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Saturday, Jul 04, 2009
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Bits & Bytes |
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| North Arcade charms at Market Theatre, Richard Gray Matters at Crepe de Paris, Songs of David A. Austin sings Saturday, Broadway Cares plans AIDS Flea Market | |
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by Milton W. Hamlin -
SGN A&E Writer As usual, the Emerald City arts scene is full of fun and challenging new stage works. ACT. ReAct and Intiman are readying new dramatic works, previewing and opening this week and next. The Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan ends its rare production of Princess Ida with performances this weekend-with a trio-in-drag number delighting audiences of all backgrounds. Openly Gay songwriter and performing artist Richard Gray settles into Crepe de Paris with his autobiographical Gray Matters for a weekend run through Aug. 4. The new North Arcade musical, a look at the craftspeople who make the Pike Place Market their emotional and professional home, opened last weekend and runs through Aug. 19. Another new musical event-Saturday night only-is The Songs Of David A. Austin, a peek at the Seattle-born composer's Writing Arthur, hopefully heading to Broadway next year. Seattle Opera is gearing up for an eight performance revival of Wagner's The Flying Dutchman opening Aug. 4--plan ahead. Seattle travelers heading for New York this fall should check out the 21st annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, a gala event planned to raise money for Broadway Cares and Equity Fights AIDS. It's another great week for Seattle entertainment fans-and, of course, for Bits&Bytes. Read on: NORTH ARCADE CHARMS AS NEW MUSICAL SALUTES PIKE PLACE MARKET The North Arcade, the new musical saluting the vendors of the Pike Place Market, is full of charm and show-stopping musical numbers in the best Broadway tradition. Bits&Bytes reported on a staged workshop of the mini-musical earlier this season and is happy to report that the finished work is much improved, full of interesting characters and great songs. The show is scheduled to run through Aug. 19 at the Market Theatre (in the Market, of course) but the producers and cast hope the show will catch on with tourists and tour groups and "run forever," as one friend in the show enthused. There is so much to like in The North Arcade that it seems churlish to report that the show still needs a lot of work before it arrives at it hoped for destination-a Seattle born classic that would stand on its own. Created by Donna Rae Davidson and Rob Jones, the musical is easy entertainment-colorful Market characters are vividly captured in the script and some show-stopping numbers propel the evening. Several outstanding performances-especially Joanne Klein as Martha, the Market Master-highlight the production. Other characters-like Hugh Hastings' Shakespeare-quoting alcoholic "Butterfly" Bill--are sadly lacking in definition. The show opens with a bang-a series of non-stop smash songs. A serviceable "Another Market Morning" introduces the craftspeople of the title area-the north end of the market where flowers and handmade crafts exist as an independent area away from the throwing fish mongers and the fruit and vegetable merchants. And then four terrific numbers tumble off the intimate Market Theatre stage. Joanne Klein's "I Am The Market Manager" is a show stopper if there ever was one. In an Ethel Merman-like stance, Klein grabs the audience and never lets go. The opening Saturday night crowd went wild. And then, Shana Pennington-Baird "and the Guys" hit another musical home run with "I Want A Man," another showstopper. And then, Jennifer Greene stops the show with "New Kid On The Block." Then, Kiki Yeung hits another homer with "Don't Look Back." Gail Hebert has some terrific scenes and segments of songs but her character needs further development. In Act Two, Klein scores again with "Forbidden Love" and Yeung returns as an Asian flower vendor in the plaintive, "Purple, Pink and Red," one of the show's quiet, lovely ballads. While most of the dialog is just fine, a few zingers show what the musical could become. Best line: "Sex can get in the way of how you feel about a person." Composers Davidson and Jones, working together as "Red & Me," created the charming Claudia Kelly's 500 Hats, another mini-musical based on a real-life Market character. Earlier, Davidson wrote Women With Balls, a show Bits&Bytes will never forget (and a title that has gone down in history). The North Arcade plays Thursday-Saturday evenings plus Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Aug. 19. Watch this space for news about possible extensions. Information at 666-4699. CHARMING GRAY MATTER OPENS AT CREPE DE PARIS, PLAYS THROUGH AUG. 4 Gray Matter, a solo evening with Seattle songwriter Richard Gray, continues at the Crepe de Paris through Aug. 4. It is the second in a series of three summer cabaret shows in the Cabaret At The Crepe series. The openly Gay songwriter, director and stage performer has written dozens of musicals and musical revues. Many were originally produced for the cabaret series at the Crepe de Paris where Gray Matter delighted a special press and friends pre-opening preview performance. Certainly, half the cheering audience at last Thursday's invitational preview had direct connections with Grey-personal friends, family, his lover "of many years," performers from past Gray-written or directed (or both) shows. Bits&Bytes' guest for the outing was amazed that this scribe "knew everyone." Well, not really-but it was an "in" audience for the talented performer/composer. Crepe de Paris reported that the opening weekend audience was just as enthusiastic as the preview crowd. Hit songs from hit shows by Gray filled out the snappy 90-minute show. The shows themselves-known to theater and cabaret fans-were all great fun in their time-and many are timeless. The Mom And Pop Show captured his parents' advice with "Don't Go Into Show Business," a showbiz anthem with autobiographical overtones. Various editions of Gray's "cash cow," Forbidden Xmas, offered revivals of "Galloping Gertie," a timely salute to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge of yesteryear, and "Tacoma Trucks," with its unexpected non-rhyming lyric:: "I like a Tacoma man/in a Tacoma truck/a fellow who knows how to&drive." "Tacoma Truck" is from a "Tribute To The Ladies" segment, songs Gray wrote for female characters but "now gets to sing" in his solo show. Gray has written more than 200 songs and dozens and dozens of shows. Gray Matter offers only 20 of the songs, plus a show stopping arrangement of "Itsy Bitsy, Teenie Weenie, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" by Gray. There great fun to be had in Gray Matter. Check it out.. The show continues Friday and Saturday through next weekend, Aug. 4, As usual for Crepe de Paris cabaret offerings, the show is available as part of a dinner/theatre package. Curtain time is 9 p.m. (a little later than usual) and the cover charge for "show only" patrons is $25 (a little higher than usual). Reservations and details are available at 623-4111. SONGS OF DAVID AUSTIN PREVIEWS WRITING ARTHUR FROM SEATTLE COMPOSER Seattle-born composer David A. Austin, now a New York resident, returns to the Emerald City for The Songs of David A. Austin-a One Night Only! event this Saturday at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre in the University district. Austin, an established composer and musical theater performer, has New York producers showcasing and planning a production of his new Writing Arthur, heading for Broadway next season. A Seattle cast will work with Austin in this revue of his work, including the new musical. Should be exciting. Tickets will be available at the door for the 8 p.m. production. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com. The Seattle producer is a group called Contemporary Classics, which bills itself as "Not Your Mother's Musical Theatre." Check it out. BROADWAY FLEA MARKET RAISES MONEY FOR AIDS, $130 MILLION IN 21 YEARS Seattle travelers heading to New York this fall should consider timing their trip around the September 23 Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, the 21st annual fund raiser sponsored by Broadway Cares and Equity Fights AIDS. One of many show-biz oriented fund raisers sponsored by the groups, the free Shubert Alley event (and other high profile events) has helped the groups raise over $130 million since 1988 for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses. Casual visitors and serious theater fans can spend a few dollars for an autograph, have a photo taken with a favorite Broadway or show biz star, spend a little or a lot for a signed Broadway show poster, original costume and set design sketches, a rare, out-of-print Broadway show album or a truly one-of-a-kind "find"-all the money goes for AIDS-related charity work. The flea market and auction runs Sunday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Shubert Alley at West 44th Street-the heart of the Broadway theater district. Specific items for sale, special "packages," and stars slated to appear will be posted later at www.BroadwayCares.org. Check it out. |
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