Catch Me If You Can
Starlight Theatre
Kansas City, MO

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

“Catch Me If You Can” is a true story based on Frank Abagnale Jr (Stephen Anthony), a quick talking fast learning teenager who, in the 1960’s, was an airline pilot, doctor, and a lawyer, all before the age of 21! Frank spends the majority of the story being tailed by FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Merritt David Janes), a devoted and stubborn man who has made catching Abegnale his number one priority.

Following the divorce of his parents and the loss of his father, Frank Sr. (Dominic Fortuna), Frank Jr, decided being on his own is better than living in a broken home. He starts out by faking a Pan Am Pilots badge. He flies to over 26 different countries and helps copilot over 250 flights. He cashes his fake Pan Am checks all over the world under different aliases to stay a step ahead of the feds. This catches the attention of Agent Hanratty who is the only agent in his department who really feels this “shadow” pilot is trouble. He doesn’t realize that his cat and mouse game will one day land one of the most notable imposters of the 20th Century. While on the run from Hanratty, Frank decides to drop the pilot job and starts practicing medicine as an overnight ER physician. Here he meets Brenda Strong (Aubrey Mae Davis) who not only steals his heart but makes him think about dropping the whole charade he has been living and be an honest husband. Well that doesn’t go just as planned when, while meeting Brenda’s parents, he decides to announce that he will be practicing law thus starting another career as lawyer.

Frank will eventually be caught but the relationship that Abagnale and Hanratty have developed over the years does not let the story end with Frank’s capture. Abagnale was arguably the greatest ever at forgery and impersonation so, after a short stint in prison, he ishired on by the FBI and today is still very good friends with Agent Hanratty.

If you have read the book or seen the movie you know that “Catch Me If You Can” is nothing short of a brilliant story. Unfortunately the stage performance I witnessed was far from brilliant. I felt that Frank’s cracking voice was just unnecessary. I understand that he was a teen but short of a having a deep baritone voice the performance would have been much more believable if he (Anthony) would have just used his real voice. The jokes were corny, the songs sub par, and only a couple actors were not guilty over completely over acting.

That being said Hanratty (Janes) and Frank Sr. (Fortuna) kept me in my seat while watching this play. They give great performances and are really the only good performers I saw on stage. Both actors have experience on Broadway and it showed. Their actions matched their characters and emotions and their performances were effortless in a good way.

“Catch Me if You Can” is truly is great story and Starlight is a great venue to experience musical theater but if you would like to know the story of Frank Abagnale Jr. I would advise you rent the movie or read his book.

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• Theater Review: “On Your Feet” – Kansas City
• Theater Review “Billy Elliot: The Musical” – Music Hall, Kansas City, Missouri

Monty Python’s Spamalot
Starlight Theater
Kansas City, Missouri

Our Score: 5 out of 5

Blame Mel Brooks. When he adapted his Oscar winning movie, “The Producers,” into a Broadway musical, he set a new precedent. After sweeping the Tony awards, “The Producers” opened the door for many a hit movie/stage musical mash-up. In 2002 we got another huge hit when John Water’s “Hairspray” almost duplicated the success of “The Producers.” Three years later comic genius of Monty Python hit the boards with the all singing, all dancing production of “Spamalot.” “Spamalot,” which won the 2005 Tony for Best Musical, opened on Broadway with a dream cast including Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and David Hyde-Pierce. My wife and I saw the show on Broadway and the biggest compliment I can pay the cast and crew of the performance I took in this week in Kansas City is that it was possibly better then it’s Broadway predecessor.

Based on/lovingly ripped off from the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” “Spamalot” tells the story of King Arthur (Tom Hewitt) and his Knights of the Round Table as they search for the elusive cup of Christ. Along the way they encounter unhappy peasants, singing princes and the dreaded Knights who say “Nee!” He also learns a thing or two about musical theater, thanks to the many appearances of the Lady of the Lake (Janine Divita). With his trusted steed, Patsy (Brian Sears), Arthur and company take the audience through a musical journey. Python fans will recognize such familiar tunes as “Finland,” “Knights of the Round Table” and the classic “Life of Brian” song “Always Look on the Brightside of Life.” Python alum Eric Idle teamed up with John Du Prez on such future favorites as “I Am Not Dead Yet” and “The Song that Goes Like This.”

The cast is top notch and full of the energy needed to bring the manic comedy of Python to the stage. Hewitt, who earned a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Frank-n-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (ironically another role originated by Tim Curry) brings just the right amount of dignity (and a problem counting to three) to the role of Arthur. KC natives Divita and Sears gave their characters great energy, no doubt helped by performing in front of the home town crowd. Other standouts include Jeremy Webb as Sir Robin and Kevin Covert as Lancelot’s brave steed Concorde.

Though more then a decade old the show remains topical, with everything from the “Thriller” dance to Michael Moore to Beyonce’ being referenced. A great moment for the local Kansas City audience came when Concorde, possibly mortally wounded, lay on the stage gazing up at the stars, began wondering aloud if new head coach Andy Reid will be just what the Kansas City Chiefs need to right the ship!

If you’re a fan of Monty Python then this show is a must see. If not, see it and you will be.

“Spamalot” continues at Starlight through Thursday, June 6th.

MARY POPPINS
The Music Hall
Kansas City, Missouri
April 9th, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

The wind picked up on the mid-west plains last week, and that magical, singing, cleaning nanny we all learned to love growing up was blown right into Kansas City. Mary Poppins delivered one of the most colorful and musically brilliant shows I can ever remember seeing. Led by the outstanding performances of Madeline Trumble as Mary Poppins and Con O’shea-Creal as Burt, the jack of all trades famously played by Dick Van Dyke on the big screen. This Broadway worthy performance had me captivated and taken right into early 1900’s London. Fantastic acting by all players, great use of accents when speaking and singing and phenomenal dance numbers are among the highlights of this production.

“Mary Poppins” was a film that most everyone has seen and hopefully remembers quite well. I was relieved that the play did not run word for word, scene for scene as the movie; for if it did it would have been a bit boring, as anything would be if you knew what to expect the whole time. There are some familiar songs featured in the film but not included in the production such as ” I Love to Laugh.” But the addition of some originally cut songs such as “Practically Perfect” made me completely forget all about that. You can’t top the great Dick Van Dyke’s performance in the film, but in this production Con O’shea-Creal was dead on in character. He had such a great presence on the stage that he actually stood out to me more than the title character. He had the audience laughing, clapping along and received great ovations after most of his numbers.

This play had one thing that I have never made notice of before at a live theatre event. The scene changes that happened the whole night and the colors! The brilliance of the lights and the colors made me wish I would have brought my sunglasses into the theater especially during the carnival with the ever so popular and classic song “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” The staging made me drop my jaw and say WOW!! Something I would never expect, or have experienced, at live theater. Every scene change happened flawlessly and so quick you didn’t even notice. Trust me I think that is as weird as you do reading this to make note of something like that. That was just another reason that I felt that this show was outstanding in every way. You could say it was “Practically Perfect”.

I would advise anyone that lives near a city that this show is coming too to get out and find a seat in the theatre. If you have kids great. If not, “Mary Poppins” is still a show that you will not regret seeing.

The tour continues in the following cities:
May 1 – 5 – Denver, Colorado
May 8 – 12 – San Francisco, California
May 21 – June 2 – Anchorage, Alaska

For more information on upcoming shows: http://www.marypoppins.com/

Hair
Kauffman Center For the Performing Arts, Kansas City, Missouri
February 5, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Welcome to the 1960’s, the decade of free love, flower power, psychedelics, the Vietnam War, and long flowing hair! Even though it was written in 1967 and debuted on Broadway in 1968 the story and underlying symbolism of the musical “Hair” holds true even in this decade and for my own generation.

“Hair” is an ensemble/audience interaction event and an experience all in its own. Credited with being the first “Rock Opera,” “Hair” is the story of a group of young adults who are living the life of freedom, drugs, love and no responsibilities or, as they were better known at that time, hippies. Their only job is to live their life and protest the ideas of the conformist government and their conservative parents. Their retaliations range from protesting and draft card burning to something as simple as growing their hair long… the longer the better.

The main characters of the story are two young men: Claude (Noah Plomgren) and Berger (Brian Crawford Scott). They both find themselves attracted to young socialite Sheila (Mary Kate Morrissey). The struggles in conflict arises when Claude is drafted by the U.S. Army to serve his country in Vietnam. He struggles with the life he has led vs the life and path ahead of him.

The cast in this production of “Hair” was downright amazing, with every cast member in stunning form vocally. Unlike some touring productions, this cast is much more than just decent actors with good voices, Plomgren and Scott also show a fantastic gift for comedic timing as well as captivating emotion. Sheila and Woof (Jason Moody) were the two performers who really stood out to me. While many of the songs in the show are so familiar as to encourage the audience to sing along, when those two sang the audience sat silently and took their voices in.

What I enjoyed more than anything else at this performance was watching the audience. You could see the majority of the crowd were the same age as the cast during the”age of Aquarius” Being 28 I really got a kick watching the sixty-somethings with their gray hair and tied ties, now seemingly professional and clean cut, as they filled the auditorium. You could see them having literal flashbacks as the show progressed. A good laugh here at free love, a snicker there at a reference to “getting stoned” and even a whispered conversation between husband and wife during the song “Hashish” (the only lyrics being the various drugs popular in the 1960s) ending with an audible laugh. By the end of the show the audience was captivated by the story, the music and the cast. The show ends with a grand performance of “Let the Sun Shine In” with the cast inviting the audience to join in the fun and dance with them on stage.

The audience consisted of people of all ages, proving that after all these years “Hair” has stayed relevant from generation to generation…passed on from parents to their children (although as a child I never believed my parents were as cool as they said they were). This show offers an opportunity for any parent or grandparent whose kids always doubted their cool stories to introduce them to the life and times that now can only being read about in history books.

This show definitely earned 5 out 5 stars in my opinion, especially taking in the whole experience of the cast, the music, the performances, the venue and the people I shared this show with. It is an experience that I won’t forget and I’m sure in 40 more years the story of “Hair” and its ideals will still hold strong. “Hair” continues in Kansas City through Sunday, February 10. Below is a list of cities the show will visit soon.

For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.hairontour.com

February 19 – Opelika, Alabama
February 20 – Montgomery, Alabama
February 24 – Columbia, Missouri
February 26-27 – Kalamazoo, Michigan
February 28 – Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
March 1 – Toledo, Ohio
March 2-3 – Detroit, Michigan

Billy Elliot: The Musical
Music Hall, Kansas City, Missouri
January 22, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“I never had that much energy at that age,” is what I told myself after watching 12 year old Drew Minard steal the show as the title character in “Billy Elliot: The Musical.”

The show, based on the film of the same name, tells the story of a young man who, bored with boxing classes, finds himself drawn to ballet, an endeavor that does not go over well in his tough, English household, where it’s easier to make fun of “the bally,” as it’s called, then appreciate the beauty of the art.

As the show begins the audience is thrust into the beginning of Britain’s 1984 Coal Miner’s strike.  Billy’s father, Joe (Rich Hebert) is one of the leaders of the strike, hoping by holding out that he can better the life of his sons.  His oldest boy, Tony (Cullen Titmas) also works in the mines but doesn’t have his father’s temperament.  Joe and his sons live with Grandma (Patti Perkins), Billy’s mother having died some time ago.  They are working class, as is the majority of their small town, which makes Billy’s new found hobby even more difficult to embrace.  But, urged on by his teacher (Janet Dickinson), Billy follows her advice and, true to the song she sings to motivate him, he shines!

Winner of 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, “Billy Elliot” is what I would call a “solid” musical.  It has all of the great elements you want in a show:  great cast, intriguing story and a good score.   Which is kind of disappointing since the music was written by Elton John (“The Lion King”) in a collaboration with Lee Hall, author of the book and lyrics as well as the screenplay to the original film.  While a couple of numbers stand out (“Solidarity” and “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher”) there really isn’t a song that you leave the theatre humming.  But don’t let that keep you away.  The show is entertaining and well choreographed.  Heck, the curtain call is a production number in itself.  And if you go, make sure you give a standing ovation to Master Minard (or any of the other boys, there are four in total, who are playing Billy on this tour).  He certainly earns it!

“Billy Elliot: The Musical” continues in Kansas City through January 27 and then visits the following cities:

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA                 January 29 -30

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA                   February 1-3

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA           February 5 -10

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA                February 12 -17

NAPLES, FLORIDA                            February 19 -24

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA              February 26 – March 3

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA     March 5 – 10

PEORIA, ILLINOIS                             March 12 – 14

FOR LATER SHOWS VISIT  http://www.billyelliottour.com/us-tour-tickets

Disney on Ice presents ROCKIN’ EVER AFTER
Sep 7 2012 at 7:30 pm
Amway Center, Orlando FL
Produced by: Feld Entertainment
Running Time: 2 hours with intermission

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been attending Disney on Ice events for about 30 years now and I still enjoy them every time. Now having a daughter of my own (only 3 months old though), I am looking forward to introducing her to this event next year, hopefully just like my parents did for me. “Disney On Ice Presents Rockin’ Ever After” was the perfect event for any little girl…oops sorry, I mean Princess. There were many little princesses all around the Amway Center, I just couldn’t help but thinking about my daughter in those costumes. This event honestly though has been my favorite in many years.  There was something about it that just really engaged the audience, yes even the adults too!  The songs are just amazing and timeless. I can’t wait to see what they do next with Disney on Ice. I am not sure how they will top this one though?!!

The basis story for the show features Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy introducing different talent as they “compete” to be the next superstar.  The princesses that take the spotlight in this show are Ariel, Rapunzel, Belle, and Merida from Disney•Pixar’s BRAVE in her ice debut!.  Like I said this show was amped up from last year.  There was something about the costumes that just really stood out and shined.  I really enjoyed the re-imagination of the characters wardrobe, especially for “The Little Mermaid” section. While on “Little Mermaid”, it stood out from the others being the only part of the show that used non-Disney music.  They had a nice blend of 80’s music including Madonna, with the classic songs.  “The Little Mermaid” also really stood out for its great use of black light on the environment and its skaters.

I am a huge Rapunzel fan personally, I feel that they did the “Tangled” portion up really well.  I thought the way they changed up the “The Ugly Duckling” scene into a dream sequence was very clever.  I also really enjoyed the way the lantern scene was presented. Merida from Disney•Pixar’s BRAVE was up next after the intermission in her ice debut!  They did a good job of working this section into a story being told by Mickey to his friends.  This way they were able to tell the story and leave out the witch and the bear aspects of the film.  It really flowed well.  Lastly, what better way to end then with “Beauty and the Beast”, one of my favorite films of all time.  This story is timeless and always warms your heart.  I should note it is also the only one out of the four that included the final showdown between good and evil, or Beast and Gaston in this case.  Of course then as usual Mickey and his friends closed the show and what an ending it was.  I had a hard time getting up, hoping that there would be more.  Oh well, have to wait till next year.

If you are interested in catching this great event while it visits the Amway Center in Orlando FL from September 7th-9th, 2012.  Click here for tickets and more details.

Here are a few pics that we were able to snap throughout the show, hope you enjoy!

For more information, visit us at: http://www.DisneyOnIce.com
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DisneyOnIce
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DisneyOnIce

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MEMPHIS
Starlight Theater
Kansas City, Missouri
July 10, 2012

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

The time – the turbulent 1950s. The place – Memphis, Tennessee. Alabama born W.C. Handy, the father of the blues, wrote his first song here. Mississippi’s Elvis Presley, the king of rock and roll, died here. In between those two the musical heritage of the city grew, exploding into a new sound. That sound is captured in the Tony Award winning Best Musical, “Memphis.”

The show opens in a non-descript club, one that clearly caters to a strictly black clientele. The joint is jumpin’ until a new visitor walks in. A white visitor. This is Huey (Brian Fenkart). Huey loves the music he’s heard from outside the club and wants to experience it in person. It seems to sing to him. As he refers to it in the show’s first big number, he’s listening to “The Music of My Soul.” While there he meets a Felicia (Felicia Boswell), a featured singer in the club, which is owned by her brother, Delray (Quentin Earl Darrington). It’s obvious that there is an initial spark between Huey and Felicia, but to pursue such a romance in 1950s Memphis could have tragic consequences.

One day, while working his day job at a local department store, Huey is put to work in the stores record department. Tired of listening to Perry Como all day he puts on something a little more lively. The store starts hopping and record sales boom. However, when the manager learns that Huey has been playing “race music,” he fires him. Huey enjoyed his brief time selling records and begins applying for D.J. jobs around town. He comes across a local station whose weekly “Blues” show includes songs by Patti Page and Roy Rogers! When the D.J. vacates the booth for a moment Huey sneaks in and takes over. Next thing you know….HOCKADOO!….the city of Memphis begins to groove.

Packed with songs you’ll leave the theatre humming, “Memphis” is that rare 21st Century musical that wasn’t based on a film (“Spamalot,” “The Producers”) or full of familiar songs (“Jersey Boys”). The songs, by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, are well written and, unlike some musical numbers, quite memorable. DiPietro had written the book for the musical “All Shook Up,” so he certainly has a knowledge of the early days of popular music. Bryan was once studying medicine at Rutgers when a friend of his called and asked him to join his band. That friend was Jon Bon Jovi, and Bryan has been the group’s keyboard player since day one, so he certainly has a knowledge of current popular music. And that is what “Memphis” is, a blending of various types of music into, as Dick Clark would say, “something you can dance to.”

The cast is first rate. Both Fenkart and Boswell were involved in the original Broadway production and their talents are more than evident. Fenkart gives Huey an almost child-like quality. He can’t seem to comprehend that what he’s trying to do is wrong. He loves music. All music. And he wants to share his love with anyone within listening distance. Boswell has a voice that would knock you down in the back row of the theater. Her solo number, “Colored Woman,” is one of the show’s highlights, as are her duets with Huey. The entire company was in fine voice, often causing those in the audience to rise to their feet and dance along, the sure sign of a great musical.

After finishing up in Kansas City the show moves on to:
Las Vegas – July 17-22
San Diego – July 24-29
Los Angeles – July 31-August 12

For more tour dates and information on the show, go to www.memphisthemusical.com

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• Theater Review “The Addams Family” Starlight Theater – Kansas City, MO

THE ADDAMS FAMILY
Starlight Theater
Kansas City, MO
July 3, 2012

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I had the chance to see “The Addams Family” while it was in previews in Chicago over Thanksgiving 2009. I didn’t go, which was disappointing since it featured two of my favorite performers, Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. I had seen both on Broadway several times (in fact, the first time I saw Neuwirth on stage was in a touring production of “A Chorus Line” in 1980) and truly admire their talent. The show moved on to Broadway where it received horrible reviews. Yet, thanks to the star power of the leads, it played for 18 months, closing shop with Roger Rees and Brooke Shields in the lead roles. My understanding is that the audience didn’t enjoy the show because it almost totally dismissed the television show and films that fans were familiar with and based itself around the original cartoons produced by Charles Addams. That would be like remaking “Star Wars” and leaving out Darth Vader!

The production that is currently in Kansas City (other dates can be found at the end of this review) makes good use of some of the best known television bits and is a pretty enjoyable night at the theatre. Before the curtain rises, the familiar Vic Mizzy composed “Addams Family Theme” plays, encouraging the audience to snap-snap their fingers along. The show opens in the family cemetery, where the ghosts of Addams past gather for a yearly celebration. This delivers the best song of the show, sung by the entire company, called “When You’re an Addams.” We learn that young daughter Wednesday (Courtney Wolfson) has met a boy and has fallen in love. She is worried because the boy is “different” – think how Marilyn was “different” on “The Munsters” – and won’t be accepted by her family. Luckily big romantic Uncle Fester (a brilliant Blake Hammond) can spot love when he sees it. He forbids the spirits returning to their resting places until true love is found. Wednesday tells her father, Gomez (Douglas Sills) but begs him not to tell her mother, Morticia (Sara Gettelfinger). Not one to keep a secret from his beloved ‘Tish, Gomez reluctantly agrees. When the young man and his family arrive for dinner the table is set for some ghoulish fun!

I can see where the show may have disappointed earlier. With the exception of “When You’re and Addams” and Morticia’s big second act song, “Just Around the Corner,” there really isn’t anything memorable about the score. Nice music and pedestrian lyrics do not a great musical make. However, when you have a talented cast and some incredible mood setting scenery, the picture the music is trying to paint is a lot clearer. My hats off to the cast for braving Kansas City in July. As the curtain opened it was a steamy 95 degrees where I was sitting. And I wasn’t wearing a costume or make up. The cast was full of energy and in fine voice. Sills, a Tony award nominee for his work in “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” gives Gomez a sentimental side only hinted at by John Astin on television and the late, great Raul Julia in the films. He is a man truly in love with his wife and the slightest hint of betrayal – read: not telling her about Wednesday – cuts him to the quick. Gettelfinger is also strong, again making the role her own. Hammond is spot on as Uncle Fester. He has a great number where he seems to float about the stage while singing to his beloved moon which earned much deserved applause. The rest of the familiar characters – brother Pugsley, wacky Grand-ma-ma and butler Lurch – have a few moments to shine but are mostly background characters. More attention is paid to Lucas (Brian Justin Crum), Wednesday’s bethrothed, and his parents (Martin Vidnovic and Gaelen Gilliland) in the show. There is even a Cousin Itt sighting or two!

All in all, “The Addams Family” is a nice way to spend a couple of hours with some old friends.

The show is currently running in Kansas City through July 8 and then through August in the following cities:

WASHINGTON D.C. – July 10 – 29
PITTSBURGH, PA – July 31 – August 12
ATLANTA, GA – August 14 – 18

The show resumes its tour in Dallas in September. For additional tour dates and more information click here.
http://www.theaddamsfamilymusicaltour.com/