“Sunset’s HAIRSPRAY A Joyous ’60s Youth Movement”

By MARILYN JOZWIK

In the musical “Hairspray,” Tracy Turnblad finds herself in high school detention hall with several blacks and has a ball learning some new dance moves. As was the case with many young people at the time, Caucasian Tracy is color blind. It was the older generation that often wasn’t.

Race is at the heart of “Hairspray,” though it is such a fun, joyous, wild ride that the lessons are easily digested.

“Hairspray,” Sunset Playhouse’s summer musical offering, has a big cast of mostly young people who are so sharp and focused it appears they have used every minute of their summer vacation on rehearsal. Watching the stage full of mostly teenagers dancing to the music of the ’60s reminded me of the Kids from Wisconsin, the state’s accomplished, young musical ambassadors. Two cast members (Emma Borkowski and Hope Riesterer) have, in fact, performed with the Kids.

Tommy Lueck directs the show, which had a Friday night audience engaged from start to finish. Borkowski as the indomitable Tracy, with her oversized hair and body, opens the show by leading the company in “Good Morning Baltimore” as she wakes up to another bright day of possibilities singing, “Give me a chance, ‘Cause when I start to dance I’m a movie star.” On display are Borkowski’s strong voice, perfect for belting out the ’60s tunes; the great-looking, colorful, well-tuned ensemble; plus the fine Mark Mrozek-led six-piece band that kept a good balance with the vocals through rock numbers and ballads.

Next, we are introduced to Tracy’s best friend, the shy Penny (Amber Weissert), as they watch “The Corny Collins Show,” a take-off on popular teen program of the ’60s “American Bandstand.” Tracy’s mother, Edna (Noah Maguire), who doesn’t leave home because of her size, takes in laundry and is ironing in the scene and hoping Tracy will turn off the noisy music. We soon meet her dad, Wilbur (Keith R. Smith), who matches his daughter’s optimism and enthusiasm.

As good as the young people are, it is the performance of Maguire as Tracy’s mom (the part has been a man in drag ever since the 1988 film) that centers the show.  Maguire is a mountain of man, but moves with the lightness of a cat and possesses a marvelous gift for comedy. He is fast becoming one of my favorite local performers, having had outstanding turns in “The Underpants” and “Spamalot,” among others. Edna’s kind, understanding, open-m character here engages well with her daughter and husband. Edna and Wilbur’s “You’re Timeless to Me” was a real crowd favorite, with the unlikely couple proclaiming their old-fashioned love for each other (which is what keeps the bullied Tracy grounded).

“Hairspray” has its villain, the racist, ambitious producer of “The Corny Collins Show,” Velma (Megan Rose Miller), who makes sure her daughter, Amber (Riesterer), is front-and-center among the teenagers performing on the show. Miller delivers another strong performance as the scheming Velma, to go along with starring roles in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and others, singing about her devious ways with conviction in “Velma’s Revenge.”

Riesterer, who mimics her mom in appearance and attitude, plays the ultimate spoiled, mean-spirited teen to perfection, leading the teen Council Members of Collins’s show in the fun, snappy “Cooties” number, providing top-notch vocals and moves.

The show adds the element of race as blacks have been allowed only one day a month to appear on “The Corny Collins Show.” Tracy leads the charge to get her black friends more time on the show and integrate them as well, arguing, “If kids saw us dancing together on TV, they’d realize that we’re not so different after all.”

As Seaweed, Jahbarri Bradshaw leads the black contingency with some smooth moves. Seaweed and Penny soon become a couple, much to the dismay of Penny’s prudish mom (a demonstrative Margaret Teshner), who goes so far as to tie up her daughter to keep her from a world she herself doesn’t understand. Sharon Tyler as Motormouth Maybelle, the black owner of a record shop and host of Negro Day on Collins’s show, gives her character plenty of sass as she ends Act I with “Big, Blonde and Beautiful.”

Daniel Persino as Link, the Elvis-like heartthrob on Collins’s show, is pushed into a pairing with the pretentious Amber, but soon finds the spunky, unpretentious Tracy more appealing. Persino’s Link nicely straddles the career ambitions and good intentions of his character, while adding great performance qualities. Brad Skonecki has the right demeanor for the slick Collins role, but could have been stronger vocally. Smith does a nice job with the Wilbur role and a couple smaller roles.

But it is Borkowski who shines in every scene, keeping up with her character’s endless optimism and energy for a totally engaging performance.

Visually, this show is a rainbow of color, from Matt Carr’s uncomplicated set to Lisa Quinn’s brightly hued outfits. Choreographer Reginald T. Kurschner has his charges performing all the delightful dance scenes with relaxed precision, yet a spontaneously sunny quality. Big ensemble numbers are a treat with synchronized, well-executed moves, from hair spraying to gym class dodgeball.

Perhaps more than any other show this year, Sunset’s motto has, in “Hairspray,” been delivered in large doses of youthful energy and talent: “Entertainment begins at Sunset.”

If you go

Who: Sunset Playhouse

What: “Hairspray”

When: Through Aug. 11

Where: 800 Elm Grove Road

Info/Tickets: 262-782-4430, SunsetPlayhouse.com

Gender confusion has been in the playwright’s arsensal for decades. Probably the best-known and oldest example is Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” with its set of twins often appearing as the opposite sex.
Not surprisingly, Ken Ludwig (“Lend Me a Tenor”) uses The Bard’s play as a backdrop for his hilarious romp, “Leading Ladies,” Sunset Playhouse’s early summer offering.
Director Michael Pocaro said before the show, “I always get the wacky comedies.” That’s probably because he does such a good job with them. Ludwig’s “Ladies” contains opportunities for loads of laughs as its two main characters – down-on-their-luck British Shakespearean actors – try to pull off fraud that could net them a million each. The only catch: they must pretend to be women.
Those two actors, Mike Owens as Leo Clark and Brandon C. Haut as Jack Gable, must also present themselves – in drag—as Maxine (Owens) and Stephanie (Haut) to appear at the home of a wealthy, perpetually dying woman, Florence (Betty Petersen), as the long-lost nieces she has named as her heirs. It is a chance for the two struggling actors to get back on their feet, if they can pull it off. But it requires they play the most difficult roles of their lives!

There are so many complications along the way that only add to the hilarity as the pair stumble into Florence’s household in York, Pennsylvania, meeting her niece, Meg (Stephanie Pluta), who is getting ready to marry Duncan (Matt Carr), a greedy, uptight minister, as well as her doctor (Glenn Villa) and his son, Butch (Scott Korman). Butch is dating Audrey (Sarah Briana Monahan), Florence’s part-time helper. These relationships change faster than the pit crew at Indy as Leo and Jack often must appear as themselves to the household, as well as their Maxine and Stephanie characters. Perhaps the funniest scene occurs when Meg insists that Maxine and Leo see her together.
I’ve seen Mike Owens in the past couple years in a variety of shows and am so impressed with his ability to handle a wide range of comic roles – from his Noel Coward-like character in “The Man Who Came to Dinner” to his child-adult character in “Leaving Iowa.”
In “Leading Ladies,” Owens is at his comedic best. He and Haut are a wonderful pairing. Their verbal jousting on the train once Leo has cajoled Jack to take on the ruse is wonderfully done, the scene enhanced by the gentle rumbling of train wheels underneath the dialogue. Jan Pritzl handled the sound, which also included music of the era – the show is set in 1958 – that slowly faded into scenes, rather than abruptly being cut off, which I would’ve found annoying.
The two in drag are hilarious before they say or do anything, Owens being somewhat stout while Haut is tall and rail thin. I can’t imagine what costume designer Kate Dombrowski had to go through to find outfits for these two.

Pluta is perfect for her excitable, high energy character. As Meg, she demonstrates nicely her love for Shakespeare, cooing over Leo Clark when she gets to meet him. She, too, has good comic timing and can turn a phrase into laughs, like when she tells Leo she knew he was in love with her “when you (looked) at me, sort of cross-eyed, with your mouth dangling open.”
I just loved Monahan’s take on Audrey, who practices her roller skating for her new job. Monahan has no trouble with the extra demands, apparently having rolled during a stint at Disneyland. She keeps her ditzy, gum-chewing blonde character – who seems impressed with her own growing vocabulary – in an engaging state of bemusement. So much fun to watch!
Villa’s Doc is also appealing. I especially enjoyed his slightly inebriated character as the emcee of his men’s club entertainment – Leo and Jack performing bits from Shakespeare – with the Sunset audience doubling as the club’s audience. Villa engages well in the effectively staged scene.
Playwright Ludwig has provided lots of fodder for fun and frivolity for all the characters. Playing Florence, Betty Petersen gets to snap and snarl as Flo returns to life after Doc declares her dead. Peterson takes great joy getting back at her incompetent doctor, even ending up cha-chaing at her niece’s engagement party.
Director Pocaro has all performers up to speed with movement and dialogue in this fast-paced romp. Some costume malfunctions only added to the hilarity.
If you go
Who: Sunset Playhouse
What: “Leading Ladies”
When: Through June 23
Where: 800 Elm Grove Road
Info/Tickets: 262-782-4430, SunsetPlayhouse.com

Sunset puts on a delicious comedic romp in ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’

By MARILYN JOZWIK

Everyone loves the Abbott and Costello “Who’s on First” skit with its cascading array of misinterpretations.

Imagine a similar bit going on for a little over 100 minutes, adding lies, purposeful confusions, hidden infidelities, as well as a host of misinterpretations, and you have the heart of “Don’t Dress for Dinner.”

The show, Sunset Playhouse’s current offering, is a dizzying series of farcical conversations meant to cover up a couple of affairs. Sunset’s cast, under the direction of Michael Pocaro, has successfully met this monumental challenge thanks to an ensemble of six who can handle the quickly developing situations and snappy dialogue expertly.

I realized early on that the show is remindful of “Boeing, Boeing,” which Sunset also successfully staged in recent years. The similarities are due to the fact that Marc Camoletti wrote both shows. Robin Hawdon adapted “Don’t Dress for Dinner.”

While “Boeing, Boeing” relies a lot on the classic farce device of people hiding behind and popping out of doors, “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is almost strictly a linguistical romp. Time and again the characters must utter a whole series of misunderstandings to cover up for themselves or someone else.

The story is set in 1960 in a country home – actually quite a tastefully renovated farmhouse – outside of Paris. Married couple Bernard (Keith R. Smith) and Jacqueline (Lori Nappe) are preparing for Jacqueline to spend the weekend away with her mother. Meanwhile, Bernard has invited his mistress Suzanne (Allison Chicorel), while his wife is gone, and arranged for Suzette (Ella Folkerts) from an agency to cook a romantic meal. Bernard’s friend Robert (Tyler Peters) has also been invited, as an alibi.

The plan looks like a good one for Bernard, until Jacqueline learns that Robert – who ironically happens to be her secret lover — is spending the weekend with Bernard. So, Jacqueline cancels her weekend with her mother in order to reunite with Robert.

Bernard finds out too late that his wife will not be gone for the weekend, but his friend as well as his cook and his lover are all on their way to his home with no chance of anyone’s stopping their arrival (these are the days before cell phones!). 

Bernard convinces the unattached Robert to pretend that Suzanne is actually his – Robert’s– girlfriend, which sends Robert into a tizzy as he had hoped to share a secret liaison with Bernard’s wife that weekend. Complicating the complicated matters, Robert mistakes the cook Suzette for Bernard’s mistress Suzanne. And so on and so on.

While there’s lots of movement, most of this show’s comedy comes from the witty dialogue and fast-paced repartee. When Bernard asks Robert, “Is the coast clear?” he responds, “I don’t know about the coast, but it’s darn foggy around here.”

Director Pocaro has the players in a near constant state of motion, taking on all sorts of poses all over the couch and all over the room. Their movements are purposeful as they strut and run around the ample living room, ramble up and down the stairs, saunter into the kitchen or off to bedrooms that were once a cow stall and a piggery, stop frequently at the bar for libations and cower at accusations. There is not a dull moment as the attempts to mask the infidelities create a mountain of lies and some of the most preposterous conversations and situations, which end up with the men getting pummeled and even – in Bernard’s case – battered with a variety of liquids, prompting him to deadpan that he’ll “put on (his) wet suit.”

This is an amazing ensemble cast, with my favorites being Peters’ Robert and Folkerts’ Suzette. The two are perfectly cast and easily handle all the tricky dialogue and physical comedy. Their loopy tango – at which point Suzette is believed to be Robert’s niece — during the dinner party to open Act II is great fun. In that scene, Suzette is told to pretend she is Robert’s niece, which moves her to deliciously deliver the line: “You’re quite a dishy hunk, unc.”

Peters is perfect as Robert – expressive, but not so much as to look cartoonish. At one point his adept retelling of a laundry list of lies elicited applause from the audience.

Folkerts’ cook character is asked to play several characters – for which she insists on money up front from Robert and Bernard in a funny running bit – in order to conceal the affairs. Folkerts whisks among her dinner party incarnations with great comedic flair, at one point telling her employers: “I should get an Oscar for this.” Indeed.

Smith and Nappe as Bernard and Jacqueline are also quite adept. I loved their characters’ straight-faced confessions looking out at the audience, stock-still, in Act II, a perfectly timed pause — albeit short one — in all the madcap madness that only added to its effectiveness.

I’ve seen Chicorel, who played Bernard’s model-girlfriend, play this sort of role a number of times and she is always spot-on with her timing and audience engagement, just as she is here, jockeying between moments of bemusement and lividity. Nick Zuiker as Suzette’s husband George makes a brief, but pivotal appearance toward the end of the show that really wraps things up nicely.

Nick Korneski and Matthew Carr designed a good-looking, wide open stage, adding stone accents for the farmhouse feel and allowing performers lots of room to roam and romp. And they needed every inch of it.

If you go:

Who: Sunset Playhouse

What: “Don’t Dress for Dinner”

When: Through May 6

Where: 800 Elm Grove Road, Elm Grove

Info/Tickets: 262-782-4430; www.staging.sunsetplayhouse.flywheelsites.com

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST review By MARILYN JOZWIK

At first blush, “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” might appear an odd choice for a holiday show. But after seeing Sunset Playhouse’s lavish, fun-filled and thoroughly entertaining production there’s no doubt it was a wise choice. Plus, the transformation of the Beast is not unlike those in other holiday stories, like “A Christmas Carol.”

From the opening scene it is apparent the show is something special. A handsome, spacious set of large, dark side staircases is mostly in shadows as the full, accomplished orchestra – playing Alan Menken’s beautiful music — accompanies the scene in the prince’s foreboding, yet opulent, mansion where a ball is taking place. The prince is arrogant and selfish. His unkindness catches up to him after an old woman casts a spell, turning him into an unsightly Beast and his servants into objects. If the Beast can find a woman to love, who will love him in return, the spell will be broken.

Sunset’s version has all the makings of a full-scale Broadway production in the skilled hands of director Karl Miller and music director Mark Mrozek.

Each character we see is beautifully costumed, perfectly cast and gives a memorable performance as his or her unforgettable character. If this were a cake, Belle (Stephanie Staszak), Gaston (Tim Albrechtson), Lefou (Jim Donaldson) and the Beast/Prince (Keith R. Smith) would comprise it. Lumiere and Cogsworth would be the frosting. The remaining cast would provide sprinkles and other decorations, some to a greater degree.

The first act moves quickly. We learn about Belle, the widowed inventor’s daughter; both father and daughter are considered odd by the townsfolk in their French village. Belle is beautiful, but always has her nose in a book, which gives her escape from mundane village life. The town blowhard and braggart, the handsome Gaston, is convinced no woman would refuse his proposal of marriage, including Belle, whom he aggressively woos in his most arrogant manner. His sidekick, LeFou, only bolsters his selfishness and rudeness.

Belle’s world is turned upside-down when she goes searching for her father (Tom Marks), who has become lost deep in the woods and seeks shelter in the Beast’s mansion.  The Beast throws the intruder in a cell, which is where Belle finds him. She unselfishly offers to replace her father in the cell, where she becomes the Beast’s prisoner.

This development brings hope to the servants, who have been turned into a candle holder, clock, woman’s bureau, teapot, teacup, and feather duster. If they can tame the Beast’s unruly manners, perhaps he and Belle could fall in love, which would break the spell and turn them all back into humans.

In Act Two we see lots of the characters at the mansion, and these are an absolute delight. Topping that list are the stellar performances of Richards’ Cogsworth and Welch’s Lumiere. I have always enjoyed Richards’ performances and I missed seeing him in recent productions. His Cogsworth is a scene stealer as he toddles around in a near constant state of consternation, spouting off in a sort of snooty, affected English to the audience’s delight. Welch follows up on an outstanding performance as Cornelius in “Hello, Dolly!” with his Lumiere. Welch moves so well as the tall, stately candelabra swaying and bending like a graceful tree, while capturing a French accent nicely. The two play off each other wonderfully. They also are most comfortable with the objects they’ve been turned into. They move and act so easily in their characterizations that they are a surprise when seen as humans.

Of course, you wouldn’t have a successful “Beauty and the Beast” without a wonderful Beauty and a wonderful Beast, which is the case here. Staszak brings all the right qualities to the lovely Belle, including a lovely singing voice. She shows her wanderlust, her love for her father and her disgust for the loathsome Gaston. But her tenderness is really apparent in the moving finale as she expresses her love for the wounded Beast in a tear-inducing scene.

Smith’s Beast is also well-drawn. I really like all his soft growls and groans as he struggles to become charming. When he is told to be a gentleman by his servants, he repeats the line several times until the final time when he utters “be a gentle man.” It would have been perfect if his voice would have had a deeper timbre more befitting the Beast.

Albrechtson has all the bravado needed for the arrogant Gaston and leaves no doubt as to why he is admired by the villagers for his looks and athleticism as he sings “Gaston” with the ensemble. He is the ultimate chauvinist, dismissing Belle’s reading habit by saying, “Soon she’ll start getting ideas and start thinking.” Donaldson, as always, gives an energetic characterization, this time as LeFou, Gaston’s sidekick, mugging expressively to make for another memorable character.

As Madame De La Grande Bouche, the singer turned into a woman’s bureau, Sharon Tyler has the perfect diva presence and a soaring soprano voice to add effortless top notes to ensemble pieces.

There are so many outstanding scenes here, it’s hard to know where to begin. Every one is a gem. “Be Our Guest,” which features the dancing dinnerware and other kitchen items, is a centerpiece, marvelously staged with clever choreography and beautiful singing to Howard Ashman’s and Tim Rice’s clever lyrics.

The dancing is crisp, with all performers at a high level. The mug routine in “Gaston” is a picture of precision.  I especially enjoy watching A.J. Pawelski, who appears in several roles with sparkling presence and dance energy.

There are so many, many small moments that are gems, really showcasing the humor and wit in the play. I just love when the servants gather on the stairs as the Beast visits Belle in her room to convince her to have dinner with him. His anger quickly rises and the servants all encourage him, each in his/her own way in words and actions, “to breathe.” A funny bit.

 The servants, also including Marcee Doherty-Elst as Mrs. Potts, Agrim Cincotta as Chip and Lydia Rose Eiche as Babette, really gel and are so much fun to watch in “Human Again,” as they mull the possibility of returning to their former lives.

The finale with the entire cast is an incredible, joyous celebration, a perfect way to put a cherry on this exquisite holiday dessert.

If you go

Who: Sunset Playhouse

What: “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”

When: Through Dec. 23

Where: 800 Elm Grove Road, Elm Grove

Tickets/Info: 262-782-4430/www.staging.sunsetplayhouse.flywheelsites.com