Art by Zee

Nicolas Dromard as ‘Bert’ performs “Step In Time” with the National Tour Company of MARY POPPINS. ©Disney/CML. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Mary Poppins is undoubtedly one of the most popular children’s fiction characters ever. Previous generations knew her from a series of novels but ever since Julie Andrews starred in the Disney movie vision, the magical nanny’s been so closely associated from that musical that songs like “A Spoonful of Sugar” define the Mary Poppins experience for millions.

Tomorrow night, May 12, Mary and her friends give Seattle audiences a chance for an in-person experience as the stage musical version of Mary Poppins sings and dances its way across the stage at The Paramount Theatre, running from May 12 through May 29.

Cast member Nicolas Dromard spoke about the show:

How did you get involved with the show?

I was part of the original Broadway cast and understudied the role of Bert there.

What is your favorite part about being involved with the show?

Seeing people’s faces each night during the curtain call, just watching the smiles grow with each scene and being able to bring joy to people is such a wonderful feeling.

What has been the most difficult aspect of being involved with the show – what’s been the biggest challenge in your role so far?

It’s a very physical show, so just taking care of your body and making sure that I’m able to bring that 110% every night is a challenge, but every audience deserves our best.

It’s hard to imagine anyone unfamiliar with the story of Mary Poppins but if you had to explain the show in a few words to someone who didn’t know anything about it, how would you describe it?

It’s the story of a family in disarray that are reconnected by this magical woman and her friends, who teach the kids the value of respect and love, and bring the parents back together.

What do you hope audiences get from the experience of seeing Mary Poppins? Do you think there’s a lesson to be learned in the story or is it simply a chance to be entertained?

It’s definitely a show that brings both things to the audience. It is a wonderful entertaining show that people of all ages can enjoy, and there are amazing stories an lessons to be learned that anyone can apply in life.

Given the choice, would you prefer to be part a touring production like this one, or part of a show that plays at a single theater? What kind of influence, if any, on a show and its performers does being on the road bring? Do you think that facing different audiences in different cities has an impact on your acting or is it really no different than facing different audiences on different nights in a single theater?

No matter where you are, audiences are always different. One night they are loud and excited, and the other they are quiet. All audiences love the show but express themselves differently. Touring and sit down productions have their pros and cons, touring is such a great way to see the world and meet different people all over, discover new places, but it is taxing to always live out of your suitcases and change location every three to five weeks.

What’s the best part about travelling with a show?

When you tour with a production, your cast and crew become your family. It’s an incredible feeling to know that there are so many people that have your back, such an amazing support system. We hang out with each other, have “family” outings and have this incredible bond, this doesn’t happen in every company, nor every tour, but this one has it and it’s wonderful.

Compared to other plays you’ve been in, is Mary Poppins the most fun, least fun, or somewhere in between?

It’s definitely the most fun! It’s Disney and it’s magical.

For twenty-five years Giant Magnet has been bringing the world to Seattle children via the International Children’s Festival featuring art and cultural performances from all over the globe.

This year’s festival begins on May 10 and continues through May 14 at the Seattle Center and then heads to the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in Tacoma May 16.

The exciting events this year include three companies from China brought to the Northwest via a special partnership with China’s Ministry of Culture, music from Ecuador and India, puppets from Tasmania, and a variety of performers from the US.

Hands on activities for kids at the Arts and Crafts studio located in the Seattle Center Northwest rooms include projects to make an Ecuadorian rainstick, an Indian beaded bracelet, a Chinese Face Changing mask, and Japanese origami. Kids can head outdoors for hula hooping and bouncy balls, always a good time. And still there’s even more so plan ahead to be there.

Matt Shimkus as Dietrich Bonhoeffer in a photo by Erik Stuhaug

Where is the line between undesirable and unacceptable? What do you do when that line is crossed? For Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer these questions stop being intellectual abstractions in Germany in 1933 as the Nazi party takes power and he must face head on issues of morality, political allegiance, and religious conviction in , onstage at Taproot Theatre through April 23.

Douglas Anderson’s play tells the true story of Bonhoeffer, not only a church pastor, but also a member of the Abwehr, the German Military Intelligence in Nazi Germany. Officially a defense organization, members of the Abwehr secretly organized to oppose the Nazi party and attack Hitler from within, both by working to counter his political initiatives and by plotting his destruction. Bonhoeffer’s position allowed him to gather knowledge within Germany and travel abroad to share information about the resistance to foreign sympathizers.

The play begins with the intelligent, articulate pastor devoted to an intellectual study of spirituality returning from a trip to the United States where he has been awakened to the suffering in social injustice and has fallen in love with African-American spirituals. This experience has filled him with a passion to make the church serve the needs of its people, a passion that drives his resistance to Hitler’s rise to power.

Two days after Hitler is elected Chancellor, Bonhoeffer gives a radio address attacking the Führer, only to be cut off while still speaking. Bonhoeffer speaks against persecution of the Jewish population and lobbies for non-Nazi officials in the church elections forced by Hitler. Bonhoeffer then becomes forced to rebel against his own church leadership who have accepted Hitler’s rule, something he cannot tolerate. Recruited into the Abwehr, Bonhoeffer gathers and shares resistance intelligence and joins in several plots to assassinate Hitler.

Bonhoeffer feels Germany’s despair on a personal level – his friends and colleague are arrested, he himself is declared an enemy of the state, and his beloved sister, married to a Jewish man, must flee with her husband to an uncertain future beyond Germany’s borders. No matter his pain, he remains steadfast to his cause; when he is finally imprisoned he continues his resistance, assisted as much as they are able by his family and his fiancee. While imprisoned, Bonhoeffer provides services for the other prisoners and is so well-liked that even the guards argue over the privilege of cleaning his cell.

Actor Matt Shimkus plays Bonhoeffer as the vital man that he was. His passion for following the path of righteousness is palpable, but he never comes off as one-dimensional hero. Even in the midst of such darkness there are still moment of light and sweetness, even some humor, and Shimkus and the rest of the well-selected cast (Don Brady, Gerald Browning, Robert Gallaher, Nathan Jeffrey, Rob Martin, Kim Morris, Simon Pringle and Sarah Ware) play these moments with humanity and respect.

Taproot’s productions are consistently well-staged, but The Beams Are Creaking is extraordinary – a fascinating story performed without flaw from start to finish. Everything about the show is superb. The story is thrilling, the performances are brilliant, and the set, lighting, and sound design are expertly applied. Director Karen Lund and her cast and crew have created a play this is not to be missed. The Beams Are Creaking is simply one of the best plays to be staged in the Northwest in recent years.

The Beams Are Creaking continues at Taproot through April 23; in response to the enthusiastic reception this play is getting, the theatre has added an additional performance on Tuesday, April 19. Don’t hesitate – get tickets now by calling the box office at 206.781.9707 or by visiting the box office online.

Billy Elliot playing here in Seattle through April 3 at Seattle’s historic Paramount Theatre won 10 Tony Awards in 2009 and was called “The best show you will ever see” by the New York Post and there’s definitely a lot about the show to admire.

Adapted for the stage from the film of the same name, Billy Elliot tells the story of its title character, Billy, a young boy beaten down by life. His mother’s dead, his grandma’s dotty, and his coal-mining father and brother barely notice he’s alive unless he’s done something wrong. When Billy gives up on the boxing classes he never liked anyway to take up dancing instead that’s most indeed something wrong in their eyes. Even Billy isn’t sure how he feels about his newly discovered talent for dance until his dance teacher both recognizes the spark in him and kindles it, in the process restoring her own passion for the art. As this transformation within takes place, the world around Billy and his friends and family transforms, too, as the miner’s strike lengthens and becomes more brutal.

It’s an interesting, unusual story with a great theme at its heart – believe in yourself and you can do anything – but it’s also a long and complicated story and there may be nuances not understood by audience members who don’t know the film or the history of the English miner’s strike. The length of the play is an issue as well – its running time feels unnecessarily long and particularly near the end, time seems to crawl to a drip when it should be flying by.

That being said, the show has a number of strengths. Billy (performed by a rotating cast of young actors: Giuseppe Bausilio, Kylend Hetherington, Lex Ishimoto and Daniel Russell) is completely credible, from the uninspired kid who knows only that he doesn’t like boxing class to the budding artist who knows only how dancing makes him feel whole. Careful choreography wisely avoids the “instant genius” schtick of so many similar stories – Billy’s got natural talent but like any real dancer, he was to work hard at it. Billy’s closest friend, Michael, is another charmer – a young crossdresser who finds it only natural to wear his sister’s clothes but initially finds Billy’s dancing rather suspect. Their friendship is sweet and leads to one of the show’s best dance routines.

The cast as a whole is very good. Faith Prince’s performance as Billy’s dance instructor, Mrs. Wilkinson, shows exactly how she earned her Tony, with a dazzling performance that feels real. Patti Perkins keeps the not-quite-there Grandma of Billy funny without turning her into a parody.

While the show could probably use some trimming to keep it from fraying at the ends, it does remain an inspiring, emotionally honest tale with breathtaking dancing, excellent songs by Elton John, and a hero you’ll be glad to be rooting for.

The Moisture Festival is a three week festival of live comedy/ variete performance. That is, it’s a collection of shows where anything might happen when artists are given the stage with a live band so that they can perform pretty much anything they can both imagine and make concrete. There are aerialists, can can dancers, rope acts, clowns, jugglers, and a long list of everything else.

The festival begins on March 17 with an opening night show at Hales Palladium and continues until April 10 with shows at the Palladium, ACT Theatre, Open Space on Vashon, and the Georgetown Ballroom. There are four burleseque shows over the weekend of March 25 – 26 and Variete shows as often as four or five times a week until festival end.

Bones: The Tale of Callie Archer:”Maybe it’s the story of a woman who just flips out, or maybe it’s a mythic tale about one of the Celtic Powers. Told by a Bard and by Callie Archer herself, the tale unfolds in narration, monologue and music”.

Be one of the first to experience this new production in a reading at The Little Red Studio on March 13th at 7:00 pm. A $3 – $5 donation gets you in the door and helps support local theater.

Bones is written and directed by Sherry Narens and features Daniel Brockley and Lee Ann Hittenberger.

Mark Chamberlin as Odysseus and April Wolfe as Calypso, in Taproot Theatre’s production of The Odyssey; photo by Erik Stuhaug

How do you do justice to a story that’s over 3,000 years old, one of the most important works in all of Western literature, that takes place over the course of many years involving a cast of hundreds, maybe thousands, when all you’ve got is an ordinary theater space? Taproot Theatre’s production of Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of the ancient story solves this problem by cutting out the excesses of the tale to focus on its heart – its characters.

Soldier, husband, and father Odysseus has had enough of war and just wants to get home to his wife and son but his path is blocked at every step both by circumstance and by the plotting of the gods as well the ordinary and extraordinary people and creatures he encounters. The pawn in an epic battle between Pallas Athena who loves him and does all she can to support his cause and Poseidon who loathes him and does all he can to defeat him, Odysseus must struggle against scheming tricksters and scary creatures. Meanwhile at home his wife is besieged by a legion of suitors disrespectful of his home while they each plot to become the new husband of Odysseus’s wife Penelope. She is determined to remain true to her conviction that her husband is alive and well but she has little protection; her young son Telemachus is unable to exile the suitors on his own and flees in search of his father, leaving her alone with only her wits to keep her safe.

The world in which this huge cast of characters reside is a complex one with locations that span the globe and go up to the heavens. The production wisely avoids trying to conjure all of this into physical detail, instead utilizing a minimalist set and simple, but effective, costuming to allow the audience to see all this with their mind’s eye. Whether it is Calypso’s lonely island or the frightening ocean where the crew of Odysseus’s ship are caught between monsters, it’s all there.

The cast of The Odyssey does a fine job of creating this vision. Mark Chamberlin bears the heaviest weight in the play as Odysseus, weary and weakened at time, but ever determined. Chamberlin gives Odysseus gravity and charisma as well as credibility that makes his stories ring true no matter how fantastic they get. Odysseus’s adventures sometimes come to life simply through his telling and sometimes by being acted out; it is a credit to Chamberlin’s talent that either method is equally vivid. His Odysseus is clever, charismatic, and equally deft with drama or the light bits of comedy which enliven the tale. When the royal court of Phraecia, the island where Odysseus takes temporary refuge, listens intently to his saga, you believe they’re just as fascinated as you are. Nic Beach, Ryan Childers, Solomon Davis, Stephen Grenley, Pam Nolte, Jesse Notehelfer, Nolan Palmer,Sarah Roquemore, Randy Scholz, Josh Smyth, Nikki Visel and April Wolfe round out the cast, each playing several different characters.

The Odyssey is filled with action, excitement, drama and a light dusting of laughs. It’s a very old tale, but this production keeps it fresh.

The Odyssey continues at Taproot through March 5.

Constantine Maroulis, in a photo by Joan Marcus

She’s a small town girl, he’s a city boy and, well…you get the idea. Boy meets girl and they fall in love, fall apart, and find each other again on the seedy 1980s Sunset Strip while a corrupt mayor sells out to a greedy developer whose attempts to convert the Strip into a supermall is only going to succeed over the dead body of a former flower child who is intent on keeping its sex, drugs, and rock’n'roll outlandishness solidly intact.

Powered by a K-Tel style collection of 80s rock hits, Rock of Ages isn’t exactly a heavy-duty drama. Even without the meta-humor of the wall-breaking narration, you know where this story is going from the moment it starts. It’s Mickey and Judy and the gang, only this time they’re in tight leather and spandex with big, big hair and tons of make-up. And that’s just the GUYS!

And THAT’S the type of humor you can expect from Rock of Ages, a goofy, good-hearted show that mocks with love. There’s nothing in the story too sacred to satire, but there’s affection in the spoofing, not malice. While the show manages to touch on several serious themes (the characters fret over an imagined future that is today’s reality), it wisely avoids taking itself seriously. Rock of Ages doesn’t want to educate or enlighten you, it just wants to have a good time.

The cast certainly appear to be having a good time. Patrick Lewallen does double duty as Lonny, soundman at “the legendary Bourbon Room”, the sleazy club where most of the action takes place, and the narrator – his scruffy charm and perfectly-timed physical humor are a perfect fit for the show. So too are its lead characters. Rebecca Faulkenberry is well cast as Sherrie, taking her with constant credibility from wide-eyed naif whose just sure she’s going to be a big, big star someday to hard-edged “exotic dancer” whose tough exterior doesn’t quite hide her broken heart. As for Constantine Maroulis, well, it’s easy to see why he was Tony nominated for his performance as Drew, the wannabe rock star. Maroulis brings an unaffected boyishness to his role – no matter what happens, Drew never stops being the sweet kid you can’t help but root for even when you know he doesn’t have a shot. He keeps Drew balanced; sweet enough to be the hero of a light romantic tale but not so slight as to be insubstantial. Plus, he got the pipes; if Maroulis was a couple decades older, he might’ve been one of the guys being teased in Rock of Ages.

Other cast highlights include MiG Ayesha as rock star Stacee Jaxx whose bloated ego is even bigger than his hair, Teresa Stanley as strip club manager Justice, and Nick Cordero, whose burn out bar owner Dennis comes close to stealing the show every time he steps on stage. The whole cast is strong, though – if there were any wrong notes, they certainly weren’t noticeable.

Director Kristin Hanggi keeps the show moving at a crisp pace appropriate for such a party-minded show – the audience has time to laugh at the jokes and rock out to the musical numbers without having to sit through any of the awkward dead space you find at a party when the CD’s run out and no one knows what to say to each other. Ethan Popp did a great job with the musical arrangements – funny how well 80s pop and hair metal lends itself to the show tune treatment – and choreographer Kelly Devine expertly parodies the excesses of all those old rock videos in a way that fits naturally into the production. Beowulf Boritt’s set design, Gregory Gale’s costume design, Tom Watson’s hair/wig design, and Angelina Avellone’s make-up design deserve special recognition – they’ve captured the time so perfectly that it really felt like being there.

Although Rock of Ages might make you feel like a kid again, leave the kids at home – there’s quite a bit of raunchy humor probably best left for an adult audience.

Rock of Ages continues its run at Seattle’s Paramount Theater through February 13.

Broadway Bound, the local children’s theater group that encourages children aged 5 through 18 to actively participate in theater, presents their production of Willy Wonka, based on Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starting Friday, February 4, and running through February 13 at the Broadway Performance Hall.

Tickets are $15 and available through Brown Paper Tickets.

The touring cast of ROCK OF AGES, photo by Winslow Townson

“Big hair meets big dreams” in Rock of Ages, a jukebox musical story of romance and ambition on LA’s Sunset Strip back in the 80s that tells its tale through some of the era’s biggest hits by artists like Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, and Whitesnake. The original show earned five Tony nominations back on Broadway and is now out on tour for the first time featuring Tony nominee (and former “American Idol”) Constantine Maroulis reprising his Broadway role. Rock of Ages opens at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre on Tuesday, February 8 and runs for one week only, closing on Sunday, February 13.

Rock of Ages is directed by Kristin Hanggi (Bare, Pussycat Dolls on the Sunset Strip) who received a Tony nomination of her own for her work with the show. With a long resume in both film and theater, she’s got plenty of storytelling experience. Ms. Hanggi was kind enough to answer a few questions about herself and the show:

How did you get interested in the theater? What made you want to make a career out of working in theater and film? Do you think working in both theater and film enhances your work in either/both areas? How does working in film influence the way you approach your work in the theater?

I was just always interested in entertainment. I don’t remember a time that I didn’t want to make shows! I used to watched musicals on TV at 3 and 4 years old and there didn’t seem to me to be anything better in the world than singing and dancing – and really, an alternate world! A world of make believe. So, as a little girl, I was dressing up my brother for reviews in our living room and directing my cousins in pageants. I’ve just always loved making shows and playing pretend…

As far as film and TV crossover, I believe the flexibility keeps me from thinking inside the box. I love to expand what is possible. I love to play with rhythms. I love to think of theater as cinematic, able to break time and space, and be fluid. Then, in film, I’m really attracted to magical realism. Moments that are bigger than life. How film is used to be as magical as possible.

What’s been the biggest challenge in working on Rock of Ages? What’s been the most enjoyable part of working on the show?

The biggest challenge with Rock of Ages has always been the time restraints. We’ve often had to do the rehearsal and tech processes quickly. But it has taught has how to work fast and to do so as a team!

The most enjoyable part – playing! It’s so fun to play with the designers, the actors, and creative team. We love the show and we have an amazing time doing it. We all to get to work with such rad, smart, talented people and then, we get to do it to rock and roll! It’s just the best. Every tech process, when that lead guitar player steps out and plays the opening lick under the smoke and lights – we all just go nuts!

How did you get involved with the show?

I was working on PUSSYCAT DOLLS LIVE AT THE ROXY and spending everyday on the Sunset Strip and I just loved how much rock and roll history lived in those clubs and how everyone was a character. And I thought “this would make a great show…a musical…” Then, a year or two later, Matt Weaver and Carl Levin approached me with a collection of music from the 80s. They wanted to do a rock and power ballad show. So, it clicked. And I said, “let’s set it on the Sunset Strip!” and they said “Great!” Then, we began looking for a writer. When we met Chris D’Arienzo, it was like he was born to write it.

How did you feel when you got nominated for a Tony for your work on the show – were you surprised?

I was and continue to be in heaven. Nothing less than a total and complete dream come true.

There is some criticism of jukebox musicals as being uncreative – how would you respond to that?

Sure, they can be. And original musicals can be uncreative too. Everything is in execution. I think some times jukebox musicals are made to be crowd pleasers and made to be “successful” and I think that’s the first way to not be successful. It has to start with an original vision and an important reason to tell the story. I believe its important that each artist in the creation of something new listens to his or her own instinct, his or her own creative spark. That’s what makes something good. And true. And of value. Being brave enough to listen to yourself.

How would you pitch the show to someone who didn’t know anything about it?

Life on the Sunset Strip in the late 80’s, the story follows two dreamers who search after fame, but find something better instead. With a kick ass soundtrack that is like the best karaoke night ever.

Or, my favorite tagline, that Chris D’Arienzo wrote:

“It’s like Cats! Without the Cats!”