By MARILYN J. ROWLAND
The College Light Opera Company’s final production of the summer, Stephen Sondheim’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum,” opens with a flourish, as Prologus (James Soller), in a bejeweled toga, leads the ensemble in a vibrant and entertaining rendition of the best-known song in the show, “Comedy Tonight.”
Directed by Corin Hollifield with music directed by Todd Florin, the play is a farce set in the year 200 BC and based on the plays of the Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC). There is also a vaudeville element, great music, witty lines, inventive pantomime, and lots of over-the-top dance moves. It is a fast-paced, warm-hearted show, with plenty of engaging characters, mistaken identities, and many hilarious moments. Definitely a “comedy tonight” worth attending.
In addition to playing the narrator, Mr. Soller is also the lead, the slave Pseudolus, who seeks to obtain his freedom by presenting Hero (Alexander Daly) with Philia (Christine Lacey), a courtesan from Crete. Having caught sight of Philia through a window, Hero knows nothing of love, revealed in his very amusing “Love, I Hear,” of his very recent discovery.
Hero and Philia are young and innocent, both naïve virgins who, with Pseudolus’s careful guidance, know that they love each other, but not much more. Philia is confused by the numbers 3 and 5, and, in “Lovely,” sings of her inability to read and write, add, or do much more than be lovely: “We are taught beauty and grace, and no more.” Ms. Lacey and Mr. Daley are just adorable in this number, their characters’ lack of education is no barrier to their ability to express themselves.
Unfortunately, Philia has already been sold to Miles Gloriosus, a brave and “dazzling” warrior (Brad Baron) who is away at battle when the play opens. Pseudolus hides her in Hero’s house.
Senex (Michael Puglia), Hero’s father, returns unexpectedly from a trip, and thinks that Philia is intended for him. “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” is a wonderful expression of this thought, and Mr. Puglia, along with Mr. Soller, Brandon Grimes as Marcus Lycus, and Mike Dorsey as Hysterium do an outstanding job with this very funny vaudevillesque number.
Mr. Baron is perfect as Miles Gloriosus, who arrives home demanding his bride in a grand, full chorus number called, “Bring Me My Bride,” while Pseudolus tries to trick him into relinquishing Philia.
The Proteans are three men (Ethan Contreras, Scott Wasserman, and Zach Garcia) who play multiple roles, including eunuchs who cannot seem to move without uttering high-pitched twitterings; soldiers; slaves; and citizens—always enlivening the scene.
Amanda Horvath is comically shrewish in her role as Domina, the wife of Senex, about whom Senex warns, “Never fall in love during a total eclipse.”
Courtesans are played by Taylor Jacobson, Emily K. Byrne, Samantha Helmstetter, Brynn Lewallen, Kate Gosnell, and Chelsea Melamed, all alluring in their own way, all extravagantly dressed. Mr. Grimes, as Marcus Lycus, the buyer and seller of courtesans, has a wonderful comic presence throughout.
Connor Lewis is Erronius, who is away throughout most of the play, off seeking his children who were stolen at birth by pirates. He brings laughs as he staggers across the stage several times in his quest to circle the seven hills of Rome seven times, but ultimately provides all the answers.
The set, designed by Tim Boucher, is relatively simple, the facades of three houses in ancient Rome, but they are brightly colored and ornately decorated—and the middle house has a working balcony—and serve as a nice setting for the zany action taking place in and around them. The brilliant array of costumes are designed by Kate Boucher.
The play continues through Saturday, August 28, at 8 o’clock at Highfield Theatre in Falmouth. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased by calling 508-548-0668, or visiting the CLOC box office at the theater. Box office hours are today and tomorrow from 10 AM to 12:30 PM, 2 to 5 PM, and 7 to 9 PM. For more information, visit collegelightopera.com.
Scott Wasserman, center, as the poet Archibald Grosvenor, surrounded by a chorus of rapturous maidens, in CLOC’s production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Patience.”
By MARILYN J. ROWLAND
Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Patience” is a light-hearted tale of love and poetry, told with wit and visual humor, one of the fluffiest and least complex of the G&S comic operas. The College Light Opera Company’s production, at Highfield Theatre tonight and tomorrow, captures the good feeling and frivolity of this show perfectly.
The lead actors bring out the quirkiness of their characters, as they frolic across the stage, poking fun at the Aesthetic Movement of 19th-century England, in which poets and artists were perhaps viewed with more adulation than they deserved. The costumes are exquisite, especially the women’s gowns, all different, yet creating a luscious unity that extends to their long and curly hair. The set is appealing, with its suggestion of castle steps in the foreground and mountains in the distance. The woodsy opening scrim sets the scene nicely. The orchestra excels in this show, with its fine rendition of Sullivan’s rich score.
As the play opens, “twenty love-sick maidens” bemoan their unrequited love for the Fleshly Poet Reginald Bunthorne (Brad Baron), who loves only the lowly milkmaid, Patience (Christine Lacey)—who “eats butter with a spoon!” Patience has never been in love and does not wish to be made miserable by love as the others are. Ms. Lacey is delightful in this role, as she, on the advice of Lady Angela (Amanda Horvath), decides it is selfish of her not to love, and promises to fall in love at her earliest opportunity. She has a wonderful singing voice and uses it well, in her several solos and in her duets with the Idyllic Poet Archibald Grosvenor (Scott Wasserman), who turns out to be the little boy she loved long ago.
Mr. Baron and Mr. Wasserman are hilarious as the two poets, from their foppish dress to their dancing and prancing, to their over-the-top narcissism. Bunthorne reads his trivial poetry to the awed maidens, transfixed by his every utterance, though he later admits to Patience that he hates poetry. Grosvenor is burdened by the responsibility that comes from being perfect, and Patience, realizing his perfection, knows it would be selfish of her to love him, so they break up, with reluctant bravado.
Lady Jane (Amanda Forker), who is older and “stouter,” remains steadfastly committed to Bunthorne, as the other women switch their devotion to Grosvenor. Ms. Forker is very funny in this role, particularly in her recitative and song, “Sad is That Woman’s Lot,” in which she accompanies herself on the cello.
The men are the Dragoon Guards, festively attired in red and gold uniforms, which the women mock, though they had become engaged to marry the guards only a year ago. The Dragoons respond with a funny song-and-dance, “When I first put this uniform on,” reflecting that the power of their uniform to attract women has been sadly displaced by the women’s new regard for the ruffles and flourishes of the aesthetic poets.
Later, three of the soldiers, Duke (James Soller), Major (Kyle Yampiro), and Colonel (Brandon Grimes) dress in the garb of poets, and, each carrying a flower, attempt to pose as poets to win their women back. It is a very funny scene.
Mark A. Pearson, who directed CLOC’s production of “The Mikado,” “Naughty Marietta,” and “My Fair Lady,” has an amusing cameo role in this production as Bunthorne’s solicitor.
The show is directed by John R. Lucas and music directed by Mary Marcell. Costume design is by Kate Boucher, and set design is by Tim Boucher.
“Patience” continues through Saturday, August 21 at 8 PM, with a matinee at 4 PM on Thursday, August 19, at 2 PM, at Highfield Theatre in Falmouth. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased by calling 508-548-0668, or by visiting the CLOC box office, 58 Highfield Drive in Falmouth. Box office hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 12:30 PM, 2 to 5 PM, and 7 to 9 PM.
Alexandra Linn Desaulniers, as Annie Oakley, and Scott Wasserman, as Frank Butler.
“Annie Get Your Gun,” A Bulls-Eye for CLOC
By WILLIAM GRACE
There’s plenty for everyone to enjoy in the College Light Opera Company’s production of Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun,” which opened on Tuesday at the Highfield Theatre in Falmouth. You may smile knowingly at the old-fashioned love story and the dated portrayal of American Indians but you’ve got to love the familiar music and lyrics of so many of Berlin’s great songs. There are at least seven songs that have become classics in American music and, even for Berlin, that is a lot in one show.
The overture, conducted by Mary Marcell, starts toes tapping to the melodies of “I Got the Sun in the Morning,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “They Say It’s Wonderful,” “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun,” and “The Girl that I Marry.” Later you hear “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly,” and “Anything You Can Do.”
Alexandra Linn Desaulniers as Annie Oakley, the legendary sharpshooter of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, brings a big smile and a big voice to the stage for this proto-feminist character whose only weakness is falling instantly in love with a man who is threatened by her self-confidence and ambition. She laments that “…he won’t buy pajamas for pistol-packin’ mommas….”
Scott Wasserman as Frank Butler, Annie’s sharpshooting rival and future husband, gives equal energy and exuberance to his role. Annie and Frank spar repeatedly through the evening as he taunts her with his description of the dainty china doll girl he might marry and she fires back that she can do anything better than he can. Their “I Can Do Anything” duet toward the end of the second act is brilliantly staged. Their voices are perfect for the parts, bringing out the humor of the clever lyrics and taking the sting out of Annie’s apparent capitulation in the last shootout. Annie may have lost the battle but she most definitely won the war.
James Soller plays Charlie Davenport, tour manager of the Wild West Show, and Conner Lewis plays Buffalo Bill Cody. Davenport, Cody, and Butler musically seduce the innocent Annie into joining their traveling troupe with a rousing chorus “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” Annie adds her voice to theirs and makes the sentiment her own as she makes her dreams of celebrity come true. The song has the same magic sung by these four as it does later when the 30-voice ensemble makes it ring in the rafters.
The story line includes Chief Sitting Bull, who was part of Cody’s show. Gabriel DiGennaro deadpans some very funny lines and presides over the tribal adoption of Annie during an elaborate Broadway version of a ritual dance. Annie embraces her new family, singing “I’m an Indian.” Even in 1946 when the show opened this must have been an awkward scene, but the choreography and music are great, and this production is carried off with dignity.
Guest artists for this production include Falmouth 5th grader J. Spencer Lawrence as Annie’s brother, Little Jake; Woods Hole 8th grader Grace Brakeman; and Sagamore Beach 8th grader Kate McKenna as Annie’s sisters, Nellie and Jessie, respectively. They sing and dance like real troupers.
Emily K. Byrne plays Dolly Tate who foments trouble for Annie at every turn. Kyle Yampiro plays Foster Wilson, the canny hotel owner who sponsors Annie in her first sharpshooting match. His voice blends nicely with Annie’s in “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly.”
Sets include a Pullman car, a circus tent for the traveling show, and a grand ballroom in a New York City hotel. One brilliant touch of imaginative stageing puts Annie on a loud motorcycle speeding (sort of) across the big top shooting out lights.
“Annie Get Your Gun,” continues through Saturday, August 14, at 8 PM nightly; with a matinee on Thursday, August 12 at 2 PM. Highfield Theatre is 58 Highfield Drive, in Falmouth. Tickets are available by calling the CLOC box office at 508-548-0668. Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Patience” opens on August 17.
Mr. Grace is a summer resident of Pocasset who loves musical theater.
Peter Cook as King Arthur knights Lancelot, played by Rob Minshall, while Jennifer Perrault-Minshall, as Guenevere, looks on.
By MARILYN J. ROWLAND
Catch the “one brief, shining moment that was known as Camelot” at the Cotuit Center for the Arts and see why this rendition of the legend of King Arthur is such a memorable—and popular—show (the first four shows were sold out). Directed by Karen Santos of Sandwich, “Camelot” has a strong cast, a wonderful two-level set, great songs, a clever script, and more than a touch of magic.
Peter Cook plays an endearing King Arthur, boyish and vulnerable, earnest and sincere, and dependent on the advice of his mentor, the magician Merlyn (Daniel Fontneau), who has taught him life’s lessons by turning him into a hawk or a rabbit. Merlyn teaches him to think, and, in the course of thinking, Arthur realizes the futility of war. He decides to do something useful with his knights and soldiers and establishes the Knights of the Round Table, whose purpose will be to do good, rather than continually engage in senseless slaughter. (“Might for right” to replace “might is right.”)
Guenevere (Jennifer Perrault-Minshall ), however, is entranced by the romantic appeal of sword-swinging knights and, in “The Simple Joys of Maidenhood,” longs to be rescued and fought over (“Shall two knights never tilt for me/ and let their blood be spilt for me?”).
Ms. Perrault-Minshall is exceptional in this role. Her beautiful singing voice is a highlight of the show, particularly in her sweet and innocent “The Simple Joys” and more worldly-wise “I Loved You Once in Silence.” Her face is always expressive, as her love grows for Arthur, and then for Lancelot.
Merlyn lives backward in time (“He does not age, he ‘youthens,’ ” explains Arthur) and knows the future, which he shares bits of with Arthur. Unfortunately for Arthur, Merlyn is beckoned away by the water nymph Nimue (Emily Jackson), who sings her ethereal siren song (“Follow Me”) to him from the balcony, drawing him up to her arms, and leaving Arthur on his own.
Lancelot (Rob Minshall) makes his appearance on that same balcony, delightfully comical, as he sings, “C’est Moi,” to announce his suitability as a knight at the Round Table: “And here I stand, with valor untold/Exeption’ly brave, amazingly bold.” Mr. Minshall is particularly good in bringing out the humor of the role.
Dom Gautrau is also very funny as the bumbling King Pellinore who has spent most of his life questing, though not finding, the beast he is after; now he appreciates having his own bed in the castle. Tom Myers, who will be a senior at Barnstable High School in the fall, is wonderfully despicable as Mordred, who engineers Arthur’s downfall in order to inherit the crown for himself. He enlists the aid of his aunt Morgan le Fey (Amy Kraskausas) in an amusing scene (“The Persuasion”) in which Mordred and Morgan are joined by a quartet of young dancers. Both are fine singers.
The chorus adds its voices to several numbers, notably, “The Lusty Month of May,” “The Jousts,” and the haunting “Guenevere.”
Lancelot’s jousts with three of the knights (“The Jousts”) is creatively animated. The two-level set is nicely constructed and its purplish tone set a royal and mythical mood. The walls on the lower level are moved about to create convincing indoor and outdoor scenes.
Marcia Wytrwal plays piano and serves as musical director. The three-person band supports the singers well, never overwhelming them. Michele Colley is the choreographer.
The set was designed by Richard Archer, and constructed by a crew of 19, which is not surprising, given its complexity.
“Camelot” is based on the book, “The Once and Future King,” by T.H. White. It opened on Broadway in 1960 and closed in 1963, approximately the same period of time that John F. Kennedy served as president. The idea of Camelot became inextricably connected to the Kennedy family.
The original Broadway cast included Richard Burton as Arthur, Julie Andrews as Guenevere, and Robert Goulet as Lancelot. The show was made into a film in 1967, with Richard Harris as Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guenevere, and Franco Nero as Lancelot.
In recognition of the Kennedy family connection, the arts center is offering “American Camelot,” an exhibit of Kennedy-related photography and artwork, in conjunction with the musical. Pieces have been loaned by the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston, the Kennedy Museum in Hyannis, and various Cape Cod artists. The art show, which can be viewed during regular gallery hours, as well as before and after “Camelot” and at intermission, is a nostalgic and informative look at the “brief shining moment” when Kennedy glamour and culture prevailed.
“Camelot” continues on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 4 PM through August 22. Tickets are $22, $20 for members and seniors, and $10 for students. The Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Falmouth Road (Route 28). For reservations, call 508-428-0669, or visit www.artsonthecape.com.
Karen Santos directs "Camelot" at the Cotuit Center for the Arts
“Don’t let it be forgot that once there was a spot for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.”
Lerner and Lowe’s “Camelot” opens tonight at 8 PM at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. It runs Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 4 PM through August 22. Tickets are $22 for general admission, $20 for members and seniors, and $10 for students and may be purchased by calling 508-428-0669 or visiting www.artsonthecape.com.
Directed by Karen Santos, and starring Peter Cook as King Arthur, Jennifer Perrault-Minshall as Guenevere, and Rob Minshall as Lancelot, “Camelot” is the timeless tale of Arthur’s dream to bring civility to his realm through the Knights of the Round Table. It is full of great music: “The Simple Joys of Maidenhood,” “The Lusty Month of May,” “How to Handle a Woman,” “I Loved You Once in Silence,” “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “What Do The Simple Folk Do?” and, of course, “Camelot.”
I talked with Karen Santos recently about the show:
Because “Camelot” is closely associated with the presidency of John F. Kennedy, the arts center is complementing the show with its “American Camelot” exhibit in its arts gallery. It includes rare photographs on loan from the JFK Library and Museum in Boston and from the JFK Hyannis Museum Foundation, as well as paintings and photographs from Cape Cod artists that reflect the Kennedy family’s connection with the Cape.
There is no admission charge to view this display. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM, and Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM.
The College Light Opera Company’s “Kismet” is a vibrant tale of love and poetry, full of colorful characters, classic tunes, and, of course, baubles, bangles, and beads, as kismet, or fate, prevails. Michael Canestraro directed and choreographed the production, while Elizabeth Hastings provided musical direction.
The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1953, takes place in ancient Baghdad and follows a “public poet” (Brandon Grimes) who is finding a hard time earning a living by selling his rhymes. His beautiful daughter Marsinah (Samantha Helmstetter) joins him in “Rhymes Have I,” a lovely duet. Mr. Grimes has a commanding stage presence and an appealing comedic charm, as well as a good voice, and is perfect for this role as a lovable con artist. His height is an advantage, but it is his personality and acting skill that makes him a hit, and the show along with him.
Ms. Helmstetter has a beautiful soprano voice, soaring easily and gracefully to the high notes. Her fresh romantic charm makes her character believable.
Since “a man can sell anything in this world except poems,” the poet assumes the identity of a beggar named Hajj in order to claim a favorable spot to beg. He convinces others that he has the power to make and remove curses, which brings him wealth, most of which he hands over to Marsinah, who contemplates how to spend it in “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads.”
Hajj’s wealth gets him arrested and the police bring him to face the Wazir (Zach Garcia), who, convinced that Hajj has special powers, takes him on as his personal wizard, making him an emir. The Wazir has an amorous wife, Lalume (Amanda Horvath), and she and Hajj hit it off quickly.
Mr. Garcia is an amiable villain, and Ms. Horvath is engaging as the lusty first wife in the harem, who knows what she wants and how to get it. And she knows how to sing, too, doing a fine job on “Not Since Neneveh,” in which she is neatly carried in a reclining position.
Meanwhile, Marsinah meets the Caliph (Justin John Moniz) while he is disguised as a gardener. It is love at first sight for them too (“Stranger in Paradise”), but the road to marriage is full of twists and turns. Though Mr. Moniz’s Caliph is somewhat subdued when speaking, he has a wonderful singing voice, especially in “Stranger in Paradise” and “Night of My Nights,” in which he gives instructions for his wedding celebration.
Michael Puglia plays the poet and philosopher Omar Khayam, starting the show off with a heartfelt “Sands of Time,” and offering wit and wisdom along the way.
There are many fine ensemble numbers in this show, some romantic, some powerful, and some humorous. “Was I Wazir” provides some very funny choreography and pantomiming from the policemen and guards, while the women dancers offer graceful exotic dancing throughout.
Kate Gosnell’s dancing, as Nedar, a genie, opens and closes the show, a nice touch.
The costumes sparkle; there are many-hued flowing skirts and pantaloons, ornate vests, full sleeves, and sashes, and harem outfits that leave midriffs exposed for belly dancing. The set is fairly simple, but effective, consisting of the outlines of a mosque, but it is the sumptuous costumes that provide the eye with ever-changing visual splendor. Costume design is by Kate Boucher; Tim Boucher is set designer and technical director.
The music for “Kismet” was composed by Robert Wright and George Forrest, much of it based on the classical music of Alexander Borodin (1833-1877), a Russian romantic composer. Themes from his opera, “Prince Igor,” including the Polovtsian Dances, and his string quartets are evident in “Stranger in Paradise,” “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads,” “Night of My Nights,” “Sands of Time,” “Fate,” “The Olive Tree,” and “Gesticulate.” Borodin was posthumously awarded a Tony Award in 1954 for the show.
The orchestra does a great job with this material, supporting the vocalists and the energetic dancers throughout and contributing drama, romance, humor and exotic flavor to the show.
“Kismet” continues through Saturday at 8 PM at Highfield Theatre in Falmouth. There is also a matinee Thursday at 2 PM. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased by calling 508-548-0668, or by visiting the CLOC box office, 58 Highfield Drive in Falmouth. Box office hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 12:30 PM, 2 to 5 PM, and 7 to 9 PM.
Sunday’s TD Bank 25th Anniversary Pops by the Sea concert, presented by the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, was a spectacular, star-studded event, with special guests Rachael Ray, Chris Cooper, and Idina Menzel, as well as local talent: the Colum Cille Pipes and Drums of Sandwich who began the evening performances with a march down to the main tent, and Kandice Wood of South Dennis followed with a beautiful arrangement of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The real star of the show was, of course, Keith Lockhart and the 73-piece Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, celebrating the 125th of the Boston Pops, and bringing a glorious array of music to the Hyannis Village Green on a gorgeous summer afternoon.
The concert was sold out, and the green was packed with people, their lawn chairs as close as possible to allow more and more people in, an estimated 15,000, a large crowd for downtown Hyannis.
After the national anthem, Rachael took the stage to conduct “The National Emblem March,” joking about how nervous she was, but that former Pops guest conductor William Shatner had assured her that all she had to do was wave the baton around and the orchestra would know what to do.
They did, and Rachael came through it all just fine, adding her own warm humor to the event.
Rachael Ray prepares to conduct.
After a rousing performance of Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” from Rodeo (made famous, Lockhart said, by the “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner” commercial), Lockhart provided a short history of the Pops, which has had 17 conductors from 1885, the year it was formed, until Arthur Fiedler took over in May of 1930. Understanding popular preferences, Lockhart said, Fieldler was “a huge advocate of American musicians and composers” and shaped both the orchestral sound and public taste to create one of the world’s most popular orchestras: “American’s orchestra.”
John Williams took over in 1980, and Lockhart has been conductor since 1995.
Lockhart paid tribute to Fieldler’s influence by conducting Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” from Rodeo, or, as he put it, the “What’s for dinner?” theme from the beef commercial.
And he honored Williams with the flying theme from “E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial,” one of many movie scores he composed. As if on cue, a cluster of five red balloons broke loose and wafted off into the clear blue sky.
Fieldler, said Lockhart, knew that people liked to sing along, and offered opportunities for them to do so on “Old-Timer’s night.” When Lockhart arrived, he was told by some outspoken older audience members, even one in his 90s, that they did not consider themselves “old-timers,” and the term “sing-along” came to be used instead.
Yesterday’s sing-along featured music of the Beatles, “adding a new tradition to the old tradition,” said Lockhart.
“The Beatles sing-along began with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” not an easy song to sing along to, though the words were printed in the program. But the words fit: “the singer’s going to sing a song, and he wants you all to sing along.” This was followed by “With a Little Help From My Friends (“Lend me you ears, and I’ll sing you a song, and I’ll try not to sing out of key), “Twist and Shout” (the crowd was particularly vocal on the ahhhh, ahhhh, ahhhh, ahhhh part), and “Yellow Submarine,” which had a nice mellow, community feel.
Chris Cooper reads "The Dream Lives On."
Next was actor Chris Cooper’s narration of “The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers,” with music by Peter Boyer and words by Lynn Ahrens, which was commissioned by Lockhart last fall. The words, largely quotations from each of the three brothers in turn, speak to the legacy of the Kennedy brothers, their idealism and enduring sense of optimism, “a human vision of what our country can be.”
It was not only the words, by their delivery, by the Jack, Bobbie, and Ted, that made them so eloquent and effective. Chris Cooper gave the words, many of which we know by heart, renewed vigor, backed by the inspiring orchestral music.
It was particularly meaningful, in such close proximity to the Kennedy Museum on Main Street and Hyannisport. (The Kennedys had been on my mind, having seen, on Saturday night, a preview of the Cotuit Center for the Arts’ “American Camelot” exhibit of photographs, paintings, and sculptures of the Kennedy family. CCftA’s production of “Camelot” opens Thursday, August 5.)
Part of the huge crowd at the Hyannis Village Green
After intermission, vocalist and actress Idina Menzel took the stage. Star of Broadway hits “Wicked” and “Rent,” and a recent addition to the popular television series “Glee,” Menzel was a big hit with the crowd, particularly the younger members.
She seemed surprised that the audience was so attentive, her green dress matching the color of the leaves on the trees of Hyannis Village Green.
“I’m really a wedding singer at heart,” she said. “I’m expecting people to be clinking glasses. You’re all so nice . You’re really listening. I appreciate that. I could cry.”
There was plenty of reason to listen. Menzel has a beautiful voice, and she sang a hauntingly beautiful “Love for Sale,” and some of her big hits: “No Day But Today” from “Rent,” and “For Good” and “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked.”
Idina Menzel
She talked about her 11-month-old baby, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, with husband Taye Diggs (they met on the set of “Rent”) and how their “good morning” baby talk evolved into both a rap and a song, a jazzy, bouncy, bubbly song that she shared with us.
She offered a poignant “Funny Girl,” which she had recently sung on “Glee.” As an encore, she sang a moving “Tomorrow” from “Annie,” ”the song my mother always made me sing at family gatherings.”
By this time, the crowd, growing fearful of being caught in the huge outgoing traffic jam, had begun to disperse. It was sad to see so many people leaving while Idina was still singing. Fortunately for me, though, it opened up a spot where I could stand, shielded by a tree, and catch her last song.
The orchestra ended with “Stars and Stripes Forever.” While, as you can see, people continued to stream out, most of the audience thoroughly enjoyed it.
Most of the narrative films I previewed this year touch on death of a family member, or the aftermath of death for the living. In this category are “House of Bones,” a documentary about a family house on Martha’s Vineyard after the death of the director’s grandmother; “Lebanon, PA,” a drama about a man following the death of his father; “The Old Boy,” a documentary about the director’s 92-year-old grandfather; “Roots in Water,” a narrative short about three adult siblings after the death of their mother; and “Harvest,” about a dysfunctional family in the final summer of the grandfather’s life.
Death, in these films, is not an event to be mourned so much as it is an impetus for change. The remaining two films I previewed were about change too, but it was traveling to a new place that brought on change. In “One Too Many Mornings,” a young man seeks to escape his own problems by traveling to see a friend, while, in “Feed the Fish,” a man in mid-life crisis is convinced by a buddy to go on a trip with him.
One Too Many Mornings
Directed by Michael Mohan, “One Too Many Mornings” (90 min., 2010) is a coming-of-age comedy that follows Peter (Anthony Deptula) as he escapes problems with his girlfriend by driving eight hours to visit Fischer (Stephen Hale, a friend from high school who now lives in a church, earning his keep by shutting off the lights at night and locking the front door. Fischer is happy with the way things are, but he has a serious alcohol problem, which threatens his position at the church.
The film title comes from the Bob Dylan song of the same name (“We’re both just too many mornings/An’ a thousand miles behind.”) As the film progresses, Peter and Fischer try to help each other, learning more about themselves in the process. The film is billed as a comedy, and in part it is, but the seriousness of Fischer’s alcohol dependency makes “drama” a more suitable description.
Both Deptula and Hale also served as writers and producers for the film.
“One Too Many Mornings” was shown yesterday (Saturday, July 31) at 9 PM in the Old Woods Hole Fire Station.
Feed the Fish
In “Feed the Fish” (a comedy directed by Michael Matzdorff , Joe Peterson (Ross Partridge) is a writer who has written one children’s picture book, “Feed the Fish,” about a cat who is eaten by a goldfish. Fortunately, the cat has nine lives, and Joe plans to follow up with eight more stories. Ask to explain the popularity of the book, he says, simply, “Kids like violence.”
Two years later, in Venice Beach, California, though, Joe has been unable to write another book. The magic is lost. His relationship to Lorraine (Vanessa Branch) is on the rocks. Lorraine’s brother JP (Michael Chernus) arrives, and Joe explains a plot he is considering for “The Lost Fly.” A fly gets trapped in a passing car and is swept away from his family.
JP tells Peterson that he needs a change of scenery and convinces him to come with him to Wisconsin to do the Polar Bear Plunge, a family tradition. He immediately meets a beautiful waitress, Sif (Katie Aselton), a slightly deranged sheriff (Tony Shalhoub of “Monk” fame), and a kindly old man who helps him feel welcome (Barry Corgin, from “Northern Exposure”), all of whom turn out to be related.
While out preparing for the Polar Bear Plunge, JP is bitten in his delicate region by a badger and remains hospitalized for most of the film, leaving Joe to navigate life in the small town by himself, finding himself –and a new direction in his children’s stories—in the process.
Much of the humor is based on Northern winters and small-town life. There are some beautiful shots of ice and snow, though, including the Northern lights.
“Feed the Fish” will be shown at Monday, August 2, at 7 PM in Redfield Auditorium, and Saturday, August 7, at 9 PM, at the Old Woods Hole Fire Station.
House of Bones
“House of Bones” (89 min., 2008) is director Victoria Campbell’s story of the “Big House” on Martha’s Vineyard, where her grandmother Beebee and parents Dolly and Bruce lived. After the death of grandmother, the four siblings, three daughters and a son, reminisce about the house, their summer vacations there, and their grandmother and extended family, as they make plans to sell the “Big House,” a house none of them can afford to maintain.
The house was, indeed, big. It had 22 rooms and 10 bedrooms “filled with the salty smell of the sea.” A long porch extended around the house. On the third floor, originally constructed for servants, was a private suite, where Dolly and Bruce lived.
We learn about the history of the house and the family, whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower and included Myles Standish. The house, built by the Saltonstall family in the 1890s, was purchased by Ms. Campbell’s great grandmother in 1940, after she was widowed.
Ms. Campbell’s narration holds this film together; she tells the intertwining stories of the family members while the contents of the house, and, ultimately, the house itself, are sold.
The film will be screened Tuesday, August 3, at 5 PM at the Old Woods Hole Fire Station.
Lebanon, PA
In “Lebanon, PA” (100 min., 2010), directed by Ben Hikernell, Philadelphia ad writer Will (Josh Hopkins) heads for Lebanon, Pennsylvania, after the death of his father for the funeral and to deal with his father’s house and possessions. He has not had much contact with his father over the years, and is drawn to the simple life that he images his father lived there as a teacher and model boat builder.
He meets his distant cousin, who lives across the street, and his pregnant 17-year-old daughter, CJ (Rachel Kitson). Once her father finds out about the pregnancy, he and the parents of CJ’s boyfriend try to engineer a quick marriage, but CJ rebels.
Will also meets a woman in a bar (Samantha Mathis), whom he later finds was one of his father’s colleagues, and CJ’s teacher. She is married, but Will pursues her anyway, and tries to fit himself into small town life. He is drawn to the idea of starting fresh there, with a house where he can mow the lawn; his girlfriend broke up with him in the early scenes of the movie, and he grows disillusioned with the ad industry out in the hinterland, where he realizes his messages don’t ring true.
All the pieces do not neatly fall into place, but that is what makes this film about the cultural divide ring true.
“Lebanon, PA” will be shown Tuesday, August 3, at 9 PM, in Redfield Auditorium.
The Old Boy
Matthew Cardarople’s short film, “The Old Boy” is a moving tribute to his grandfather, Philip J. Cardarople, of Sandwich. Filmed in Sandwich and in Boston, the film is a sensitive portrayal of the 92-year-old Cardarople, who takes loving care of his bedridden wife of 65 years, Florence (“Fudgie”). His once-active life seems to have come down to preparing and eating three meals a day and enjoying reruns of “The Lawrence Welk Show.”
He had three sons, and wishes he had had nine—for a baseball team. Long ago Mr. Cardarople played baseball, and he is a strong supporter of the Boston Red Sox, listening to the games on the radio. As a way of honoring his grandfather, Matthew and his family raised $1,750 to send him to the Baseball Fantasy Camp at Fenway Park.
We see Mr. Cardarople practicing batting before the big day and being outfitted with a baseball outfit; he receives an official-looking Red Sox shirt with his name on it when he arrives, by limousine, in Boston. He has a wonderful day, culminating in his proudly retelling the stories to his wife, when he returns home. “People were cheering as I was running!”
Mr. Cardarople died two weeks after the documentary was shot, but it remains a fitting remembrance of the man, and to his grandson’s love and respect for him.
“The Old Boy” will be shown on Tuesday, August 3, in Lillie Auditorium.
A clip from “The Old Boy” of Philip and Florence watching the Lawrence Welk Show
Roots in Water
Still from "Roots in Water"
“Roots in Water” is a 10-minute short directed by Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, the daughter of Martin. It is set in Maine, in a house along a rocky lake, where three siblings have come together after the death of their mother. The scene is tense. The oldest, Frank, a doctor living in Arizona, criticizes the younger brother’s desire to file a medical malpractice suit, and, for that matter the whole way of life lived by the younger siblings, Tom and Livie, who share their late mother’s desire to make the world a better place.
“You have to make everything a world cause,” says Frank. “Why does one person feel the need to impose his beliefs on another person?” Though, of course, it is Frank who insists that others do things his way. Judy, his wife, cautiously tries to mediate.
The title, “Roots in Water,” refers not only to the family home by the lake, but to the fragility of family roots, and how the death of the mother changes family dynamics. Views of the lake, the house, of people standing and sitting, tell much of the story.
It will be shown tonight at 9 PM at the Old Woods Hole Fire Station.
Harvest
In “Harvest,” which was filmed in Madison, Connecticut, a family deals with the impending death of the Siv (Robert Loggia), patriarch of the family. His wife Yetta (Barbara Barrie) is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, but keeps herself busy, sweeping the grass.
His daughter Anna (Victoria Clark) and son Benny (Arye Gross) live in the house with him, and Anna convinces her son Josh (Jack Carpenter) to spend the summer at home, rather than join his girlfrienc and other college friends at a beach house. Rounding out the household is the maid and caretaker of Yetta, Another son, lives nearby but is estranged from the family.
The story is told through the eyes of Josh, who, over the summer, gets to know his grandfather better, while trying to deal with family sorrows, losses, and resentments that have simmered over the years.
There are some nice shots of Madison, a small New England town along the coast, which will appeal to Cape Codders. A Fourth of July parade shows down downtown Madison scenes, as does the grandfather’s bicycle ride through town (on one of his very robust days before cancer claims him).
Somewhat autobiographical, director Marc Meyers told me that it was an idealized story, based in part on the death of his own grandfather. The characters are multi-faceted and so authentic that it sometimes feels like a documentary instead of a narrative film.
“Harvest” will be shown Friday, August 6, at 7:30 PM at Woods Hole Community Hall.
The Woods Hole Film Festival begins tonight with “Climate Refugees: The Human Face of Climate Change,” a documentary about people displaced by
climate-induced environmental disasters. It is one of several environmtentally themed films in the festival, which also features outdoor screenings on Project Green Screen, a wind and solar powered system, and a Green Shuttle, which provides transportation to and from Falmouth on opening and closing nights.
“Climate Refugees” (89 min. 2009) will be shown tonight at 7 PM in Redfield Auditorium. It reveals the human effects of droughts, desertification, sea level rise, floods, hurricanes, cyclones, fires, and tornados. In addition to immediate misery, there are longer term impacts on global migration and border conflicts.
According to the film, there are more refugees now displaced by environmental disasters than by war: more than 25 million climate refugees (ecologically induced migrants), and experts expect that number to double within the next five years to over 50 million. Yet, there are no international laws giving asylum or assistance to environmental refugees.
Here is the trailer from the film:
Filmmaker Mike Nash and producer Justin Hogan will participate in a panel discussion about Climate Refugees on Sunday, August 1, at 2 PM.
Chilean Patagonia
“Tracking Patagonia” (52 min., 2010) will have its world premiere at the festival. Directed by Sarah Athanas, a former Bourne resident who now lives in Argentina, the film traces the path of a young American film crew (including Sarah) as they travel by bicycle and raft through the Patagonia region of Chile, talking to the people, learning about the region, and taking in the breathtaking mountain and lake scenery.
The land is threatened by a proposal to build five hydroelectric dams in the region, forever altering the flow of the five rivers in the region, and the lives of its people. It is a difficult problem for Chile and its people, as Chile needs a new source of electricity. Most of its energy resources come from Argentina. Yet, the hydroelectric dams would serve the needs of the Santiago area, far to the north, not the needs of the Patagonian people they would displace.
It is a beautiful film, visually, and one that has implications for many regions where energy and the environment are at odds.
The film will be shown on Tuesday, August 3, at 5 PM, in Redfield Auditorium.
“Living Downstream” (85 min., 2010) is a documentary by Chandra Chevannes. It follows Sandra Steingraber, an ecologist and cancer survivor, who looks into the environmental causes of cancer. She was diagnosed with bladder cancer at the age of 20; cancer was prevalent in her family, but she was adopted, leading her to wonder if there might be environmental, rather than only genetic , causes of the cancer in her family.
She looks at the influence of pesticides and the work done by Rachel Carson. There are some disturbing archival shots of children following pesticide trucks as they spray poisons into the community, and an ad proclaiming “DDT is Good for Meeee!”
She also looks at PCBs in Buzzards Bay (which once had one of the highest concentrations of PCBs anywhere) and in the leaf litter in far-north White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Part of her research involves meeting with George Woodwell, founder, director emeritus, and senior scientist at the Woods Hole Research Center.
It is time, she says, to work on preventing cancer, rather than focusing solely on curing it.
“Living Downstream” will be shown at 6 PM on Monday, August 2, in the Old Woods Hole Fire Station.
“Queen of the Sun” (83 min., 2010) is a documentary by Taggart Siegel about the global bee crisis, exploring the disappearance of bees and life in the hive. It will be screened Monday at 7 PM in the Old Woods Hole Fire Station.
“Burning in the Sun” (82 min., 2010), directed by Cambria Matlow and Morgan Robinson, is a documentary about Daniel Dembele and his efforts to bring solar power to Mali. Nearly all the rural communities lack power, and his vision is to build solar panels to bring electricity to these areas. He begins in the small village of Banko. The film deals with the larger issues of climate change, poverty, and African self-sufficiency, as well as his growth, and what it takes for a nation to prosper.
The film will be shown on Friday, August 6, at 7 PM.
Tonight is the last night to catch Mike Daisy’s monologue, “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” at the Cape Cod Theatre Project. The nonfiction play has already been performed Thursday and last night at Falmouth Academy, as part of CCTP’s play development process. (I saw it last night.) After each performance, the audience is invited to discuss the performance and ask questions of the playwright and director.
Daisy weaves together Steve Job’s life story, Daisy’s own obsession with Apple technology, and the price paid by the Chinese people who create our iPhones, iPods, iPads, computers, and the rest of the electronic bounty Apple (and other companies) has to offer. Daisy is a compelling storyteller, using his voice to change the mood, the time frame, the scene, as he moves from one thread of the story to another and back again.
From his opening description of his appreciation of the satisfying “whoosh-click” sound the well-designed drawers in his Hong Kong hotel room make when he opens and closes them (“the hand of man has been here”), Daisy creates wonderful, and often hilarious, visual images with words. He compares Steve Jobs to Willy Wonka, a great genius and visionary, but completely insane. Jobs is a controlling micromanager, he says; as described by one subordinate: “He would make an excellent King of France.”
He describes his purchase of an iPad as Zen consumerism: “I thought I would buy it and see what it wants to do.”
It is a very funny and entertaining evening with a serious message. The computer products we use and the iPhones we are so devoted to come at a price; a price paid, in this case, by the Chinese workers at Foxcomm Technology Group in Shenzhen, China, a city of 14 million people, surrounded by an industrial zone of 38 million people. Over 430,000 people work for Foxcomm, in a complex of buildings where they not only labor for 12 to 16 hours a day, six or seven days a week, but sleep in communal bunk beds so tightly stacked that they cannot easily sleep on their sides or they would touch the bottom of the bunk above.
These are good jobs in China, and the employees have college degrees, though their jobs consist of soddering the same connection over and over again as parts come down the assembly line.
Twelve Foxcomm employees have committed suicide recently, all by throwing themselves off the roofs of dormitory buildings. Why so many, wondered Daisy, and why now? His monologue turns chillingly serious as he answers that question, describing his investigations of labor conditions in Shenzhen, and connecting the suicides to Jobs’ obsessive, perfectionism, and the rush to get the newest iPhone out.
“But you know this,” Daisy says to the audience at one point. Yes, we do know that cheap labor in other countries helps makes possible American consumerism, but Daisy tells the story so effectively, so personally and universally, that maybe some of us hear it for the first time.
He concludes by asking us to write to Steve Jobs (sjobs@apple.com) to ask him about what has been done in Shenzhen.
The last performance in Falmouth is tonight at 8 PM at Falmouth Academy. Call 508-457-4242 for tickets. After the Falmouth performances, Daisy takes the show on tour, to Seattle, then India and Canada.
