Memphis (the musical) returns to Seattle

If you've never heard of Memphis the musical, you're not alone. I hadn't either, but savvy musical-theater types probably know that it won the Tony award for Best Musical in 2010, and had 1,166 Broadway shows, ending its run this August. In terms of story, it reminds me of both Dreamgirls and Hairspray, tracing the injection of 1950s soul music into mainstream cognizance. Memphis also has a mixed-race romance between Felicia, a black singer, and Huey, a white exuberant hillbilly DJ who brings her talent to the Memphis radio airwaves.

Memphis was at the 5th Avenue Theater in 2009, before it hit Broadway, and returns tweaked and presumably improved. The vocal talent in the show blew me away--the quality by far is the best I've seen in Seattle to date. I was enamored of deep-voiced Horace Rogers, who plays Felicia's protective brother, Delray, and of Julie Johnson, who plays Huey's cantankerous racist mother.

For me, the writing and music didn't shine as much as the performers. The songs didn't stick with me, and the story felt derivative, even though it's based loosely on a real Memphis DJ. I mean, if you're making a musical it totally makes sense to base it on music history, but because Dreamgirls and Hairspray are so entrenched in my musical consciousness, it can't help but pale in comparison. The romance part of the story, which should have brought me to tears, amazingly didn't. I tried to figure out why, and it might just come down to the fact that I really didn't like Huey's hick-like accent. It didn't sound like the people I know from Tennessee; I don't know if it was authentic to his uneducated, mid-century lower-class character or not. Either way, I felt cheated out of what should have been some cathartic heart-wrenching drama.

That said, I highly, highly recommend this show! It's well-staged and the singing and dancing are exceptional. Catch it in Seattle through October 7. A nationwide tour is underway, so you can see it in other cities as well; check the schedule here.

Acro-cats!

If the idea of seeing a cat walk while balanced on a ball makes you giddy, I highly recommend the Acro-cats show now playing at Stone Soup Theatre. What about a cat standing on its hind legs, holding up one paw next to a sign that says "Who's Number One?" Yep, these are the kind of insanely cute tricks performed by owner Samantha Martin's troupe of cats, ranging from adoptable kittens to old hands.

Samantha is a cat-lover turned trainer, and if you're all up in arms about cats being forced to perform, you should know that she rescues and fosters cats, and finds "forever" homes for them. She uses the clicker/treat reward system of training, and the "tricks" are based on normal cat behaviors. The Stone Soup Theater is quite small, so it really does feel like you're watching the show in Samantha's living room. (In fact, she told the audience that all the props and gear in the show are actually her living room furnishings.) Anyway, it's pretty hard to get a cat to do anything it doesn't want to do, so I didn't feel bad at all for them--and I hate zoos and circuses that keep animals in captivity. These domestic cats seem happy.

Back to the show: Along with the cats, there are a few rats, a couple of chickens, and a groundhog(?!) who rides in a wagon pulled by an RC car. There's also a cacophonous music segment, with cats playing guitar, keyboard, drums, chimes, cowbell, and a chicken playing tambourine and cymbals. The show's in Seattle until September 1, so go see it! A couple of insider tips: You can buy tickets at at the door no problem (at least last night), but I recommend getting there early so you can get a front-row, center seat AND so you can listen to the cat-themed music before the show ("Stray Cat Strut" by The Stray Cats, "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart, and so on). Also, this is one place you won't be out of place wearing that cat sweatshirt your grandma gave you, or your Halloween cat ears (but if you forget them, you can buy some at the show!)

Cinderella at Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater

It's almost shocking to me--SHOCKING!--that Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is so little known. I saw the 1965 movie starring Lesley Ann Warren and ultra-handsome Stuart Damon on TV when I was a kid and loved it. I think I only got to see it once or twice, but one of those times I tape-recorded it (yes, on cassette tape) so I got to listen to the music repeatedly. Why this movie wasn't in more frequent rotation is a mystery to me, because it's got great music and lyrics and wonderful comedic twists to make it more entertaining than sappy. Just check out this clip of the stepsisters on YouTube! (This movie was remade with Whitney Houston and Brandy in 1997, but I never saw that one.)

I got to relive this childhood memory yesterday with my nearly 4-year-old friend and princess-lover Isla yesterday (and her mom!) at Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater. Like the Kitsap Forest Theater, it's a tiny outdoor amphitheater--which stayed a perfectly comfortable temperature on a sweltering day yesterday. It has a nice intimate feel, and holds only about 275 people. This is great for kids since it's not as overwhelming as a large theater can be, and the actors can interact with the audience. When the prince and his pages were looking for the owner of the glass slipper, they tried it on some audience members before they found Cinderella's home!

I loved the updated stepsister banter and the perfectly lovely Cinderella, played by Justine Stillwell. The fairy godmother is played by Buddy Todd in drag, who I also loved, but at least one little girl found it confusing. She yelled, "That's a clown!" during his performance--and I could certainly see her point. This godmother had overly rouged cheeks, pink hair, and spoke like a Jewish grandmother. I'm not sure if it's part of the original script, but this godmother encourages Cinderella to make "impossible" things happen for herself. It's a small way to update the girl-needing-rescuing theme, but I like it.

All in all, I think this an ideal production to bring very young children to, even though it's a long time for them to sit still. Cinderella and the prince came out after the performance so you could get your picture with them, and there's a play structure conveniently located at the top of the path to the theater, so kids can burn off pent-up energy. Cushions and bug spray are available for patrons, but if you have a high-quality stadium cushion of your own, I recommend bringing it. Isla found the bathrooms kind of scary: The stalls have curtains rather than doors, but there are flush toilets and real sinks.

This little theater is quite similar to the Kitsap Forest Theater, but it's much more convenient to Seattle. The path to the theater through the woods is much shorter, the hike to the waterfall view is a tiny 100 yards as opposed to the strenuous hike to the giant tree in Kitsap. Overall, it feels much more cozy. There's a covered area with large picnic tables where dinner is served by reservation only: salmon, steak, chicken, vegetarian lasagna, hot dogs, salad bar, etc. We didn't eat there, but it smelled great.

Anyway, Cinderella's playing through August 26, Saturdays at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for students and seniors. Kids under 5 are free! Don't miss the fleeting season for outdoor theater!

Kitsap Forest Theater

It's summer! One of my favorite things to do in the summer back in Oakland was to pack a picnic and watch cheesy musicals at the local outdoor amphitheater. I really miss that place! So when I saw a flyer for Kitsap Forest Theater, I knew I had to check it out. This past weekend we made the trip to see my very favorite musical, Fiddler on the Roof.

We had a crazy busy morning and barely caught the ferry to Bremerton, but made it to the Kitsap Forest Theater in plenty of time to buy tickets, snacks, and rent cushions for the terraced earth seats. There were hot dogs, chips, and candy for sale, but we were really jealous of the elaborate picnic lunches some of the other patrons had brought with them. It's a good thing I ate a big breakfast. In short, I think taking the time to pack a nice picnic lunch is definitely mandatory for next time. The trail down to the theater opens at 1 p.m., and the shows start at 2 p.m.

The winding path through the woods to the amphitheater was lovely, and charmingly decorated with vignettes from the play. A men's hat with a bottle on it, a wedding canopy, a set of glasses for toasting l'chaim....

The day was pretty sunny, but the surrounding fir trees provided shade so the temperature was perfect. I imagine it would be pretty miserable in the rain, though!

And the play! Well, the singing and dancing definitely wasn't the best ever, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I cried when the cast sang "Sunrise, Sunset" during Motel and Tzeitel's wedding. I cried when the Russians disrupted the wedding and ruined their gifts. I cried when Hodel took the train to Siberia to join Perchik. I cried when Tevye says Chava is dead to them because she married outside of the Jewish faith. And of course I cried when the villagers were forced to leave Anatevka. I've seen this movie and play so many times that I can practically recite it word for word. (And I recognized every time the play script deviated from the movie one.) You'd think my familiarity with the plot would make me less sensitive to it, but it actually seems to work the opposite way!

After the play, we hiked down to see the "Big Tree," one of the oldest trees on the Kitsap Peninsula. The hike was fairly strenuous, but just 13 minutes each way. If you've seen a lot of redwood trees, you might not be that impressed, but it is a big, tall tree.

Anyway, after the hike and a stop at Dairy Queen, we caught the ferry back to Seattle. It was well past dinner time when we were back in the city, so seeing a play at the Kitsap Forest Theater is definitely an all-day event for us. Even so, we're going to try to return for the next production there: Footloose, showing on July 28-29 and August 4-5 11-12, and 18-19.

First Date: A New Musical

I just learned that Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre is a significant developer of new musicals. It's produced 14 in the past ten years, five of which went to Broadway and two of which won Tony Awards for Best Musical, including Memphis, which is currently on Broadway. Huh.

This past weekend I saw the premiere of a new musical, First Date, which was a collaboration between the 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT-A Contemporary Theatre. It's a 90-minute, one-act, seven-actor piece about modern-day dating. I was initially skeptical, unwowed by the bland opening number and stereotypes, but I was won over in the end -- in large part because of the outstanding male lead, Eric Ankrim (who, incidentally, just played Curly in Okalahoma!). He plays Aaron, a Jewish Wall Street trader set up on a blind date with Casey, a Soho artist. He's an open, optimistic BDV (blind date virgin) who is still trying to get over being jilted by his ex; she's a jaded BDS (blind date slut) with a codependent gay boyfriend. They seem opposite in almost every way, and yet, somehow you end up believing that they'll be great for each other.

Unfortunately, none of the music sticks in my head, but the numbers -- such as "The World Wide Web is Forever," about how Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. can ruin your chances with someone before you even meet -- are heavy on dating humor. There are no spectacular, over-the-top dance or vocal numbers, which is in keeping with the more intimate storyline. (Again, Eric Ankrim has a lovely voice, though!) In short, this play isn't gonna go down in history like Oklahoma! and it's not the next Wicked, but single people and those of us who remember well what it's like to be single, will find it amusing. It's at Falls Theatre until May 20.

Oklahoma! at the 5th Avenue Theater

I'm not ashamed to admit it: I like musical theater. Almost everyone I know hates (or claims to hate) musicals, but occasionally I drag Chris and Oscar to one. Last night we went to see Oklahoma! -- the first musical written by the legendary team of Roger and Hammerstein and first performed on Broadway in 1943 -- at the 5th Avenue Theater. It's a classic, but I don't remember ever seeing it before. Is that possible?

I might have seen it as a child, because I definitely recognized a lot of the songs, including "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top," "I Cain't Say No," "People Will Say We're in Love," and of course the title song. The plot was really corny and old-timey: Essentially, cowboy Curly wants to take a farm girl to the box social but she's irritated that he asked her at the last minute, so instead agrees to go with Jud, a farmhand she's afraid of. You can absolutely imagine how this all ends up.

The Seattle version of Oklahoma! has been controversial because a black man plays Jud, a bad guy. There's a scene in the play where Curly holds up a noose and basically tells Jed to hang himself, and there's a dream sequence where Jed forces himself on his would-be girlfriend. I bought the tickets before reading about the uproar in the paper, so I can't say whether I would have noticed the actor's race. I'm used to seeing all races in theatrical productions, and the casting director claimed that he meant the casting to be colorblind and was not trying to be provocative. In any event, the actor playing Jud had an amazing voice.

Production aside, the 5th Avenue Theater itself is worth checking out. Modeled after China's Temple of Heavenly Peace, the Summer Palace, and the Forbidden City, the interior is unlike any I've seen before. The center chandelier is held in the teeth of a coiled dragon, and dragons feature prominently in the design elements. It's very striking. It's also really comfortable, and even though we were way up in the balcony, we could see and hear fine. I'd definitely like to see another show here.

New favorite book: Speakeasy Dollhouse

My best friend from junior high and beyond, who I also lived with in college, is the renowned artist Countess Cynthia Von Buhler, who is the most talented and beautiful woman ever. You'd kinda want to hate her for it, except she's also exceedingly nice and funny -- and she works harder than anyone I know. (I know her as Cindy, but you should call her Cynthia.) She started out as an illustrator, but she's not one to rest on her laurels, so she just keeps doing more amazing, diverse work including performances and installations. She's illustrated many books (most recently the Evelyn Evelyn graphic novel published by Dark Horse Comics, and writes them herself as well (But Who Will Bell the Cat?, The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside).

Cindy's maternal grandparents lived in the Bronx and ran speakeasies during the Prohibition. Then her grandfather had an ice delivery business. One day her grandfather went out with one of his four children to collect a debt, leaving his pregnant wife at home. He was murdered. In August Cindy raised $16,811 via Kickstarter to publish a picture book for adults and produce an immersive play influenced by Sleep No More in New York City, all to explore this murder.

Everything Cindy produces is gorgeously detailed, and this project is no exception. For the book, she photographed dolls and sets to tell the story, which is similar to the technique she used for The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside.

I'm always excited to get a new book, but this one is especially exciting to me because for a lot of it, I was there. Even though the book is ostensibly about a murder that took place during the 1930s, the story is also about Cindy's own life. This project is also exciting to me as a writer and editor, because it represents a new wave of publishing, and I wanted to know all about how my friend put it all together. She's always got a million project brewing, but she took time to answer some questions I sent her. (Thanks, Cindy!!) Here they are:

Knowing you for such a long time, it seems like an idea that maybe was percolating your whole life; I remember hearing the story about your grandfather's death. How long did this project take?

I have been thinking about it my whole life, but I never envisioned it as a book until I realized that a graphic novel would be the perfect medium for such a thing. I officially started my research two years ago. As for the art, I started exactly one year ago.

This was your first Kickstarter project, right? Did you try to take it to a traditional publisher first?

I did not. I usually write and illustrate children's books. This is a picture book for adults. It is an unusual project and I felt that I needed to show a publisher what was in my mind rather than try to describe it using only words. I'm not interested in self-publishing. I see this book as a dummy book paid for by my beloved fans. I'm interested in finding a publisher for the series, but on my own terms. If that means that I need to create a few of the books before I sell the project, so be it. Thanks to Kickstarter and the play I now have a built-in audience hooked on the series.

The book is brief autobiography of you, tied in with your mother's story. What was your mother's reaction to it?

At first she was resistant to the idea, but now she loves it. She is intrigued by my findings, but constantly says that I have an overactive imagination and that I always tend toward far-fetched scenarios. My whole family was up in arms when they saw my grandma doll naked while giving birth in the test photos. They weren't upset about the nudity as much as the fact that a naked Mary Spano was not believable. They felt that such a pious woman would be covered while giving birth. I gave her a white nightgown in the finals, but the image is still rather graphic. My mother's response to the book birth scene was, "There is too much blood. It's a birth, not a murder." I disagree with her. I watched birth videos as reference and there was a great deal of blood. But overall she is thrilled, especially when the evidence points to the fact that Grandpa was a victim rather than a criminal. The verdict on that is still not out. My mother loved the play, but she said that watching her own birth acted out was "surreal."

Besides looking through old newspapers at the library, what other research methods did you use? Did your mother's tin box have any clues in it?

I ordered the court, police, and autopsy records from the NYC archives. These were incredibly helpful. Ancestry.com is a fantastic research tool. It provides census reports from the 1920s and '30s, death records, birth records, cemetery records, and military records as well as the usual family tree listings. Identity-finding websites and the online white pages have also been useful. A journalist from The New York Daily News gave me the phone number of a reputed Gotti crime soldier's lawyer. When I hit a brick wall trying to find the murderer's children, a private investigator who was intrigued by my project offered his services for free. I'm also very good at stalking mobsters. I call them on the phone and drive to their houses to spy.

The most revealing item in the tin box was the burning-in-hell prayer card. The photos and paraphernalia also gave me insight into my grandparents' personalities. I wish that my grandmother had kept the police photos of her husband after he was shot. The back of the "we regret to inform you” death letter had a handwritten note by my grandmother indicating that police photos accompanied the letter.

Random question: I love the pattern swatches you use as design elements. The houndstooth ones on your Olan Mills spread remind me of those pants you used to have -- remember them? The others, too, totally remind me of you! Where did you get them?

Yes! They reminded me of those skinny-legged corduroy pants I used to wear too. I had one pair of the magenta pants and another blue, exactly like those patterns! I found all of the patterns in the book on a stock photo site. The big pink flowers reminded me of the wallpaper in my parent's kitchen, remember that? It was god-awful and amazing at the same time.

Also, I thought for a second that the photo in the upper left was my Olan Mills portrait. I was scared!

I'm so glad that you noticed that! I specifically remember calling your mother to sell her an Olan Mills portrait session. How could she resist her daughter's best friend? I chose that photo because it looked like you with your feathered blonde hair. I had a great deal of fun with the images on the walls. The therapist scene is a replica of my Connecticut therapist's office. She is an artist herself and the paintings on the walls are her own.

Did you make the dolls, or modify them? Did you make the clothes for the dolls?

I bought high-quality articulated plastic doll forms. They are bald and they all look the same, even the sexes. I added features and body shapes using flesh-colored clay and cooked them lightly in the oven. If you cook them too much the plastic will melt. Then I added hair (they also have pubic and chest hair) and painted their features with gouache paint. I did make a lot of the clothes, but I also found larger doll clothes and altered them to fit my smaller dolls. The scuba flippers on the last page were a find. I got them from a Spider Man action figure. You would think that Spider Man could swim without flippers, wouldn't you?

Anything you would do differently next time, or if you had to do it over again?

I would add the evidence collage materials to the book. I did not have all of my evidence ready for book one when I sent it to be printed. This is why I made a separate evidence booklet. Other than that, I really love everything about it: my family, the dolls, the actors, the speakeasy, New York City. I hope that my love for it is contagious.

I know the performance is a big part of this project, and since I couldn't be there (sob!), I'm wondering what you learned from it. The pictures I've seen are gorgeous.

My slogan is "The speakeasy is our dollhouse and the actors are our dolls." I see myself as the only audience member. I am "The Time Traveling Revealer of Truth." Even the ticketed guests are actors to me. They are all my dolls to play with! How cool is that? The difference between dolls and humans is that I cannot predict how humans would respond in a given situation. For example, Katelan Foisy, the actress who plays the wife of the murderer, asked me if she should be angry or scared when her husband kills my grandfather (her supposed lover). I asked her how she felt and she said that she was scared, so we went with that. This type of research will be invaluable as I write the rest of the graphic novel series.

If someone wants to buy this book, is there any way to get one now?

Good question. I made enough for my Kickstarter backers with 100 left over for my agent and promotion. At the shows we ended up selling most of those. I'm going to have to print up additional copies. Currently, the only way to get the book is to buy one at the show. I probably should have a web store to sell my books and art, but I'm too busy writing, creating, and directing to think about that.

What's next?!

We have a whole 2012 season of off-Broadway performances in NYC. Buy your tickets here!

Book Two is written, but I need to create and photograph the artwork. To do that I need funding. I'd also like to make a stop-motion book trailer. This also requires funding. It looks like there is another Kickstarter in the near future. I could stop and wait for a publisher or producer to swoop in and buy/option the book, but I feel that that would ruin my momentum. Either way, I plan to go forward full steam ahead.

Photo of Cynthia Von Buhler by Margee Challa ©2012
Artwork by Cynthia Von Buhler ©2012

To Savor Tomorrow

Last night Chris and I attended our first theatrical production in Seattle, To Savor Tomorrow, set on a flight en route to the 1962 Seattle's World's Fair. It's a Cold War spy romp served with period-appropriate cocktails and cuisine. I loved the American agent posing as a Pan Am pilot who spoke mainly in mangled cliches, such as "There's more than one way to shave a cat." He also sang "Fly Me to the Moon" accompanied by a very accomplished pianist who played throughout the production. My other favorite things were the Russian agent Svetlana's accent and the provocative dance the stewardesses did while pantomining the safety instructions.

As for the food, it must have been a lot easier to be thin before the Green Revolution! Due to my pork aversion, the only part I ate was the Bolshevik Blini -- blinis with house-made sauerkraut and beet caviar. I skipped the last two courses, Deconstructed Dim Sum, which is dungeness crab in molded pork gelatin, atop handmade noodles with impressed cilantro (pictured at right); and the Patriot Plate, which is a meatloaf of braised pork belly, sirloin, and chicken liver beside mashed potatoes and pea crisps. I was also served four cocktails and a "Dwinkie," which is a booze-soaked Twinkie. I couldn't finish them all and my stomach and head are not happy today.

Still, the whole thing was fun, and I'll definitely keep my eye out for more Cafe Nordo productions, which hopefully feature a more palate-friendly setting.