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The Sound of Music is alive once more

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July 15, 2023 by Ife Oshun

Desi Oakley (Maria Rainer) and the cast of “The Sound of Music” at North Shore Music Theatre thru July 23. Photo © Paul Lyden
Desi Oakley (Maria Rainer) and the cast of “The Sound of Music” at North Shore Music Theatre.

With the North Shore Music Theatre production of the classic Sound of Music, the poignancy and power of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s sonic legacy is alive once more. Under the musical direction of Milton Granger, Desi Oakley brings massive energy to the role of Maria, the guitar-toting governess who defies her recent-widower employer’s anti-music edict, and brings song-filled joy into the lives of his seven children.

Inspired by the true story of Maria Von Trapp, main character, Maria, a doe-eyed Nonnberg Abbey postulate, can’t seem to align her free-spirited  ideals with her aspiration for a life as an obedient nun. Wise Mother Abbess (Janinah Burnett) sends Maria to live in the world for a few months as a prerequisite to committing to life at the abbey. Maria’s assignment: serve as governess in the home of Naval Captain Georg von Trapp (Joseph Spieldenner) who is desperately in need of yet another childcare replacement. It is then, against the backdrop of a 1938 Nazi-occupied Austria on the verge of World War II, Maria’s inner song ignites hearts and opens minds, particularly apparent in a touching rendition of “Do-Re-Mi” with the cast of adorable kids.

And while the music and vocals are heartwarming, the cold stage direction makes one wonder whether the job was farmed out to AI. Kevin Hill’s decision to make almost each cast member (over 35 adults and kids) hop onto at least one of a number of short statuary prop columns on the perimeter of the circular stage felt forced and devoid of character inner motivation. Spieldenner’s brilliant performance of “Edelweiss” barely survived further questionable direction which forced the actor, guitar in hand, to spin in a hapless circle while simultaneously singing and playing (and probably fighting vertigo). Wooden staging choices paired with lackluster twirling from Briana Fallon (making her choreography debut, clearly) cemented the sub-theme of disconnected, human movement juxtaposed with the overflowing emotion from book, lyrics and music. 

Fortunately, Hill downplays the Nazi menace and creates space for soaring hope. Burnett’s ovation-worthy “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” along with other classics such as “My Favorite Things” and “So Long, Farewell,” deftly moves the crowd, while the children’s stirring chemistry with Oakley even elicits tears. The near sold-out production is a testament that this classic story remains relevant in its depiction of the power of music and love in the face of hatred and adversity.

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Fat Ham cooks up sizzling madness

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October 2, 2023 by Ife Oshun

A scene from Fat Ham At The Huntington In Association With Alliance Theatre And Front Porch Arts Collective
Fat Ham At The Huntington In Association With Alliance Theatre And Front Porch Arts Collective

I sauntered into Huntington Theater’s opening night of James Ijames’ Fat Ham, thinking that the 2022 Pulitzer Prize and five-time Tony nominee would constitute yet another rendition of ye ole Hamlet. Hours later, jaded-ness exorcised by comic genius and belief in fresh Shakespeare takes renewed, I cried happy tears inspired by Black, queer joy. 

This electrifying romp sees its lead (the brilliant Marshall W. Mabry) deliver hilarious Gen Z insights and drop the Bard’s “what a piece of work is man” monologue with such technical aplomb I felt like I’d never truly heard it. “Man delights not me: no, nor woman neither” indeed! Alas, I missed a bit of the 90-minute, no intermission comedy-drama, due to damn near running to the unisex bathroom and back, and decided in the crowded post-performance lobby, clinging to my beautifully-designed program, that I simply must return for a second go round.

Oh, such wicked good madness.

Days later, I revisited the Calderwood Pavilion accompanied by my 19-year old son, aye, the one who’d devoured Hamlet multiple times before 4th grade. ”Ma,” he sighed, “you’re always dragging me to these boring things.” Was he right? Had my thirst-trapped search for abiding contemporary Shakespeare caused me to, like Hamlet, lose my Gen X mind?

By the time we were in our seats, I’d already spent a half hour in an unrequested soliloquy about how the Alliance Theatre and Front Porch Arts Collective production brilliantly turns the long-acknowledged misogyny of the original on its head. Along with the queer-liciousness sprinkled all over the Ham, all characters identifying as female have a voice and distinct personalities. And despite the new found identity these oft-underserved roles suffer, Ham’s mom–also battling toxic masculinity in her own search for life’s meaning–admits that now that she finally has everyone’s attention she doesn’t know what to say. This tragic twist resonated so deeply in my fellow Black woman brain, I had to catch my breath. I forgot about the details–Stevie Walker-Webb’s tight, effective direction, PJ Johnnie, Jr.’s invigorating choreography, Luciana Stecconi’s realistic set design, the troupe’s stellar performances, the ROTFLOL humor and Xiangfu Xiao’s lighting–and got lost in Ham’s mad, lofty musings piercing the fourth wall, while Ijames’ glorious exploration of family dysfunction unfolded within a search for identity, acceptance and truth transcending time and space. 

At evening’s end, my son, sensitive soul that he is, admitted I wasn’t mad after all. The karaoke and disco were the cherry on top. Really, go see this play now. You might see me on my third visit singing Radiohead’s “Creep” in the front row.

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50 years later, Company belts existential angst like none other

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April 10, 2024 by Ife Oshun

Britney Coleman as Bobbie (center) and the North American Tour of COMPANY. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.jpg
Company at the Citizens Opera House

Company hinges on the idea that, for a single person, hitting the age of 35 is a legitimate trigger for existential angst-filled fever dreams and musings on marriage. 

Wait, freaking out about turning 35. Is that still a thing?

Well, it was a thing in the 70s when this Stephen Sondheim musical premiered. The concept musical’s bed-hopping playboy, Bobby, has just turned said age and, as a result, nosedives into a rabbit hole of self doubt and self reflection. The eternal bachelor is then surrounded by his best friends, all married couples and his three girlfriends. A flurry of disconnected, slightly absurdist vignettes then ensues as his social circle present various, sometimes existential, aspects of the institution of marriage and question why Bobby isn’t married yet. The dated theme got a facelift in 2021 with a gender swap and now, in the Citizen’s Opera House production featuring Marianne Elliott’s red hot direction, the main character, Bobbie (portrayed by the luminous Britney Coleman), is a single cis woman. 

The challenge is not just the lack of a conventional storyline, but also the apocalyptic view of turning 35. As if the world has ended and now, before death, one must face the final frontier–marriage. It’s an archaic notion which doesn’t quite fly, and may not resonate with audience members who are unfamiliar with the history of the play. The other challenge is the gender-swapped character’s believability. How does a person who identifies as female singing lyrics that were originally written for a cis male character connect with a modern audience that is used to hearing female voices and perspectives free of the male gaze? Like, wouldn’t a single, successful, 35 year-old woman focus less on being married and, perhaps, more on the real elephant in the room–the ticking biological clock? After all, according to some recent statistics, more than 50% of American first marriages end in divorce while more women (married or not) are starting families later. 21st century gaps like these may have been the reason why the entire row I sat in emptied out as people left before intermission.

But despite the misses, there’s still plenty to enjoy. Technically perfect singing emits from the energetic, funny ensemble who manage to make the lyrically dense, incredibly hard-to-sing songs sound as smooth as honey. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the tongue twisting song “Getting Married Today” brilliantly delivered by a hyper-nervous Jamie (another gender-swapped character played by out actor Matt Rodin) as he considers his upcoming nuptials and marrying the man he loves. Tight, fresh acting peppered by Liam Steel’s scintillating choreography fills the gorgeous, yet spare boxes that comprise the set. So forget about context and linear plots. Seriously. Just sit back and lose yourself in classic tunes like “Being Alive,” “Company” and “The Ladies Who Lunch” and accept the fact that even Sondheim’s not-so-best is still pretty damn amazing.

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