COMPANY                           Ye Olde Rose and Crown, Walthamstow.

Company at Walthamstow’s Ye Olde Rose and Crown theatre pub is a must for all musical theatre lovers. It will delight Sondheim fans and may even convert those new to his work into avid disciples.

Modernised to the age of computer dating by All Star Productions, Company shows that finding the right companion is just as difficult now as it has ever been. The story follows the journey of Bobby, a single man just turned thirty five and under pressure by his friends to find a long- term partner. Various viewpoints on the subject are presented in a series of short scenes that generally show the less than ideal aspects of commitment.

Aaron Clingham’s musical direction is spot-on. In the intimate venue it was close-up and personal, and it was thrilling to hear stunning harmonies so near that they actually vibrated through your body. The cast are at their most effective when singing as an ensemble, and it was a joy to hear perfect renditions of songs likeSide By Side, Company and other classics that make this Sondheim musical so remarkable. Nevertheless sometimes the band were very loud, and occasionally the lyrics and vocals of solos were drowned out by the backing.

Sebastian Rex’s mostly tight direction showed an imaginative use of the oblong performance area, and there were some nifty moves for the livelier numbers. However Rex is clearly not a fan of the power of stillness or the economy of movement. At every opportunity he has the cast physicalising. His favourite move had the actors flailing their arms about their head and body in what looked like a bizarre fusion of voguing and the YMCA dance. And the intimacy of Barcelona was completely destroyed when a dancer suddenly appeared from under the bed doing a contemporary piece like a crazed fairy on Viagra.  I am sure it was meant to represent something deep and meaningful but it was often very distracting and contributed little to the numbers.

Company not only has exceptional songs but a great book by George Furth which allows the cast to showcase their acting skills. All performances are good but it is the women who really carry this production. Claudia Morcroft is brilliant as dizzy trolley-dolly April, Alix Dunmore gives a dazzling performance as Amy the manically reluctant bride and Julie Ross is utterly compelling as Joanne. Of the men Joe Scheffer is outstanding as Harry.

As a person who rarely goes beyond zone two the schlep to Walthamstow seemed tantamount to going to the outer Hebrides, and whoever planned the eight o’clock  start leading to a very late closing time clearly has no idea how difficult it is to get decent public transport from this venue at night. In fact I only got half-way home before the promised trains decided not to appear. During this emergency I was forced to stay over unexpectedly at friend’s house and spent the evening raving about the show, while singing badly the entire repertoire to him. Get a ticket while you can.

Don’t be cruel to a heart that’s true…” – Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley is perhaps one of the best-known musicians in recent history. His records have sold many millions of copies worldwide. According to American Demographics eighty-four percent of Americans say that their lives have been touched by Elvis in some way. Well. That’s good to know. I have to say that I have never really been a fan of ‘The King’ and this show does nothing to change that state of affairs.

Walking into the theatre at the New World Stage, “Elvis People” seems a little out of place before we even start. The NWS building is modern and rubberised, purpose-built from the shell of an old movie theatre – perhaps which showed some of Elvis’s movies years ago. Elvis is a relic of a bygone era, and the set highlights this with a various Elvis-style ‘suits’ hanging on the wings along with some cutesy dresses, and what maybe records covering the entire back wall. The juxtaposition of kitsch and modern does not do well here, and I found myself a little unsettled – especially as the rest of the set is glaring white. Things improved a little as the opening music kicked in, and some interesting video projections ensued on the record wall. However, the transitions dragged on and I found myself thinking, just get on with it already.

Henry Wishcamper’s production of Doug Grissom’s new play comes only two years after “All Shook Up”, another Elvis-based musical which did little more than vibrate the audience a little, and unfortunately also fails to really excite. The blame should not be levelled entirely at Wishcamper however, who does a serviceable job with the materials available. In the same vein, the ensemble of actors in this production have fine heritage and there are some interesting performances, but I feel that Grissom’s overly sentimental script and the tedious design does them no favours. There are some nice moments though, and I certainly found myself engaged by Ed Sala in the ‘Elvis in Vietnam’ sequence. Likewise, there are not many laughs in this show, but mention should be made of the ‘Robbery’ sequence which, though a little clunky, brightens a murky second act.

“Elvis People” will close on Saturday, June 23, 2007 after a very limited run at the New World Stages (barring a massive upturn in ticket sales) and I cannot help but think this is a good thing. Separately, the elements of the show promise much, but the vehicle they inhabit when united fails to live up to the hype. I certainly left not so much ‘all shook up’ but feeling more like I was checking into the ‘Heartbreak Hotel’.

“It’s rare when an artist’s talent can touch an entire generation of people. It’s even rarer when that same influence affects several generations.” - Dick Clark

Cast: Jordan Gelber, Jenny Maguire, David McCann, Nick Newell, Nell Page, Ed Sala

Director: Henry Wishcamper

For more information on the show, please visit: www.elvispeople.com orwww.newworldstages.com

‘Twelfth Night’ is, perhaps, one of William Shakespeare’s best-known and best-loved comedies. It is, therefore, done all the time, and not always well. Happily, this production does not fall into that category and I found myself laughing along with the rest of the audience. Premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and now hittingNew York with an all-new cast – Dramatic Stuff brings its memorable cast of characters energetically to life.

The story is, as with most of Shakespeare’s comedies, deceptively simple. Just when you think you have an angle on what is happening, someone throws a curve-ball and more zany antics ensue. Dramatic Stuff have opted to up-the-ante even more with this production casting only five actors to play around twenty roles, but the gamble pays off in Luke Pebody’s madcap adaptation and direction.

We begin fairly sensibly, with a messenger, Cesario, but right away things start going awry when we find out that in reality Cesario is not only not male or a messenger, ‘he’ is really a ‘she’ – Viola, a young lady on the search for employment. She has disguised herself to improve her chances of getting a job, which is fine until she falls for the Duke, who of course, thinks she is a man. Not only this, but Lady Olivia then falls for Cesario, who is really Viola!

Confused yet? Well there’s more to come and more after that. Dramatic Stuff rattle through it and have trimmed the play to fit their diminutive casting and for the most part, it goes very well. At times the plot is confusing, and the larger than life characterisations of Sir Toby Belch (Anastasios Filactou) and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Chris Braca) at times can be a little too much, but on the whole ‘Five Twelfths’ does not fail to please. Ashley Martinsen is fantastic as Olivia and her own maid Maria, and Kevin Lapin serves up a fine Malvolio.

Pebody has obviously worked with the ‘bigger is better’ philosophy and the almost circus style of this show is tantalizing. I wonder though if there are moments of subtlety to be found in this elaborate plot with it’s many twists and turns. Clever use is made of the stage and the minimal props and set contrast nicely with the cast performances. This may not be full ‘Twelfth’ but they are certainly alright on the night.

‘Five Twelfths’ can be seen at the Producer's Club Theatres, 358 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

For performance details and tickets, please visit www.smarttix.com

When Ntozake Shange wrote ‘For Colored Girls…’ in 1975, she called it a ‘choreopoem’, a collection of words and movements mixed with music which united create a picture that cannot be communicated simply by the separate elements. A fusion of emotions and colours which try to communicate and explain relationships among the performers and characters in this complex, yet deeply moving play.

‘For Colored Girls…’ is, in reality, a collection of twenty separate poems, told by seven women – each of whom represent and embody a different colour of the rainbow. Beginning and ending with the Lady in Brown, we are taken on a rollercoaster ride through the lives of the ladies in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and the events that surround their choices to contemplate taking their own lives, and the results of their decisions.

This is a very brave production and each of the women are striking in their strength and versatility, but also in their open honesty. The subjects dealt with in this play are never easy to listen to or to deal with, which is the theme of the play, but here we are engaged and welcomed in by the characters so that we feel almost as if we are sharing their stories with them. The choreography is beautifully linked to the music and acapella singing from the cast, which is highly moving at times.

The entire cast should be applauded for their dedication, but special mention should be made of Victoria Jones who manages to make the audience both laugh and cry. Alycya Miller’s direction is also right on the money and this production, although perhaps poorly attended, deserves to go far. With this production, Wild Child have certainly proved the old adage that at the end of every rainbow lays a pot of gold.

‘For Colored Girls…’ performs at the theatre Under St. Marks, 94 St. Mark’s Place,New York 10009

Directed by Alycya Miller

Featuring Elena Chang, Nia Hill, Maria Jensen, Victoria Jones, Chance Parker, Lony’e Perrine and Buena Batiste Webber

Choreography by Shalewa Mackall

For more information, please email forcoloredgirls@hotmail.com

“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength” – August Wilson

This is not an easy play to watch, but necessary in its difficulty. The path, as they say, is never a smooth one if you are in recovery. “Bill W. and Dr. Bob” is the inspiring story of New Yorkstockbroker Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon from Ohio, both alcoholics, who through an astonishing series of events, meet and eventually form Alcoholics Anonymous.

Bill (Robert Krakovski), a successful businessman crashes with the Stock Market. Bob (Patrick Husted) often operates on his patients with a hangover, sometimes while still intoxicated. If it wasn’t a true story, you’d still be worried for their state of mind – and this story is a true one. Many of us, perhaps, may associate with the loss of control that comes from being under the influence – at times a freedom devoutly to be wished for, and at times a freedom that scares the living daylights out of us. Free-falling can be exhilarating and terrifying when seen through different eyes. And this, I think, is true of the audience at the New World Stages. Not your average theatre audience, this crowd is made-up of a large number of recovering addicts, and it is strangely moving to be able to experience at first-hand their personal stories in association with the evocative performances on stage.

Director Rick Lombardo has created a frighteningly truthful and powerful drama which creates images that are both compelling and inspiring, while finding something primitive in each of the audience. Here is a story that inspires laughter in pain and tears of joy, while never becoming sentimental or jaded. Krakovski and Husted are fantastic as the title players, and vividly remind us of the massive ups and downs that addicts can experience, whatever their addiction. Their portrayals of the two men who pioneered the international AA movement are extremely moving and to many, inspirational. And the supporting players are also excellent. Special mention should be made of Marc Carver whose enthusiasm and honesty are unparalleled in my recent experience.

Speaking with the audience after the show, I think that they would agree with the sentiments expressed by Helen Keller when she said, "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." Every day is another step forward. You may take small steps, you may take great strides, but what counts is that you are moving forwards. This is a pebble, perhaps, in an ocean of spirit, but has created some sizeable ripples, and I for one have felt the force of its emotional wave.

“Bill W. and Dr. Bob” is on at the New World Stages, New York.

Tickets can be ordered online or by phone from www.telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200

There’s only so much buffing a person can do, and it’s fair to say that this production is sparkling, there’s a sparkle on every surface, and yet from the minute the Dusty Springfield hits the turntable you know that this is not going to as easy a ride as you had perhaps expected. Doug Stone’s witty and yet strangely disturbing tale of deepest suburbia hits a spot that others often fail to reach.

It’s difficult to quantify where it starts – the gradual decline of a marriage – and here we are offered no answers. The passing of time, the gaining of weight, the shortening of teenage skirts may perhaps all contribute to the widening rifts. Even if we recognise the slipping away, how do we face it? How do we tell our friends? Our neighbours? How do we face our partners? Elizabeth Meadows Rouse (Bonnie) is endearing and funny in her portrayal of a wife in just such a situation, finding poignancy in the smallest and darkest of moments. Kate Vandevender is also fantastic as the ditzy blonde Tracy-Ann, the perfect foil for J.J. Van Name’s mouthy and disgruntled Sinclair who seems to have a chip for all the world, but then again it could a lot of hot air. Unexpectedly, we also delve into the past life of career-minded Diane (Patricia Dalen), who finds a smile even in the most heart-wrenching of times.

This send-up of sitcoms from past and present, shows that dirty laundry, catfights and coloured plastic can be great fun, but there is no substitute for substance, and pretty packaging only masks what’s underneath. Written and directed by Doug Stone this is a bitter-sweet story which speaks to housewives and house-husbands alike. Truly a fresh take on an age-old conundrum. How does it all turn out? Our lids are sealed.

“Sealed For Freshness” sparkles at the New World Stages, New York, which can be found at340 West 50^th Street.

For more information, please visit www.sealedforfreshness.com andwww.newworldstages.com

For tickets, go to www.telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6200