and imposing
presence, controls the stage when she is belting! She had some
wonderful comic asides that added needed light moments to the heavy
theme.<br><br>I would not like to meet Zachary Adkins, Tom, the
bartender, in an alley. At least not the Adkins who made Tom and his
menacing baseball bat into a potential weapon of mass destruction. He
displayed a nice singing voice and developed a clear character.<br><br>Keri
René Fuller, a red haired vixen, populated the role of Sara. Sensual,
sexy and seductive, she had both characters, Tom and Michael, wrapped
around her little finger.<br><br>Musical Director and BW student Andrew
Leslie Cooper, and his band nicely walked the musical line between the
needed rock intensity and underscoring the singers. Special kudos to
Jesse Stephen Penfound, the percussionist, for realizing that this
wasn’t a rock concert and a very heavy foot and pounding hands weren’t
necessary to get the needed effect.<br> <br><i>CAPSULE JUDGEMENT” It’s
no wonder that Bussert commented in the program that “she loves her
job!” Being able to unearth the right script, to put her unique touch
on a production, and having a dream team of talented students to work
with, would make anyone happy to go to work. Standing “O” to all
connected with ‘Murder Ballad.” My only regret was that the show only
ran four performances. It could have developed a cult following and run
for a long time! Oh well, there’s the PhSq/BW production to look
forward to next year!<br></i><br>“MURDER BALLAD” ran April 25th through the 27th, 2014.<br><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><br>•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</span><br><br><br></div>