November Reviews - Media, PA

[kport]

First Preview: Wed. Nov. 18th

The Media Theatre is located in a pleasant, leafy suburban town center. Right in in front of the theatre are tram tracks in the center of the main street; I am not certain if they are still in use, but the rails appeared shiny. The theatre itself was built in the 1920s, in a 'gothic style', according to the plaque outside; it was used as a cinema for the majority of its life until it was converted into a performing arts theatre. Inside is a lobby area, with a bar in the center; the theatre itself is fairly intimate, with two aisles and a small balcony above. There are two aisles. Being a small theatre (smaller than Ogunquit), every seat has an excellent sight line of the stage. The stage itself is very wide, the usual depth and not a lot of height. The most unique feature is the yawning hole in the center of the stage: the orchestra pit. It is large (I estimate +- 20 ft x 8 ft) and surrounded on all sides by the stage, with no visible means of preventing any actor taking a tumble. Hence the 'talking' parts of the musical (the kitchen scene; the loo scene) take place in the two corners either side of the pit. If anyone has yet to purchase a ticket, I would suggest sitting a little to the left of the center, as so much of the action happens in the stage left front corner.

I am not keen on reviewing previews, so I will limit my comments to the barest minimum of bullet point observations:

-Gunar Daniels had his debut at The Media Theatre last night, and he possessed complete confidence and an awareness of the story than impressed me. A very good start.

-J D Triolo too was completely confident and very, very funny. He is one to watch!

-The adult leads gave strong performances, and I could sense that they grew into their roles as the evening progressed, which is common at a first preview. But I have to give Gunar and J D the prize for hitting the floor running, first (or would that be 'tapping'?).

-Many ensembles, at the start, are hesitant in their singing. This ensemble has some of the best singing voices I have heard, and you sense that they are going to develop into a very strong group as this show progresses.

-There is (as expected, due to Pennsylvania's child acting H&S regs) no flying during Dream Ballet; instead we have the truncated version of Billy and his older self dancing a duet; Older Billy 'flies' him in his arms a bit. There are no chairs, either.

-But the 'language' is there, in all its unexpurgated glory! And the accents hint at Geordie.

-There is a finale, which is newly choreographed.

The audience last night was very small; in fact, most everyone was a parent or sibling of an actor, and I felt a bit like an interloper in an 'invited audience' show. However, that was probably a very good thing for a first outing: to have lots of support from family and friends. And there were few noticeable glitches.

There are many little, and some larger, innovations: the most important one is that the choreography is, in the main, new. The venue is very intimate and it draws you into the action. The set is minimalistic: rows of corrogated steel as walls, with props for the kitcnen scene rolled on and off the stage by the cast. The only fixed 'room' is Billy's bedroom, which is above stage left, reached by a set of steel steps that also double as a prop in Expressing Yourself.

I have seen many variations of BETM in many venues, and this one is firmly a 'regional' - that is, it draws little, in terms of direction or experienced veteran BETM performers, from London, Broadway or the Tour. That said, this version fits the venue in which it is performed very well. For me, at least, these changes and tweaks are what ultimately test the strength of any show, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next two previews today, after which I will offer a more detailed review.

[accessmenj]

The tracks right in front of the theatre are in use. There is excellent light rail transportation to Media from either Philadelphia Airport, Amtrak 30th Street Station or downtown Philly. Riding the "Trolley Car" from 69th Street Station to downtown Media is part of local flavor.

[atreyu]

Opening night, Friday November 20th with Brandon/Nathan/Alli

To borrow an idiom from Something Rotten, I'll start with the bottom line at the top: Just as Billy overcomes all kinds of obstacles to triumph in the end, Media Theatre does the same to put on nothing short of a first rate production of BETM.

As kport noted, while the dialog and music are the same, the venue, staging and choreography are very different from previous productions. That requires setting aside a lot of the expectations from Broadway or London or the Tour. Some may find that distasteful, particularly in conjunction with some simplifications that are likely the consequence of smaller budgets, limitations of the facility, short rehearsal time and the typical challenges that a small company encounters. The flip side of this, however, is what seems to me to be a distillation of the Billy story and even more reliance on Billy than usual to convey the full range of his experience, the valleys and the mountaintops. There's a little more focus on Billy, a few more dance moves in several numbers (particularly Angry Dance), a bit more weight to carry.

In the hands of Brandon, that is no problem whatsoever. As we saw at the Gateway on Long Island, Brandon has a remarkable knack for portraying Billy; good delivery, pacing, a full range of expression. Acting chops that belie his tender age. And of course with Brandon's fantastic dancing, extra stage time in Angry Dance is a ++. Media PA (and Media Theatre) is quite fortunate to have a local talent as Brandon and there is no better way to show him off than these next 6.5 weeks will do.

[So that it's clear, there should be nothing read into the lack of comment on Gunar. Although I saw him perform once, there are reasons that have nothing to do with Gunar that preclude review of that show.]

That pretty well captures the overall first impressions. I will follow up with more details and I know others will do so too, but this really needs to be experienced to have an appreciation for what Media accomplishes. Six weeks seems like plenty of time, but it will go by too quickly. You want to see an excellent show, you can find it in Media.

[porschesrule]

Here's a very positive review by an online organization called DC Metro Theatre Arts which, despite the name, covers theatrical events all over the eastern seaboard, including the greater Philly area:

http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2015/11/2 ... -theatre1/

[kport]

I was fortunate to be able to see all three preview shows (Nov. 18 evening, and Nov. 19 matinee and evening). I chose to do this because I enjoy watching a show open, and then blossom and mature as the cast try new things and become accustomed to their roles and each other. It is also the period when the director/choreographer is on site, giving the cast directions and tweaking a few little issues.

What follows is not intended as a review proper, but as some random comments on the innovations this production has introduced.

The story opens with a stark set, in the dark, except for one miner's (Small Boy) lamp crawling around a pile of wooden chairs heaped in the center of the stage. As the opening newsreel recording is played, images of the strike and Thatcher are projected onto the corrogated steel and girder walls that comprise the set. As the cast launches into 'The Stars Look Down', miner's lamps are lit, one by one, as they emerge from the darkness onto the stage. The singing is strong. The area of stage is reduced, due to the orchestra pit, so there is a little less running around by the children, and Michael walks on stage to join Billy, rather than ride his bike. (The bike does appear in the final scene, though.)

'Take Me Up' is sweet: instead of Small Boy imitating Billys' steps, he removes one chair at a time from the pile, and places it so that Billy can leap from one to the next - a nice idea. This morphs into the breakfast scene which is similar to what we are accustomed.

'Shine' is a hoot. The ballet girls' dancing abilities - or lack thereof - are amplified, as is their obvious joy at having a go at dance. Billy manages to catch the keys first time in all three performances. When the girls freeze after the third 'Shine', one of them is facing in the wrong direction, bum to the audience - and Mrs Wilkinson has to walk over to 'rescue her'. Little tweaks like these are what keep the story fresh.

'We'd Go Dancing' is simple, yet effective: Grandma sings to Billy, but only her husband comes on stage, allowing us to imagine the two of them going back in time before Billy's eyes, as she tells the story. I found it an interesting twist. Susan Wefel sings and plays the role very well.

'Solidarity' is choreographed to accommodate the stage (and avoid 'The Pit', a 8' x 20' hole in the front center floor of the stage), and it works well. The language is 'rough' and the cast grows greatly in confidence over the three performances. There are some nice little twists: the miners and police hold out their rolled up newspapers and batons as barres for the ballet girls to hold onto when doing their dance moves. When Mrs Wilkinson tells the girls how to pirouette, the ensemble are behind them, following suit, doing the same.

'Expressing Yourself' is a triumph. Both Michaels play it flamboyantly, as though they are 'leading' Billy. The impression is not one of self-discovery, but one where Michael has found himself and is sharing it with Billy. At one point, as Billy is putting on the jumper, Michael asks, slyly, 'Have you done this before?'. The tapping is impressive, and the 'dresses' emerge as members of the ensemble, of both genders, coming out to join in the dancing, with the bearded 'ladies' looking especially preposterous, in the best possible way. All carry hand mirrors, to emphasize the narcissistic nature of this number. It ends with both Billys descending the staircase, in the traditional stage manner. 'Expressing' is very successful.

'Dear Billy' begins with Billy unpacking his bag onto the top of the piano, showing Mrs W what he brought. Memo: this show urgently needs a Billy Bag! The one they use is huge and made of cloth that is not only difficult from which to remove things, but in the case of the 'tape scene' later on, the item could not be found - twice! If anyone at Media is reading this, here you go, with two-day delivery:

http://www.amazon.com/Fred-Perry-Mens-C ... +perry+bag

This song is sung beautifully by all three involved, but it presents my first and only quibble: while 'The Letter' is being sung out loud, Billy and Dead Mum remain apart, standing, facing each other across the stage. She does not go to him; he does not sit; they do not embrace. I recall B T McNicholl explaining Stephen Daldry's concept, that this was one of the most symbolic moments in the story: the first time Billy was in physical contact with maternal love since his Mam died. (I think it is also the moment when Mum's role is transferred, by proxy, to Mrs Wilkinson.) I do wish that simple moment could be restored. Brandon knows how it works, and it would be so simple to include it. It is the moment when the audience will tear up.

'Born to Boogie' is fun. Mr Braithwaite is played as less of a 'character' and more as a man who lets Billy shine without stealing the limelight for himself. It is a new way to do it and I like it. The skipping will improve with practice!

After an emotional scene of confrontation in the kitchen, Billy flees up the stairs to tap his way through a very loud and frenetic 'Angry Dance'. While the choreography is different, I feel the story it tells comes through as powerfully as always. In this show, the Billy du jour has to work very hard, indeed, in 'Angry Dance' - and both boys do an admirable job of it.

'MCMT' begins with the boys running down the aisles with buckets, to meet George as Santa, who entertains us with the prelude to the song itself. The puppet show consists of a stretched blanket as the stage, and cut-out colored figures on sticks, which struck me as being exactly what they would have used in the Social. Great singing and tremendous fun on stage brings early Christmas cheer to the audience. Dad's song is beautifully sung by Zach Wobensmith, whose demeanor to this point has been gruff and even a little menacing (with shaved head, very common for the period), softening for the first time. 'Dream Ballet' follows Billy and Michael's moment of revelation, but as there is no flying here (not, as I found out, due to PA regulations, but due to the height of the stage and the feeling that the scene could be presented another way), the scene involves Billy and his older doppleganger dancing apart (the pit between them) before joining together to dance as a pair, with Older Billy 'flying' the younger in his arms.

'He Could Go' seems to move right along. It is a moment in the show when I sometimes sense things slow down a bit, but here it cracks along as a goodly pace. Again, the transition to the Audition scene is very quick, and the encounter with the Scottish Dancer is short, to the point and without pantomime humor. 'Get behind yer son!' was the message.

Both Brandon and Gunar give excellent performances of 'Electricity', with strong and emotion-laden singing and uplifting dancing.

By this point in the first show, I had recognized that Media was not using the prerecorded sound track so evident from the moment Tony (wonderfully portrayed by Garrison Carpenter) shouts 'Dad!!!!' through to the clunking of the descending miners' lift; what we hear at Media is what is played live. What impresses me is the phenomenal singing of the miners in 'Once We Were Kings'; the tenors especially make this number powerful and meaningful. One of the corrugated panels opens to serve as the lift; as the door shut, the miners' volume is gradually muted, until there is a recorded 'clunk' at pit bottom.

The 'Finale' receives new choregraphy, but I never felt it out of place; in fact, I like little tweaks such as it being 'compered' by Billy and Michael - a nice touch. Everyone taps, including Small Boy. Both the second and third performances received lengthy standing ovations.

Great performance from Anne Connors as Mrs Wilkinson; she reminds me of Haydn Gwynne somewhat.

This is a production that, like those regionals that have preceded it, proves that there are more than one or two ways to present this amazing story. To me, this production emphasizes Billy's journey with a little more clarity and power, and a little less fuss. Just fix that 'The Letter' scene, and get a proper Billy Bag, and the Media Theatre team will have near perfection on their hands!

[accessmenj]

Great review, kport. I have also seen BETM many times, and I am looking forward to the local changes. I will be attending tomorrow(Tuesday) for the first Media show. Look for a Wednesday review.

[porschesrule]

The headline for philly.com's review of the Media production is "A Terrific Billy Elliot at Media"

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainm ... Media.html

[kport]

Having seen three shows, this review resounds as much as it puzzle me:

http://phindie.com/9924-billy-elliot-me ... nd-review/

[atreyu]

To echo and amplify some of kport's excellent descriptions, here is my collection of detailed notes and thoughts on the Media production.

In my humble opinion, the outstanding new performance (aside from Gunar) is Garrison Carpenter as Tony. He puts on an acting clinic in infusing just the right passion into the key speaking parts, striking a great balance between loud and soft passages, accentuated with telling expressions and appropriate gestures. Completely convincing as the troubled big brother.

Also extremely impressive is Susan Wefel as Grandma. That covers not just playing the part well but she is another Grandma that the audience has absolutely no problem understanding. Whereas the Grandma at NSMT was very deliberate with enunciation, Susan projects her voice fantastically well and delivers each and every line in a manner that underscores its worth. She too could give lessons on how to speak (and sing) so that an audience can hear and understand every syllable.

Zach Wobensmith appears not to require the starting note to Deep Into the Ground. I would characterize his portrayal of Dad as serious and stoic. Consistently so all the way through the Company Celebration. It is a somewhat different approach.

One slight difference in Once We Were Kings is that Billy does not jump into Dad's arms after donning the new jacket. Instead he gives Dad a long bear hug. Which would have tied in very nicely had there been that bear hug with Mum in Dear Billy. The bear hug with Mrs. W is maintained after the second toilet scene, although Mrs. W does not quite return the hug the way we have seen in other productions.

I have to think Geoffrey Goldberg would be the one deserving of kudos for a couple small innovations that just make a ton of sense in retrospect. Like Grandma's response to Billy's "Look, it's got mold on it." She takes the pasty and scrapes it a few times with a utensil. Simple enough and yet why didn't anyone think of that before? (Not that I've seen, at least.) And at his first private lesson with Mrs. W, Billy has a knapsack, but is actually carrying his special things in the same "it's private" box that he discovered Grandma rummaging earlier. Yes, it would be just fine if that were restored to the standard Billy bag, but this works well too. (For kport's sake, on opening night, the tape was properly procured at the RBS). The revamped finale I would consider an improvement as well. With Billy and Michael overseeing the activities, it is much clearer to the audience who specifically is taking their bows and the sequencing is a nice interplay between the boys and the rest of the cast.

A few small observations. Grandma uses the British 2-fingered salute in her song and later on in the Post scene. That is not as well understood by American audiences. Similarly, George uses the "break his bloody legs" line which tends to draw less audience reaction compared to the Nuryev reference. Lastly, the tutu donned by Michael in the Winter Scene does not have the bodice and thus does not tie as well to the Nutcracker line.

To put this in context, though, it is well worth reiterating how all the major parts of this production work so great that the "needs improvement" section only has minutiae in it. Here's hoping the Media company experiences a level of commercial success commensurate with the high quality they have achieved. That would be just deserts.

[accessmenj]

I love local theater, especially in a town like Media, PA where walking around is enjoyable and there are many choices of great restaurants. The theatre itself is small and makes you feel a part of the action. The theatre company is youth oriented, which gives it a vitality to the atmosphere that is lacking in the big city venues that are dominated by older crowds.

I completely enjoyed my most recent BETM experience, but I want to discuss what I consider to be the deficiencies of this presentation first, and the many strengths last.

The most obvious missing element was humor. Almost all the funny lines and situations were missed by the audience. Only the few of us with extensive Billy Elliot experience seemed to recognize and appreciate the verbal and physical humor. The rest of the audience seemed not to grasp all the funny situations until well into the second act when we had all the physical humor starting with Grandma yelling "Post" after getting Billy's letter. Then, for the first time in the night, there was widespread laughter.

Perhaps British and American humor (humour?) is too different? Perhaps people are too shy to laugh out loud in a small audience? Maybe the attempt at a Geordi accent confuses people so they do not fully understand the dialogue? Maybe the many plots and sub-plots of this complex show have the viewer distracted from the comic relief written into the show? Since comedic timing is important, maybe these great actors, singers and dancers will develop as the show matures? Whatever the cause, the lack of perceived humor by the audience made this presentation way too serious. Thankfully, Grandma's "Post" scene established the proper balance for the remainder of the show.

Also, though I appreciate a minimalist approach, I do think that the corrugated metal walls distracted from the scenes, with only the props of the kitchen helping to establish the proper mood.

This is meant to be a constructive critique, so I started with the negatives. But the Media Theatre is a wonderful presentation! It is unfortunate that the Ethernet world ate the end of my original review, which contained all the praise and positives. I will repost the rest as soon as I have time today. Meanwhile, everyone should see if a trip to Media can fit into their holiday plans.