ASF: "Murder on the Orient Express"

All aboard, for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's stunning production of Murder on the Orient Express that opened their 2025-2026 Season in fine form!

It is one of Agatha Christie's most popular whodunnit murder mysteries featuring masterful Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, whose "little grey cells" have to work overtime to deduce a murderer's identity and enact justice. -- Many actors have portrayed Poirot [Albert Finney, Kenneth Branagh, David Suchet, among others], and while in ASF's Artistic Director Quin Gresham's iteration, Chris Mixon looks a lot like Suchet's persona, he does not mimic him but rather creates an intelligent, determined, and confident sleuth who can astonish us through his adept maneuverings.

The adaptation by Ken Ludwig [the fourth Ludwig production in just over a year] contains all the suspense of its source, with some added wit and theatricality thrown in. Containing many staples of the murder-mystery genre [a suspicious murder, a curious array of suspects stranded by a storm with little communication from the outside, lots of misleading clues, a brilliant detective, and a final revelation], much of the audience enjoyment stems from trying to figure it all out before the end. And Gresham and his ensemble sustain the suspense through till the final moments. -- But there is more to it...a good deal of attention is focused on the moral obligations of the law and justice.

Some years before the action begins, young child Daisy Armstrong was murdered, but the culprit was never caught. Now we see gathered in the first-class carriages of the Orient Express, a mix of colorful characters en route, with Poirot on board by circumstance. Overnight a murder of one of the passengers occurs when the train is stalled by an avalanche; the perpetrator could not have left the train, so all the other passengers are suspects...but who had the motive and opportunity to do the crime? And what, if any, connection to little Daisy's death could there be?

The ensemble actors [Axel Avin, Jr., Tarah Flanagan, Daniel Harray, Susannah Hoffman, Greta Lambert, Jesse Manocherian, Gustavo Marquez, Jean McCormick, Michael McKensie, Max Monnig, Cassia Thompson] create memorable personae in supporting Mr. Mixon, affecting an assortment of international accents befitting their roles, and deftly dropping clues and shifting possible guilt to others in their company, and for Poirot and us to deduce. 

Production values of the highest caliber enhance the experience: Stephen Gifford's design of the opulent train and its fixtures and moveable parts exquisitely transports us to the 1930s, while Garth Dunbar's period and character-driven costumes add credence to actor portrayals. -- Lighting [Jared Sayer], Sound [Ryan Matthew Hall], and sophisticated Projections [Kylee Loera] complete the visual delight of this production.

The entire two-hour ride keeps us guessing from start to finish. We are carried along by Ludwig's script, stunning visual effects, and the adroitness of Gresham's directing, relying on the gifted actors to engage us and leave us satisfied. And giving thought to how the justice system works, or ought to.

Pike Road: "Little Women; the Broadway musical"

Luisa May Alcott's beloved 19th Century novel Little Women has been read by millions, and has had several stage, film, and television versions over the years. -- In 2005, it appeared on Broadway in a musical version starring Sutton Foster as the central character/narrator, Jo March, a would-be author and passionate ground-breaking young woman challenging the patriarchal world she was born into. -- And this is the production now being staged by the Pike Road Theatre Company at the Faulkner University theatre.

Directed by Jason Morgan the ten ensemble actors are graced with excellent singing voices in this iteration of Alcott's novel, one that retains much of the essential plot elements, but cuts so much of the original material that leaves little room for character development. -- Perhaps it doesn't matter so much to people familiar with the book.

Set mainly in Massachusetts during the American Civil War, the plot revolves around the four March sisters and their mother [they call her Marmee] who eke out a living while their father is away at the war: Meg [Stephanie Coppock] the eldest and most traditionally sensible one; next is the aforementioned  tomboy Jo ]Kristen Vanderwal]; third is shy, sickly, and musically inclined Beth [Ansley Quallio]; and last, the spoiled artistic Amy [Grayson Hataway]. Sarah Carlton plays Marmee with a staunch spirit and love for her family. And wealthy Aunt March [Candi Morton] insists that the "little women" adhere to the rigid dictates of polite society.

Neighbors Mr. Laurence [Lee Bridges] and his grandson Laurie [Nick Johnson] come to their aid at times. Laurie is infatuated by Jo, and Laurie's tutor Mr. Brooke [Tanner Parrish] quickly falls for Meg.

A secondary location is in a New York boarding house run my Mrs. Kirk [Candi Norton again] where Jo meets Professor Baer [Kevin Morton] a German immigrant who takes an interest in Jo's writing and offers candid advice on her efforts while clearly becoming attracted to her.

It's a coming-of-age story that tracks the lives of this group who demonstrate the value of family solidarity when challenged by sibling rivalries, social norms, romantic interests, and budding feminism.

Jo's swashbuckling stories are enacted by her sisters for entertainment, though there is little chance they will be published. She has to find her own voice rather than copying the pulp fiction of the day.

There is a long exposition and some pleasant music that the actors present affably and confidently. However, the production needs to achieve a solid balance between the recorded score and the too often deafening volume of the singers' voices. -- And lighting frequently left actors' faces in deep shadows that made then hard to see. -- Perhaps the opening night glitches will be managed soon.

Musical highlights were: Marmee's "Here Alone", Laurie's "Take a Chance on Me", Beth and Mr. Laurence singing "Off to Massachusetts", Jo's "Astonishing", a very touching "Some Things are Meant to Be" by Beth and Jo, and a lovely rendering of Professor Baer and Jo's duet "Small Umbrella in the Rain".

Little Women; the Broadway musical ought to draw in the crowds in this family-friendly version of an American classic.

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Wetumpka Depot: "Young Frankenstein"

"It's alive...!!!" -- Not only a gleeful Scott Page reprising his 2016 role as Frankenstein's "Monster",  but the entire Wetumpka Depot Theatre's cast, creative team, and a full house opening night audience created a wonderfully madcap rendering of the Mel Brooks and Tom Meehan musical version of the 1974 hit comedy/horror film, Young Frankenstein. 

Unsurprisingly, several Young Frankenstein aficionados in the audience anticipated familiar lines of dialogue ["Walk this way." "What knockers!" "Would you like a roll in the hay?" "I was going to make espresso." among them], and horses whinnying at every mention of the name "Frau Blucher", thus adding to the laugh-out-loud moments that punctuated director Kristy Meanor's infectious production.

Her seventeen ensemble cast members delivered Brooks's irreverent tongue-in-cheek dialogue and over-the-top characters with utter abandon, a tribute to this dynamic fast-paced parody of the classic 1930s films centered on a brilliant mad scientist and the monster he created and of Mary Shelley's 19th Century debut novel on which they were based.

Yes, there might just be "something in this play that will offend everyone" [adult themes, salty language, sexual innuendo abound], but it is done with such charm and unabashed delight, that all can be forgiven. -- In fact, satire challenges us to recognize and then laugh at our own flaws, a good lesson for everyone.

While actors receive immediate gratification from applause, cheers, and laughter -- well-deserved in this production -- the creative team deserve recognition for their invaluable collective and individual efforts contributing to the show's success. [And, by the way, many in the audience praised them during the intermission and after the final applause died down.] -- Charles Eddie Moncrief's and Derek Sullivan Craft's complex moveable sets defined an assortment of locations that were seamlessly manipulated by the cast and crew; Tony Davison's musical direction was precise [though actors' voices sometimes were overwhelmed by the sound-track or audience laughter]; Thomas Rodman's lighting added various atmospheres; Ryan Sozzi's costumes were brilliantly conceived and rendered, helping to define characters [did he also create the sometimes outlandishly witty wigs?]; and Daniel Grant Harms once again created clever, expressive, and energetic choreography throughout --- WOW! all around.

For all our familiarity with Brooks's film, it's a credit to Ms. Meanor and her acting cohort that they retain the essential framework of their individual characters' conduct and appearance without directly mimicking their movie-actor counterparts. Each principal role was an accomplished physical and vocal rendering; they told their individual stories and were generous to their scene partners.

Take your pick for a favorite: Eric Arvidson as the bewildered blind Hermit, and a couple of other burlesque turns; Kaylee Baker's not-so-innocent insouciant laboratory assistant Inga; Paiton Lami-Doyle's enigmatic housekeeper Frau Blucher; Kim Mason's reprisal from 2016 as Dr. Frankenstein's fiancée, the brassy-tease Elizabeth; Nick Swartz as a Teutonic one-eyed cop; Nick Warman as the hunchbacked servant Igor [or is it "Eye-gore"?]; Scott Page is terrific as a creature made from the corpse of a recently hanged criminal and given an "abbey-normal" brain; David Rowland [he played Igor in 2016]: absolutely brilliant as the grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein who comes to Transylvania to settle the family estate and gets caught up in fulfilling his mad-scientist ancestor's experiments in reanimating the dead.

And they all seem to be having a great time on stage. It's infectious. And a lot of fun.

WOBT: "Puffs"

A hard-working ensemble of 11 actors [most of them in multiple roles] enliven Prattville's Way Off Broadway Theatre stage in Matt Cox's parody of the Harry Potter franchise titled Puffs: or seven increasingly eventful years at a certain school of magic and magic.

And though director Alex Rikerd's production can be appreciated by the uninitiated, a working knowledge of J. K. Rowling's books and the many films made of them would likely enhance the experience.

So...what is life like at a "certain school of magic" for a rag-tag group of misfits relegated to the "Puffs" house, where expectations are low and self-esteem even lower as Harry's triumphs beat them at every turn? -- In a word, for them it's a mess.

Cleverly narrated by Blair Berry, we follow the escapades of Oliver [Josh Williams], Wayne [Connor Carraway] and Megan [Brooke Brown] -- counterparts of Harry, Ron, and Hermione -- through the highlights of all seven books and an epilogue. -- There's a lot of clever dialogue, characterizations, and correspondences to the original, so there are no real surprises amidst the fun as audiences recognize the "beats" of the story. It just seems to go on for too long: two-and-a-half-hours including intermission.

Regardless, clever costumes and props add to the mix, and the ensemble are adept at the farcical elements [quick timing, physical energy, slamming doors, et al.]. Their broad characterizations elicit well-earned laughs and applause.

Millbrook: "The Immigrant"

The Fall Theatre Season got underway in the River Region with the Millbrook Community Players production of The Immigrant by Mark Harelik. -- It is a production whose themes ought to be noticed, especially in a world where suspicion and aggression against anyone perceived as "other" is all too common; but only a handful of audience members attended opening night.

Based on the true story of the playwright's grandfather, and accompanied by archival photos and period musical recordings [the screen in Millbrook is too small for audiences to get a full appreciation of visual content], this four-character story traces young Russian-Jewish immigrants Haskell and Leah Harelik [Kaden Blackburn and Millie Capouano] as they escape the pogroms in Russia to establish a new life in America: rural Baptist-Christian Texas of all places.

With the assistance of an older couple: banker Milton Perry [Roger Humber] and his wife Ima [Karla McGhee] -- hesitant at first, but gradually developing into a lasting friendship -- this foursome navigate language, cultural, and religious differences that eventually cement their relationship.

Along the way, and over many decades, we watch as all four characters touch one another's lives -- and ours as well. They are essentially good people whose actions invigorate the idea that cosmetic differences often highlight the qualities that make change possible: helping the downtrodden, recognizing shared values, generosity, family, and love. 

There are a few aggressive actions against the newcomers, though they are reported rather than presented on stage; so the focus remains on the positive side. -- And both couples learn from the other. As do we.

There are only a few performances of The Immigrant; it's worth the effort to get to Millbrook.

ASF: 'The Wizard of Oz"

There are only a few days left before the terrific family-friendly production of The Wizard of Oz closes at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. -- Director Melissa Rain Anderson transports audiences "over the rainbow" in her two-and-a-half-hour offering that honors L. Frank Baum's books and the 1939 MGM film starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton, a movie that has become a staple on television for decades. 

Replete with a cast of Munchkins [many local youngsters, several of them are ASF veterans, fill the roles with confidence], Flying Monkeys, Poppies, Apple Trees, Winkies, and Jitterbugs, as well as the Scarecrow [Matthew McGloin], Tin Man [Michael Dalke], Lion [Thee Ricky Harris], Glinda the good witch [Lara Hayhurst], the Wicked Witch of the West [Greta Lambert], and the eponymous Wizard [James Beaman], the story tracks Dorothy [Alexis Kinney] and her dog Toto [Alfie] in her attempt to get back to her Kansas farm and her Uncle Henry [Steve McDonagh] and Aunt Em [Lianne Marie Dobbs] after being transported to the magical kingdom of Oz. -- No need for details; it's likely that everyone knows the story.

The production is stunning -- exquisite costumes by Theresa Ham, clever and flexible scenic design by Jason Simms, Nathan W. Scheuer's effectively atmospheric lighting, and brilliantly conceived and executed projections by Blake Manns, enhance every moment. Lots of magic on the stage.

Music Director Dr. Joel Jones's 13-piece off-stage orchestra enriches the musical score and the action. And Jessica Chen's challenging choreography as performed by the ensemble [they're amazing] and principal actors, creates complex and energetic stage pictures that garner appreciative applause.

There are few surprises here [though parts of the text develop character back-stories in ways hitherto under-emphasized], and considering the audience reactions, most everyone can find a favorite moment or connection to a character: Ms. Kinney's captivating soprano hooks us early on with her heart-felt interpretation of "Over the Rainbow", and she doesn't let up for the duration of the play. Mr. Harris's version of "If I Were King of the Forest"is a highlight of his masterful characterization of the Lion. Mr. McGloin and Mr. Dalke are equally adept at physical and emotional variety as the Scarecrow and Tin Man. Mr. Beaman's Wizard is near perfection in over-the-top bombast. And Ms. Lambert cackles her way as the Wicked Witch with such joy that invites us to hiss the villain in her.

In her quest to return to Kansas,  Dorothy learns lessons that we all could take to heart: things aren't always what they seem, friendships can be made with the most unlikely people, goodness is a reliable source of positive results, and her refrain "There's no place like home" emphasizes that family and home are the building blocks of a satisfying life.

And the ASF production of The Wizard of Oz brings all those themes delightfully to life.

ASF: "Kudzu Calling"

Another "World Premiere" opened recently on the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Octagon stage for a very limited run: it closes on June 8. -- Donnetta Lavinia Grays's Kudzu Calling was commissioned by ASF after its generation during 2018's "State of the South Tour" whose goal was to investigate the South's complex and complicated identity. Her response is: a "Black, queer, and faith-filled" identity that all find their way into her play as it makes its debut appropriately during "Pride Month".

Her ensemble of six actors, directed by Kevin R. Free, traverse Riw Rakkulchon's multi-leveled abstract set  to tell the story of a Wanderer [Kanoa Sims] in her quest for "belonging" in a South that has heretofore placed many obstacles in her way; she is met by five spirit-guides, all named simply as trees that have deep roots in the South, and who will show her by their experiences that ultimately she can have the strength to celebrate her identity and be accepted, as well as to invite audiences to acknowledge and accept any and all of their fellows.

Told in a series of poetic monologues and short scenes that are enhanced by many music genres and the accompanying dance movements of the cast, Ms. Grays reflects ntozake shange's 1976 "choreopoem" for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf that recounts in poetry, music, and dance the oppression of Black women in a racist and sexist society, only this time "queerness" and "Southernness" and "spirituality" complete her equation. 

It is a tight ensemble; Aisha De Haas, Terrance Henderson, Nafeesa Monroe, Terrence Williams, Jr., and Achille Vann Ricca support Ms. Sims and one another confidently and with a noticeable sincerity and commitment to Ms. Grays's scripted intentions. -- There is a fluidity in their expressive movements and vocal clarity that brings home the message: that everyone can find a home in the South.