Show by Show: "Nunsense"

I learned late yesterday that Dody Goodman passed away on Sunday. Dody was a gifted comedic actress, dancer, and performer who many people will remember from her role "Grease," although I'd contend her appearances in films like "Splash," where she wore her bra over her shirt playing Tom Hanks' ditzy-if-not-demented secretary, and on television shows like "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," were just as memorable.

Anyway, I'm bringing up Dody because she was also a mainstay in the musical "Nunsense." She played Mother Superior Mary Regina in the show, as well as in many of its spinoffs numerous times at the end of her career. In fact, she was in that role when the "Nunsense" tour came to my college in the late '80s.

Dody was spellbinding on stage and I can only hope that somewhere a group of nuns is celebrating her life and mourning her passing by staging their very own variety show.

It would be perfect!

For those of you who don't know "Nunsense," here's a quick summary of the plot:

The musical features five of the 19 surviving Little Sisters of Hoboken, a one-time missionary order that ran a leper colony. Bad times have hit the convent. We learn that 52 of their nuns have just died, victims of a food poisoning incident -- tainted vichyssoise prepared by convent cook Sister Julia, Child of God.

With many burials to pay for, the Mother Superior, inspired by a vision, starts a greeting card company to raise funds. The greeting cards are an enormous success but, thinking there is plenty of money, the Reverend Mother buys a VCR (In the original script it is a VCR, but as VCR's have now mostly gone the way of the dodo, the splurge purchase is now usually an entertainment center) for the convent, leaving the sisters strapped for cash once again with four burials left undone.

The deceased nuns now in the deep freeze, they decide to stage a variety show to raise the necessary funds. The five nuns participating in the project are Mother Superior Mary Regina, a former circus performer who can't resist the spotlight; her competitive but dignified rival, second-in-command Sister Mary Hubert; Sister Robert Anne, a streetwise nun from Brooklyn; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is determined to be the world's first ballerina nun; and wacky, childlike Sister Mary Amnesia, who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head.

What follows is a laugh-a-minute performance filled with dance routines, unforgettable songs, and an audience quiz.

The November 7 performance of "Nunsense" at the BCPA is part of the show's 25th anniversary tour featuring Sally Struthers as the Mother Superior. Still best-known for her role as Gloria Stivic (nee Bunker) on the classic television sitcom "All in the Family," Struthers is a thrilling stage actress. I've seen her twice, starring as Ms. Lynch in a tour of "Grease" and playing Ms. Hannigan in the 20th anniversary tour of "Annie." People who know her from TV undoubtedly recognize she's a legend, but her talents really shine when she's live on stage.

One final fun story to tell about Nunsense. Sponsoring the BCPA performance is local couple Irv and Jobie Tick, who themselves have a long connection with "Nunsense." Twenty-five years ago, Irv and Jobie were among the original financiers of the musical, an opportunity Jobie still describes as "once in a lifetime." It's an investment that has reaped benefits for them for a quarter century, not just financially, but in the continued success of a show Jobie says they still find so charming.

Nunsense comes to the BCPA on Friday November 7

• The show's running time is approximately two hours, with one intermission.
• It's a show about nuns, so the humor is clean, but probably best enjoyed by someone who's 12 or older.

Have you seen "Nunsense?" Looking forward to seing it for the first time with us? Contribute your story to the blog by writing me at jaalberts@cityblm.org.

Show by Show: Red Riding Hood

Great article in the Tribune today about the Chicago theater scene's tremendous influence on this year's Tony Awards.

And here's some great information about the 45 Days of Theatre festival currently taking place on the numerous stages in Bloomington/Normal.

And let's not forget "Urinetown" (a really smart and funny show; please don't let the title dissuade you) playing in Normal, and all of the great shows at Miller Park's Summer Theatre.

All in all, theater is thriving in our area. Record box office in the Second City, record involvement in the Twin Cities. And it's just going to get better.

In just six weeks, kids will be coming to the BCPA to audition for the Missoula Children's Theatre's "Red Riding Hood." The August 8 show will feature over 50 local children in the starring roles. Two actor/directors from the Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) will be here to hold auditions on the morning of Monday, August 4. Casting will be done over lunch and rehearsals will begin that afternoon.

It's a procedure the cast/crew of the MCT know well. The MCT is the nation's largest touring children’s theatre. The tour team arrives in town with a set, lights, costumes, props and make-up, everything it takes to put on a play... except the cast. Participants spend the week rehearsing an original adaptation of a classic children's story, which they then perform for the public. Creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self-esteem are all characteristics that are attained through the participation in this unique, educational project.

MCT's mission is the development of lifeskills in children through participation in the performing arts.

It's going to be a memorable week. Last year's production of "The Little Mermaid" was a tremendous success, so much so that we booked the terrific Missoula company almost immediately to work their magic again this year.

"Red Riding Hood" is going to be a fun, contemporary play both to participate in and see. The story is Red Riding Hood's, but, like the great 2005 film Hoodwinked, it's told with a twist, as Riding Hood is now firmly in her teens. She's sassy. A little more streetwise. The wolf? He's definitely not accountable for the crime. He'd like to blame it all on his little brother, "Li'l Luvable Wolf."

See for yourself. "Red Riding Hood" takes the stage on August 8.

CLICK HERE FOR AUDITION INFORMATION

Show by Show: Rockapella

There are few shows this season that I'm anticipating as much as A Rockapella Holiday on December 20.

I first saw Rockapella in 1990 on "Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella," a Spike Lee-produced television special that highlighted many of the top a cappella groups of the era. Admittedly, I'd tuned in to see groups I knew, including Take 6 and Ladysmith Black Mambazo ... but it was the show's first performer, Rockapella, who earned my lasting devotion.

(You can skip ahead to approx. 2:30 in this clip to see their show-opening performance.)



Almost 20 years later and still awesome!

Rockapella was founded in 1987 by four Brown University alumni, Elliott Kerman, David Stix, Sean Altman, and Steve Keyes, who had all sung together in one of Brown's numerous a cappella groups and reunited for street corner gigs in New York after graduation. Altman, Kerman, and Keyes appear in the video above along with bass Barry Carl, who joined the group in 1989. Another early, and important, change in the group's lineup was the addition of high tenor Scott Leonard, who replaced Keyes in 1991 and is now the group's primary arranger.

Rockapella expanded their audience as the "house band" on the popular PBS children's game show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" from 1991-1996. Singing the show's well-known theme song and providing interlude music between segments, the group became easily identifiable to a large audience -- including, I can imagine, more adults than just me who watched the show regularly to hear them sing (with the side benefit of being able to point at Burkina Faso on a map).

No doubt a sign of the times, many of Rockapella's fans were drawn to "Carmen Sandiego" because at that time it was largely impossible to hear Rockapella anywhere else. The group had signed a recording contract with a Japanese record label and, prior to the days of iTunes and easy Web access, their CDs were either not available, or only available with a cost over $35 per unit (remember, we're talking early '90s here) through specialty retailers.

In 1995, the group had their first American release, "Primer." Released on an independent label, the disc featured Altman, Leonard, Kerman, and Carl, and introduced fans to vocal percussionist Jeff Thatcher (who's amazing, as you'll see on a video of him performing solo here) singing a wide variety of the group's previously unreleased songs.

Ironically, this disc is no longer in print and used copies are available beginning at $97 on Amazon.

(Editor's note: I'm rich!)

"Primer" was followed in 1997 by "Lucky Seven," Altman's last recording with the group. He was replaced by Kevin Wright, a former Broadway actor whose easy charm was a hit with audiences, despite turning the rest of the group into caffeine addicts:



As more American releases began to follow ("2" and "Christmas" in 2000, "In Concert" in 2001, and "Smilin'" in 2002, "Comfort and Joy" in 2002, and "Live in Japan," in 2004) Rockapella began to tour more. What had been their schedule of performing live every couple of weeks became a routine of performing over 40 dates per year).

The last time I saw them was at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival in 2002. At that concert, Barry Carl announced his retirement and the audience got what was perhaps a first look at replacement bass George Baldi. To me, Barry Carl's deep, deep voice was in theory one of the most un-replaceable elements of the combo. But George is amazing. A one-time member of the group that would become Boyz to Men, he has a stunning lower range, as you can see in this video from one of their Christmas concerts:



The last original member of the group, Elliott Kerman, has also recently left the group, replaced by John K Brown, whose distinctive vocal range other members acknowledge has changed their approach to a number of their songs.

I can't wait to hear them!

A couple of show notes:

A Rockapella Holiday comes to the BCPA on Saturday, December 20.
This is an all-ages show. Patrons young and old will be knocked out at how good these guys sound. They're terrific entertainers and their arrangements of Christmas songs are unforgettable.

One last video before I finish. This is the promotional video they sent us: Nine minutes, but a great look at everything they do.



My favorite part is the combined performance with the Boston Pops.

Wow! Just Wow!

Show by Show: The Capitol Steps

I am no doubt dating this blog entry by saying today seems like the perfect day to write something about The Capitol Steps. Barack Obama secured the democratic nomination for president last night, meaning the stage is now set for the Capitol Steps to start creating new material for the election contest between Obama and McCain.

It has to be an exciting day for the Capitol Steps' creative team to finally be able to focus on the songs they'll use to lampoon the 2008 general election. They've already created numbers for each candidate in the 2008 primaries (which you can hear here), but you can imagine the general election season offers a distinctive opportunity.

Where will they begin?

Sure, Larry Craig is always funny, but there are many other possibilities still waiting to unfold. Who knows what Hillary's role will be come November? If she's added as a running mate, we might still hear an update of "Ebony and Ivory." The promise to be appointed as a supreme court justice? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a rewrite of "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress."

Whatever happens, the BCPA audience is going to leave their September 27 performance in a great mood. This troupe of former congressional staffers have perfected political humor, allowing us to laugh at our public servants, both Democrats and Republicans, in a way that has made our democracy more fun for almost 30 years.

The Steps performed at the BCPA in our inaugural 2006-07 season and hold the distinction of being the show we've had booked the longest for this current season. Immediately after their 2006 performance the decision was made: We want you back just in time for the 2008 election.

Check them out. There's a terrific (-ly silly) write up about them on their Wikipedia page that talks about all of their various songs and members. But the best way to experience The Capitol Steps is to see them live. The Capitol Steps come to the BCPA on September 27. And remember to get your tickets early. Their show is one of the top sellers for the season and good seats won't last.

Like voting in the election, it's something you don't want to miss.