Manatee Players elevate the trite "Miss Saigon"

   If you've been following events leading up to Thursday's opening of "Miss Saigon," the Manatee Players' first show at their new Manatee Performing Arts Center, there are two things you're probably most curious about.

   The first is the theater itself, and it absolutely lives up to all the hype.

The Manatee Performing Arts Center

   It's a phenomenal place to see a show, with comfortable seats, perfect sight lines, good acoustics and sensational technical possibilities. Almost every regional professional theater company in the United States should be envious.
   The other thing you might be wondering about is the helicopter. The gimmick of "Miss Saigon," ever since its days on Broadway, has been a helicopter landing on stage in the second act. It's by far the most interesting thing that happens in the show, so it's almost impossible to do the show without the helicopter.
   In the Manatee Players' production, the illusion of a helicopter landing is quite credible. Director Rick Kerby promised it would look and feel like a helicopter, and it does.
   So then, onto the production itself. It's a wondrous thing to behold, with breathtaking lighting by Joseph P. Oshry, beautiful sets by Marc Lalosh and costumes by David Walker and Georgina Willmott. There's nothing in the look of this production that wouldn't be at home in a Broadway tour. (And in fact, a couple of people who had seen "Miss Saigon" on Broadway and on a Broadway tour said this production was better.)
   The only technically lacking aspect was the inconsistent sound. Some voices sounded muddled, body mics interfered with each other and in one ensemble scene, one singer's voice drowned out all the others. On a few occasions the very good six-piece orchestra -- which sounded much larger -- drowned out the cast.
   And that cast is generally terrific, especially considering most of them are very young and the show is extremely demanding, vocally and dramatically.
   "Miss Saigon" is, of course, a reworking of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly," transposed to the last days of the Vietnam War. A GI named Chris has an affair with a girl named Kim who has reluctantly become a prostitute. When he comes back to America, he still thinks about her, but he eventually marries. Then he learns Kim has had his child and goes back to Vietnam to find her. Kim has been waiting for him through the years and is devastated to find out Chris is married.
   Holly Rizzo is marvelous as Kim. She wields a beautiful voice and her singing is overflowing with emotion. The other standout performance -- though a much smaller one -- is Channing Weir as Chris's wife. (She will not be in the role in all performances.) Her one solo song, "Now That I've Seen Her," is one of the best musical moments in the show.
   Omar Montes is also very strong as the Engineer, the show's flashiest role.
   The cast as a whole sings well and the dancing, choreographed by Kerby, is especially impressive.
   One problem, though: "Miss Saigon" is not a good show. The melodies are haphazard, the lyrics are 12 pounds of cliches in a 10-pound bag. The same team that wrote "Les Miserables" wrote this show, but it feels as though they didn't put a lot of effort into it.
   Now that Manatee Players finally have a theater worthy of their talents, it's exciting to imagine what they'll be able to do when they tackle worthy material.
   Details: March 28 to April 14 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. West. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Most shows are already sold out; others have limited availability. Tickets: $26-$36. Information: www.manateeplayers.com or 941-748-5875.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/03/29/4458771/cast-and-designers-elevate-miss.html#storylink=cpy

REVIEW: Manatee Players' 'Evita' is must-see theater in Bradenton

Dianne Dawson won for Best Actress last year at the national AACTFest11 in Rochester, N.Y., for her role in the Manatee Players 2010 production of “Sunday in the Park with George.”.

She’s equally brilliant in “Evita.”

Dawson brings Eva Peron (1919-1952), the onetime first lady of Argentina, to life in all her divisive glory in the somber pop operetta by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

The show follows Eva’s rise from small-town girl to big-city actress to the most powerful woman in Argentina.

Dawson sings beautifully, moves gracefully, and, most importantly, inhabits the role with smart objectivity.

While other actresses wrongheadedly worshipped Peron (yes, here’s looking at you, Madonna), Dawson does a superb job of depicting the historical figure as both beloved political leader and opportunistic wife of a dictator.

Another Dawson, Dianne’s husband Steve, plays the narrator Che as if channeling Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara.

When the Dawsons share the stage, it’s first-rate theater by any metric.

Directed and choreographed by Manatee Players Artistic Director Rick Kerby, the production moves fluidly with the large cast used smartly to depict much larger crowds of Argentinians. All three leads, which include Bradley Barbaro as Peron, deliver nuanced, tasteful performances. There’s not a superfluous move or gesture in the show.

Marc Lalosh’s winning set features a revolving platform with twin, ascending staircases. The back wall serves as a screen for images of the real Peron in action. The projections work wonderfully thanks to the striking similarity between Eva Peron and Dianne Dawson, dressed in spot-on costumes by Jean Boothby.

The lighting by Joseph Oshry enhances the visuals throughout the show while Aaron Cassette deftly leads a seven-piece through a score that alternates between operatic and Broadway pop.

There are many reasons to see the Manatee Players’ production of “Evita.” Need just one? I’ll go with Dianne Dawson’s chilling rendition of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” It will make you instantly forget every other version of the song you’ve heard before.

And maybe even dry your eye.

Details: Sept. 20-Oct. 7; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays; 2 p.m. Sept. 29. Manatee Players Riverfront Theatre, 102 Old Main St., Bradenton. Tickets: $26 (adults), $15 (teachers) and $13 (students). Information: 941-748-5875 or www.manateeplayers.com.

—Photo provided of Dianne Dawson as Eva Peron in Manatee Players production of "Evita."

Manatee Players' multiple wins in Atlanta; nationals up next

Manatee Players' "Sunday in the Park with George"/Paul Videla

In addition to winning Best Production on Saturday, the Manatee Players' staging of “Sunday in the Park with George” at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Atlanta on Friday, which January Holmes gave us a mini review of the same day here,  also picked up some other big honors:

• Best Director (Rick Kerby)

• Best Music and Vocal Direction (Rick Bogner)

• Best Technical and Production

• Best Actress (Dianne Dawson)

• Featured Actor (Steve Dawson)

As reported Saturday, Manatee Players now move to the national competition, AACTFest, in Rochester, N.Y., in June. Click for national festival information.

Manatee Players to start work on exterior of new theater

Manatee Players Performing Arts Center/screen capture from video below

From my Manatee Players story running in today's Herald:

The Players’ Riverfront Theatre in downtown Bradenton at 102 Old Main St. has a capacity of 246.

The main stage of the Manatee Players Performing Arts Center (pictured), at nearby 502 Third Ave. W., will seat just fewer than 400 while its second stage should accommodate a crowd of about 100.

The not-so-new, three-fourths-finished facility remains $3.5 million short of the $12 million required to open and operate -- with $15 million cited as the overall completion goal.


In early December, the Herald reported the Players stood only $40,000 short of cash on hand to launch work that would complete the exterior -- one many consider an eyesore and community embarrassment.

“We will be starting in the next month on the exterior,” Players Capital Development Director Janene Witham said.

Click for entire story, which includes Witham's thoughts on the Downtown Development Authority giving Ezra Cafe $250K to relocate downtown and Managing Artistic Director Rick Kerby's thoughts on recent record-setting box office numbers first reported here.