The First of November, 2009

Posted by Bruce Miller
Yesterday from two until four we said goodbye to Souvenir, and then from six until last call we celebrated the life and legacy of Jack Parrish.

Prior to making it out to Hanover Tavern, I was with my mother at Westminster-Canterbury. She’s a 93-year old with advanced Alzheimer’s and she was having a bad day. I was called in by the nurses to try to calm her down, to stop her screaming and fighting, to bring her back to this world from the terrifying places to which her disease takes her from time to time.

Just before visiting Westminster, I team-taught with Katy Sproul (Firehouse actress Amy Sproul’s mom) our Sunday School class at Bon Air Pres, as I do every week. The topic was gun control, and our class decided to try to persuade our church, and other churches, to take a stand on closing the gun show loophole here in Virginia and nationally.

It was a roller coaster of a day.

Politics can be so polarizing. All of us are demeaned and diminished when we allow ourselves to be manipulated into corners and fail to come together for the common good.

Disease can also force us into isolated corners—making us feel alone and afraid. Doctors and nurses, despite their many skills and heartfelt care, cannot always pull us back from these dark places. But even on these bad days, "family" can usually make a difference.

True performers like Florence Foster Jenkins (and thank you, Debra and Jonathan for bringing her true story to life in Souvenir) refused to be relegated to a corner. Relying on the strength of her intentions, Ms Jenkins transformed self-doubt into confidence, self-effacement into assertiveness, convinced that it is only through truly sharing innermost gifts and selves that any of us will bring joy and community to others.

Jack Parrish also knew this strength and these intentions. He lived his life center stage. He loved his family and friends. He threw himself into each new adventure. He embraced Shakespeare’s magnificent advice to the players, so beautifully recited last night by James Ricks. In the whirlwind of his passion, Jack acquired and begat a temperance that gave it smoothness.

Jack's friends by the hundreds gathered again last night to honor his legacy in different cities around the world. Jokes and songs, toasts and memories filled with truth even if, sometimes, a little fuzzy on accuracy. Testament to a life well lived. Tribute to all those who come together, join together to bring fullness, not fretting, to this brief hour upon the stage.

God bless Jack and Florence, my mother and my Sunday School class. God bless us every one.

--Bruce Miller

"Souvenir" Earns Finely Tuned Assessment

Posted by Bruce Miller
Dave Timberline has written a wonderful review of Souvenir for STYLE Weekly, under the perfect headline, A Diva’s Delusion. Do STYLE critics get to write their own headlines, or is their editor simply more in tune?

I encourage you to read Dave’s complete critique at http://www.styleweekly.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=23F0929397E74CCFA1232BE45E07BE04&AudID=307AACC9CB4748F1BF28EC3057EA1071. I know. I need to learn how to make a link. It’s on my list.

Here are the review quotes we’ll be pulling:

“Endearing!
Entertaining and Extravagant
Played to tuneless perfection
The lesson is that passion can provide joy
Fine playing and singing
Generates plenty of guffaws!”

--David Timberline, STYL:E Weekly

Dave’s review is informed, specific and well written. I appreciate Dave and his work.

In his review, Dave repeats a story about an accident that took place in the audience on the night he saw the show, a story he had related earlier in depth on his wonderful blog. People have asked me if I mind so much attention being paid to this incident.

Here are my honest thoughts. I do NOT mind Dave relating the story on his blog or repeating it in his review. He's writing about one of the things that makes live theatre so extraordinary--that irreplacable sense of moment. My only reservations about either mention are as follows.

Barksdale and Theatre IV (and many if not all theatres) have a long history of welcoming everyone into our artistic homes. We are, in fact, proactive in our efforts to do so. On rare occasions, distractions occur when differently abled individuals fall or become inadvertently noisy during performances. Both a fall and disrupting noise occurred on the night Dave attended. The fall literally stopped the show. (Kudos to the consumate professionalism of Debra Wagoner; she managed the situation perfectly.)

I think it is honest and appropriate for Dave to comment on this distraction, but I do not want any comments to embarrass our audience members or staff, all of whom did everything they could do address a challenging situation. Knowing Dave and his generous heart, I know that he doesn’t want to embarrass anyone either. I also know he doesn’t want to discourage our efforts to welcome any and all patrons into our theatre.

It’s a fine line we walk when we try to be inclusive and create a distraction-free environment at the same time. As I mentioned earlier, most times it comes off without a hitch. But in one performance out of a hundred, we learn lessons on how to better manage things in the future. Dave happened to attend one of those rare performances, and it is appropriate for him to report on his experience.

Changing subjects, I will discuss in a future blog post how I select the words I pull from a review, and why I didn’t feel comfortable pulling great phrases like “A bravura performance!” and “Uncontrollable laughter” from Dave’s excellent review.

Till then, see you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Sherrier Showers "Souvenir" with Praise

Posted by Bruce Miller
Dan Sherrier has written a glowing review of Souvenir, the elegant little comedy with music now playing at Hanover Tavern, starring Debra Wagoner and Jonathan Spivey. Here are the review quotes we'll be pulling:

“Especially Fun!
Two Excellent Performances
Funny! Audience rolled with laughter!
Powerful ~ Comedic ~ Impressive
True Talent
Barksdale’s Souvenir Delights!”

--Dan Sherrier, Herald-Progress

If you would like to read the review in its entirety, you can find it at http://www.herald-progress.com/news/entertainment.asp?idcategory=1.

Barksdale has always been a cultural cornerstone of Hanover County. It's gratifying to read such glowing words in Ashland's own weekly paper.

Souvenir runs through Nov 1, and is dedicated with love and remembrance to the memory of Jay McCullough.

Hope to see you there!

--Bruce Miller

In Memoriam: Jay McCullough

Posted by Bruce Miller
Jay McCullough, a very active and well-loved member of Richmond’s theatre community, died today after a long and courageous battle with cancer. At the request of his close friends Debra Wagoner and Joe Pabst, the remainder of the run of Souvenir will be dedicated to Jay’s memory.

At Barksdale, Jay sang up a storm in Ernest in Love at the Tavern and She Loves Me at Willow Lawn. With Theatre IV, Jay starred opposite his dear friend Jackie Jones in Isn’t It Romantic?.

Jay also appeared recently at the Mill in Urinetown, at Dogwood Dell as Buddy in Follies, at Chamberlayne Actors Theatre in 84 Charing Cross Road, at Henrico Theatre Company in On the 20th Century, and in Hysterical Blindness with the Triangle Players, where he also recently directed Four Queens in Hawaiian Shirts.

Jay is survived by a full cast of friends and his longtime companion, Don Warren. Our hearts and prayers are with Don in this time of great loss.

Jackie Jones visited with Jay yesterday in hospice at St. Mary’s, and noticed that there were original cast albums playing quietly in the background, helping Jay and his friends feel at home. When Jackie mentioned how much she appreciated this, Don told her that some time before her visit, Buddy’s big number from Follies began to play. Jay’s eyes were closed, he was breathing with the help of a respirator, but as soon as the song started he knew his cue. His feet began replicating the tap steps he’d worked so hard to learn for his star turn at Dogwood Dell.

Old actors never die. Jay’s talents, his friendship and his many performances will live on in Richmond theatre history forever.

--Bruce Miller

Addendum: I've just heard from Michael Hawke that services will be at Bliley's Funeral Home - Central (3801 Augusta Ave, Richmond 23230). Visitation will be Wed Oct 7 at Bliley's from 6 pm until 8 pm. A Celebration Service will be held at Bliley's on Thursday afternoon at 2.

Porter Posts Plaudits for "Souvenir"

Posted by Bruce Miller
John Porter has written a lovely review of Souvenir, now inspiring hearty laughter and a wee lump in the throat at the historic Hanover Tavern. You can find the full review at "Souvenir."

Here are some review quotes we’ll be pulling:

“Magical!
The story of triumph when one stays true to a dream
Two top-notch performers
Jenkins is deliciously played by Debra Wagoner –
She turns every second into another great moment.
Jonathan Spivey comes across as a great raconteur –
a Cole Porter or Noel Coward.
Superior ~ Inspired ~ Impressive
A Triumphant Production!”

--John Porter, WCVE-FM

Terrie and I have tickets for Boy’s Life tonight at the Firehouse. Hope to see YOU at the theatre sometime (many times) soon!

--Bruce Miller

The Queen of the Night

Posted by Bruce Miller

Last night was a very rewarding Opening Night for Souvenir at Hanover Tavern. Many, many thanks to:

Debra and Jonathan for their terrific performances,
John and R. L. for their knowing stage direction, light design and musical direction,
Sue for her world-class costumes,
David for his masterful tech direction,
Slade for his invaluable electrics work,
Joe for his expert stage management,
Chase and Dee for their backstage magic, and
all the amazing theatre artists and administrators who are making this charming production possible.

This true story of Florence Foster Jenkins and Cosme McMoon is inspiring as it challenges our assumptions regarding what is art, which artistic performances have value, and who gets to decide.

As much as we in the audience find ourselves doubled over with laughter at Madame Flo (as Cosme calls her) and her vocal stylings that surely must be sending countless Pamunkey pups running for the hills, we simultaneously find ourselves falling in love with her confidence and generous spirit.

If none of this makes sense, then come see Souvenir, a delightful evening that takes you back to NYC during the glory days of American musical performance. When Cosme begins the show talking about Cole Porter, Elsa Maxwell and the Aga Khan, it took me back to the glory days of the original production of Randy Strawderman’s Red Hot and Cole in the mid-70s, when those same names were recalled on stage during the opening of that most famous of Barksdale world premieres.

If you would like to learn more about the real Ms Jenkins or Mr McMoon, you can sample their recordings at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B000003F97/ref=pd_krex_dp_001_001?ie=UTF8&track=001&disc=001

and/or you can read the transcript of a radio interview conducted with Mr McMoon in the early 90s in Berlin:

http://listproc.ucdavis.edu/archives/mlist/log0402/0004.html.

The photos used in this blog post are of the real Florence Foster Jenkins. To see Debra Wagoner’s gracious, hilarious homage to Ms Jenkins, buy your tickets to Souvenir today. Like Boleros for the Disenchanted, it’s not to be missed.

--Bruce Miller

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Posted by Bruce Miller
Richmond is looking pretty good the past couple days.

Yesterday, we did NOT make it onto Forbes.com’s list of the 40 Most Stressful Cities in America. Northern Virginia did (as part of Metro DC), and so did Virginia Beach. What’s with that? Stressed out at the beach?

Today, our fair city DID make it into the BOTTOM ten on MSN.com’s list of American Cities and Their Addiction to Fast Foods. With a grade of A-, Richmond was the 7th LEAST addicted city in the nation, sandwiched between the respectable eaters in Bangor, Maine and Providence, Rhode Island. Once again, Norfolk scored only a B+ and NoVA a B-.

I’ve always felt particularly competitive with Charlotte, N. C.—all that banking brouhaha. So I took shameless pleasure in learning that Charlottonians are not only among the most stressed out citizens in America, they also rate third from the top in per capita consumption of fast food, earning a grade of F.

As any curmudgeon can tell you, there’s got to be some sort of correlation between reliance on fast food and stress. So what’s Richmond’s secret that keeps us calm and well nourished?

It’s got to be our theatres. Central Virginians love their theatres, and Richmond’s theatres love their comedies.

Stress relief from laughter? Seriously, it’s no joke.

According to a recent study from the Mayo Clinic, laughter is powerful stress-relief medicine. When you laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body.

“Laughter can stimulate your organs,” state the fine doctors at the Mayo Clinic, and honestly, who doesn’t enjoy stimulating their organs every now and then. “Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.”

And the positive effects of a few chuckles and the occasional belly laugh don’t stop there. “A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.”

“Laughter can also ease digestion and stimulate circulation,” which helps “soothe tension and stomach aches.”

And the health benefits of a rousing comedy aren’t just short term. Laughter has been proven to improve your immune system, relieve pain, and increase personal satisfaction over the long haul.

So, wanna keep Richmond as a low-stress winner? Then make an appointment today with the good doctors at Hagadorn, Guadalupe, and Bass. Here are the upcoming comedies you won’t want to miss:

The Mystery of Irma Vep, opening Sept 17 at the Mill. “A werewolf, a vampire and a resurrected Egyptian princess come together with the denizens of Mandacrest Manor for the ultimate spoof of Gothic melodramas. Starring John Hagadorn and David Janeski.

Boleros for the Disenchanted, opening Sept 18 at Barksdale Willow Lawn. There’s a lot of robust humor in this new poetic masterpiece by Jose Rivera. Starring Bernardo Cubria, Patricia Doran, Michelle Guadalupe, Jorge Rubio, Luis Vega and Carmen Zilles.

Souvenir, opening Sept 25 at Barksdale Hanover Tavern. Debra Wagoner and Jonathan Spivey star as the legendary Florence Foster Jenkins and her intrepid accompanist, Cosme McMoon, in this true story of a tone-deaf New York society matron whose foghorn croonings became the toast of Carnegie Hall. Directed by John Glenn and co-produced with Company of Fools.

The Ugly Duckling, opening Oct 2 at Theatre IV’s Empire Theatre. Why should we adults be the only ones to enjoy stress-reduction? Treat your kids to this fun and frolicking musical about finding self-esteem through having and being a friend. Starring Gordon Bass, Eric Pastore, Ali Thibodeau, Duron Tyre and Aly Wepplo.

The New Century, opening the Triangle Players season on Oct 7. The New York Post exclaimed that “the evening contains so many gut-busting one-liners that those with heart conditions are advised to steer clear.” Starring Jackie Jones and Michael Hawke.

Hope to hear you laughing at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Come to the Cabaret, Old Chum!

Posted by Bruce Miller
Tonight’s the big night! Broadway Today, a cabaret benefiting the Richmond Theatre Artists Fund, opens in Barksdale’s living room tonight at 8. Tickets are still available, so by all means, COME!

When I say "living room," I mean the loft-like lobby of our intimate Willow Lawn theatre. Audience members will sit in comfortable chairs pulled up to our vintage tavern tables, enjoying some of Richmond’s finest musical theatre voices. The bar will be open throughout the evening, and a fun time will be had by all.

The program is a benefit for the Richmond Theatre Artists Fund. All of the performers are volunteering their time to raise funds for the endowment, which is administered by the Richmond Alliance of Professional Theatres and managed by the Community Foundation. Barksdale is contributing the space, cabaret license, etc., and the goal of the cabaret is to raise around $2,000, which will take the Theatre Artists Fund from its current corpus of approximately $22,000 much closer to the benchmark of $25,000, which we hope to reach prior to Christmas.

Broadway Today is masterminded by that most energized of impresarios—Billy Christopher Maupin. The guiding theme is this: from July through December 2009, Barksdale is running three (count ‘em) new American musicals, all of which originated in the 21st century. The three new shows are Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Empire, Souvenir at Hanover Tavern, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Willow Lawn.

Mr. Maupin has assembled stars from the casts of these three new musicals to sing other songs written in the last few years for today's Broadway. Nancy Crawley (actor photos appear in the order listed), Timothy Ford, Zak Resnick and Ali Thibodeau from the cast of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Audra Honaker from the cast of Spelling Bee, and special guest star Debra Wagoner from the cast of Souvenir will lead the audience on a whirlwind tour of these other 21st Century Broadway hits: Avenue Q, Curtains, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Spring Awakening, Urinetown, Wicked and more!

Maggie Marlin, Millie herself, was to have appeared in the cabaret, but due to last minute vocal strain, she has been replaced by Robin Harris Jones.

The program is conceived and directed by Mr. Maupin, with musical direction by Sandy Dacus and Paul Deiss.

The Richmond Theatre Artists Fund provides emergency relief to local actors, directors, designers and theatre artists and administrators in all disciplines when, through no fault of their own, accident or ill health places one of them in an untenable financial situation. Recent recipients have included Liz Marks, who was able to pay her mortgage during the final months of her life because of support from the Fund, and one of our leading directors who recently was able to avoid having his electricity turned off when the Fund covered his electric bills in the two months following his stroke.

There will be two performances: Sunday (tonight) at 8 and Monday (tomorrow) at 8. Only overflow seating remains for Monday evening’s performance, so why not come tonight. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15. Barksdale subscribers, students and RAPT Card holders can purchase tickets for only $10.

Hope to see you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller