ASF: "Clyde's"

Loud cheers erupted on opening night in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Octagon Theatre at the conclusion of Lynn Nottage's Clyde's, this country's most performed play of 2022. The two-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright is well-known for staging stories of some of America's forgotten people [people of color; working class], instilling her characters with qualities the rest of society takes for granted.

Five ensemble actors directed by Josiah Davis portray formerly incarcerated short order cooks in the kitchen of a truck stop diner, overseen by the devilishly foul-mouthed owner, Clyde [Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is mesmerizing] who often reminds them in no uncertain terms that they had better toe the line and that they work for her only because no-one else would take them. They have no other options.

Fiery Letitia [Alinca Hamilton], lovesick Rafael [Alfredo Antillon], and struggling Jason [Brendan D. Hickey] admire the sagacious zen-like Montrellous [Michael A. Shepperd], all the while being aware of Clyde's presence and power over them.

And they reluctantly make the ordinary sandwiches on Clyde's menu while following Montrellous's example of inventing new and more elaborate creations in the quest of making the perfect sandwich, keeping their recipes secret from Clyde's ever-watchful eyes. For them, it's a matter of survival; even though Clyde squelches their every attempt at independence or creativity, they persist.

Each one's backstory is revealed during the raunchy fast-paced intermssionless hour-and-forty minute running time. Everyone hurts, and each one's previous choices and actions that got them into trouble are revealed: some readily, and some requiring more prodding, with jokes galore that garner well-earned laughs to balance the seriousness of their conditions.

But in the kitchen and through the actors' remarkably credible performances, relationships among them develop, dreams are openly expressed, grief and repentance are poignantly displayed, mistrust segues into friendly bantering, and the ultimate recognition that they shouldn't be defined by their mistakes affords them some dignity that society [and Clyde] have refused them.  

Is there such a thing as a perfect sandwich? -- Montrellous claims that a sandwich is the most democratic of all meals; and the others realize that collaboration and respect for each one's individuality might create a perfect one.

And because they experience a kind of redemption, we sympathize, we see them differently, we understand their predicaments, and we invest in their lives, in short, we're on their side.

Pike Road: "The Wizard of Oz"

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Follow the Yellow Brick Road", "We're Off to See the Wizard", "If I Only Had a Brain", "Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead" --- every one of these songs, and others, immediately conjure up the revered 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.

The stage musical version of it is currently on the boards at the Pike Road Theatre Company, under the able direction and choreography of James Keith Posey. -- Filled with many replications from the film [costumes, sets, characterizations, et al.], the two acts satisfy all the nostalgic notes for those who have grown up watching the movie.

When Dorothy Gale [Margaret Lind] runs away from her Kansas home to escape the threats of Miss Gulch [Stepanie Higley] against her dog Toto [Carly], and feels ignored by Auntie Em [Kaylee Baker] and Uncle Henry [Chris Bowden], she meets kindly Professor Marvel [Jack Horner] who encourages her to  head home as a tornado threatens; and when the storm arrives, she is magically transported to the Land of Oz. 

Oz is a magical place peopled with Witches good and bad, a Scarecrow [Travis Clark], a Tin Man [Kevin Mohajerin], and a Lion [Jason Morgan], Munchkins, Winkies, Flying Monkeys, where characters from Dorothy's real life take on corresponding ones in the imaginary world. -- And Dorothy's goal is to return home as soon as possible.

Having inadvertently killed the Wicked Witch of the East when her house landed on her, Dorothy becomes a local hero, and the vengeful Wicked Witch of the West [a terrific Stephanie Higley] wants the magical powers of her sister's ruby slippers, and will go to extremes to get them back; Glinda the Good Witch of the North [Ms. Higley again] gives the slippers to Dorothy and warns her to never take them off. 

So her journey begins, guided by the Glinda's advice to "follow the yellow brick road" to get help from the Wizard of Oz at his home in the Emerald City. On the way, she meets Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, and together they travel to Oz with specific requests they hope the Wizard will grant.

Lots of obstacles along the way propel Dorothy and her cohort to confront the Wizard and have him grant their wishes.

We all know how things resolve, so the delight in watching things transpire relies on the talents of the cast and production team to follow through. -- And they do: Ms. Lind is a pleasant Dorothy with a fine singing voice; Mr. Clark is a gangly awkward Scarecrow in need of a brain; Mr. Mohajerin's Tin Man is sympathetic in his quest for a heart; and Mr. Morgan entertains with aplomb as the cowardly Lion, threatening to steal the show with "If I Only Had The Nerve" and "King of the Forest".

Mr. Posey's ensemble of Munchkins, Ozians, et al. are testimony to his ability to connect with the local community for support and putting large numbers of talent on stage; and the energetic choreography and chorus singing achieve some rousing moments. -- Emily Blossom's exceptional costumes and Kaitlin Cooper's detailed make-up, along with Mr. Posey and Jordan Hollett's atmospheric sets complete the picture of both Kansas and Oz.

Unfortunately, the Pike Road Theatre Company still has limited lighting and sound equipment at their disposal, long into their second Season of otherwise stunning productions. When audiences must strain to see and hear the acting company, a lot gets lost and we are left to our own devices.

The Wizard of Oz seems to be another hit at Pike Road, with enthusiastic full-house audiences engaging and applauding all the way.

Wetumpka Depot: "Something Rotten"

Talk about a rollicking good time...director Kristy Meanor's goofy, irreverent, anachronistically hysterical production of the 2015 musical Something Rotten opened on Thursday, and had the audience in stitches throughout!

Two acts of mile-a-minute repartee with ribald double-entendre and countless references to English literature and history, and tongue-in-cheek nods to innumerable contemporary musicals, demands we pay strict attention for fear of missing out on the jokes.

A Minstrel [Taylor Finch] sets the time as 1595 in "Welcome to the Renaissance", and we're off with the Depot's 21-member ensemble actors on a madcap romp led by the Bottom Brothers -- impatient and competitive Nick [Jonathan Wilson] and even-tempered Nigel [Jay Russell] -- whose funding for their new play will be cut off by their patroness Lady Clapham [Jan Roeton] unless it's finished overnight. Stuck without any ideas, and jealous of their chief rival the narcissistic William Shakespeare [Jeff Langham in top form as "the Bard"], "God I Hate Shakespeare" sets up the battles yet to come.

Desperate for ideas and without ready cash, Nick rejects his wife Bea's [Sarah Kay] feminist suggestion that women are men's equals and that she could help by getting a job. -- Money-lender Shylock [Eric Arvidson at his best] is eager to help, but it's illegal to employ a Jew; so Nick settles on advice from soothsayer Nostradamus [Cushing Phillips], who predicts that the future of theatre will be in the form of plays where actors sing their lines and burst into song and dance for no apparent reason: "A Musical" is the highlight of Act I.

Nigel meanwhile falls in love with Portia [Rachel Pickering Seeley], the daughter of a Puritan Brother Jeremiah [Bradley Podliska], who does his best to thwart both his daughter's romance and the "immoral" theatre which, after all, features actors in drag, and contains subject matter that corrupts the local populace. -- Their romantic scenes are infused with a lot of tomfoolery: delightful.

And that's just the set-up in Something Rotten [book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell; music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick]. -- Complications build with each successive moment, disguises and cross-dressing manipulate the antic action, and Nostradamus's bewildering confusion turns the plot of Shakespare's most famous play into an "Omelette". Never mind: just go along for the ride with this talented crew, and Mr. Phillips's Nostradamus chews up the scenery with such relish that alone is worth the price of admission.

Daniel Harms creates dynamic, razzle-dazzle, and energetic choreography for the ensemble and for himself to support the story and characters.

The production is a visual delight, from the faux-Renaissance and brightly comical musical theatre Chorus costumes by Suzanne Booth, to clever scenery [Charles "Eddie" Moncrief III] and Thomas Rodman's robust lighting.

Music Director Dr. Damian Womack is assisted by Sound and Music Tech from Jerry Parker; together, they guide the company and feature some excellent voices [Ms. Seeley, Ms. Kay and Ms. Finch are standouts, with Mr. Wilson demonstrating a musical theatre triple threat actor/singer/dancer to center the conflict and its resolution. 

For a fresh take on musical theatre with a welcome dose of schmalz for good measure, Something Rotten hits all the marks for a fine evening out.