Jet Plane: Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll

by Steve Black, assistant director of Passing Strange

Our story progresses. No one can resist Todd Gordon's voice as he yells "Jet Plane" repeatedly to stand in for a sound effect, underscoring the youth character's journey from L.A. to Amsterdam. The youth finds freedom from inhibitions as he discovers "hashish on the menu" of a local cafe, interacts with sex workers, and later discovers himself through avant-garde performance art in Berlin. While I've discussed the actors' focus on their various European dialects, now we are focused on each character's progression and each actor's portrayal of European artists and squatters during the 1980's. If you'd like to read more about the background info., I have just the program notes you've been waiting for! Just click here!

We have had the band in a couple of times this week and the rock concert experience that they add to the show has inspired the cast to make strong choices and let loose. Audiences will find that the band is not your traditional pit band, even if they are familiar with rock musicals. The band does not support the show, they are an essential part of the staging and the overall story that is told. The band members are on stage with the actors. They interact with them, sing, and even have lines. Audiences are in for a treat with the feeling of
community that this production provides. Today we will be on stage and use the set for the first time. Although simple, the set is very impressive. It provides our performers with many levels and options for climbing, jumping, and swinging. I look forward to reporting back on how things look once we use the stage later today!

Get your tickets today!

Passing Strange Set

Here is a quick sneak peak of the Passing Strange set being built.  Performances of Passing Strange start this Sunday, April 30th!  Hope to see you at the theatre soon.

Passing Strange Week 1 with Maurice E. Parent

Maurice E. Parent

Wow, I'm no longer a dinosaur! I've finally entered the world of blogging.  Oh, who the heck am I? Well, if you ask my mom I'm the next DENZEL WASHINGTON, but I guess I should introduce myself to everyone else. My name is Maurice Parent. I've been acting in the fair city of Boston off and on for about four years and the majority of my work has been on New Rep’s stage. I'm currently in rehearsals for Passing Strange, a rockin’ rock musical set to rock New Rep audiences starting May 1st. I’m here because the wonderful staff at New Rep has unleashed me into cyberspace to talk about the rehearsal process. So let's get down to the nitty gritty and start dishin' about Passing Strange.....and Aimee Doherty (another New Rep favorite).....because she deserves it.

We've been rehearsing Passing Strange for about a week now, and I have to say I am awed by the talent of this cast. Everyone is so good. Like not in that "I'm obligated to say everyone is good because I don't want someone to pull a 'Showgirls' trick on me by dropping some marbles on the stairs right as I come off stage kind of way.” (What's 'Showgirls' you ask? On mon frere /ma soeur, it's only the EPICLY amazing, so BAD it's GOOD movie starring a post-Jessie Spano, Elizabeth Berkley, and a pre-Desperate Housewives Kyle MacLachlan. Run, don't walk to your netflix account and add it. I'll give you a few minutes to do so.)

Ok, I've gone a little off topic here, let's focus, Passing Strange and Aimee Doherty.  Why? Because she deserves it (and because I love her). Passing Strange tells the story of one young man’s search for "The Real," which means something different to everyone. The young man (played by uber-talented Cheo Bourne, who was last seen as Nanki-Poo in Hot Mikdado) lives out his journey with the help of a narrator (the rockin' Cliff Odle), an actor portraying his mother (the mesmerizing Cheryl Singleton, who was in DollHouse), and four actors playing various characters the young man meets on his way to self discovery (the enchanting Eve Kagan, the golden voiced Kami Rushell Smith, the magnetic De’Lon Grant, and the SO-SO / How’d he get this job? Maurice E. Parent). Although this is my fourth time to work for New Repertory Theatre, this is my first time working with Artistic Director Kate Warner and I’m having a blast! Kate is awesome. She gives off a creative, experimental energy that encourages actors to explore themselves and their characters all the while knowing you can trust her to keep the story telling true and the play moving forward.  In addition to my role as the mediocre cast member, I’m also the dance captain (I make sure the cast stays on track with the choreographer’s, Kelli Edward, fancy dance moves once we end rehearsals.) This is not a typical musical in many ways. It’s part rock concert and part Brechtian theatrical experience. So the show’s dance / movement element has to be handled in a very specific way. Kelli is the perfect choreographer for this challenge. She is a master of making movement be an organic extension of what is happening in the scene and her wide and varied dance vocabulary is an invaluable asset. Not to give to much away but we have bits of Pop, African, Vaudevillian and Modern dance in this bad boy, just to name a few.

I could go on and on but I’ll leave you for now (that is, if anyone beside my mom is actually reading this thing.  (By the way mom, I’ll call you on Thursday, LOVE YOU!) I’ll be keeping you updated on how rehearsals are going and on Aimee Doherty sightings. Long live the king of Gondor!

Passing Strange & Stew

Kami Rushell Smith, Eve Kagan, and Stew.

What I love about rehearsal is the process of exploration, the journey, the discovery that comes from play. And let me tell you, no one plays harder than us! After a very productive day of rehearsal on Saturday, blocking the first act of the show, we drove up to Portsmouth to see Stew and Heidi play live.   (Stew and Heid Rodewald wrote the book, lyrics, and music for Passing Strange.)   It was incredible! Stew is larger than life on stage - dynamic, funny, spontaneous, bold, and completely genuine.  Not to mention the fact that he is just the sweetest man. He thanked us for putting up the show and both he and Heidi said they can't wait to see it!

The thing I appreciated the most about Stew is that he is not afraid to speak and sing about controversial issues and some of what he speaks about relates directly to the work I've been doing with the students at Brighton High for the Tell Your Story project. In working with teenagers and asking them to speak about their lives all of the issues relating to identity come pouring out including race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. My job has been creating a space for them to engage with these issues in a safe and creative way. My hope is that the project will give our audience a little taste of the day-to-day lives of these students, from struggle and challenge to inspiration and delight. Youth's journey in Passing Strange is a journey we can all relate to - the process of becoming who you are is both painful and beautiful. I'm beyond excited to be involved with both of these projects and look forward to sharing them with the New Rep audience.

"The Last Five Years" a Gem

New Rep's latest blackbox show has been playing to packed houses -- and with good reason! Directed by Jim Petosa, New Rep's production of "The Last Five Years" is a true delight. You'd be hard-put to find a show that is a more perfect blend of good acting, strong writing and direction, and high production values.

The musical, by writer and composer Jason Robert Brown, tells the bittersweet tale of the beginning and end of a young couple's marriage -- with a twist. The husband, Jamie (played ably by Mark Linehan), tells his part of the story from the beginning of the marriage to its end, five years later. (He starts with a terrificly funny song, "Shiksa Goddess," which doubles as a nice little biography of his character.) Meantime, his wife, Cathy (played brilliantly by Aimee Doherty), tells the story backwards, starting with a poignant song about the couple's break-up, and ending by falling in love. You might think that this would be confusing, but the trick becomes immediately clear in the first few minutes. The actors transition in and out of moments in time with ease and aplomb, suggesting that good acting and good direction are both at work.

While only these two actors set foot on stage, numerous superstars stand behind them. The music is catchy, and the book is quirky, current, and fun. The set is beautiful -- curved Chagall-stained-glass-style set pieces frame the action in a sort of "fishbowl," set off to exquisite effect by the excellent lighting design. And the live music was top-notch; it served to heighten all the sensations produced by the show (which run the gamut from joy to laughter to compassion to deep sadness).

All in all, New Rep has given Boston theatergoers a real gem in this lovely production.

~ Shauna Shames

The Last Five Years

The Last Five Years and its author, Jason Robert Brown, certainly attract a loyal following. The couple next to me appeared to know all the words and got excited for certain songs. After the show, I overheard another group talking about how they would go out of their way to see him or his works performed. I will admit that I am not one of his loyal followers. I've seen a few of his musicals (this was my second time seeing a production of The Last Five Years), and while they are pleasant, none have really struck a chord with me.

The play is a two character 80minute series of vignettes that show glimpses into a five-year period in the relationship of Cathy and Jamie. We get the see the journey of their relationship from when they are meeting, through marriage, and then separation. The work is inspired by the authors own relationship with his ex-wife. There is little interaction between the two characters as each is often either on stage alone or singing at the other person who isn't really there. There are some good numbers each gets to sing including "The Schmuel Song" as well as an entertaining audition sequence.

New Rep's production takes place in the Black Box where the space is reconfigured from the way it is often set up. The performance area is a strip in the middle of the space with the audience on either side. The set consists of two curved columns that feature a lot of blue and green and are illuminated from within as well as two stools. It works well for this show and in this space.

Aimee Doherty gives a stellar performance, as always. She does a great job at portraying Cathy throughout the relationship. She has a great voice that carries well in the space and manages to frequently connect with both sides of the audience. Mark Lineham also does a great job in his New Rep debut. His best moment (possibly the best in the show) is his performance of the very sweet Schmuel Song. At other times I found his character a little frantic going to each side of the audience, but an overall solid performance.

If you're a fan of this show of the show or composer, you will definitely love this production. If you're not an avowed fan, you will still have a good time with a short evening of theater.

Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

"The Last Five Years": No Ampersand Need Apply

By Jack Craib, New Rep Reviewer

New Rep’s production of “The Last Five Years”, Jason Robert Brown’s self-described “personal, not autobiographical” 2001 examination of the relationship between two artists, is a searing and soaring musical. It proved him a triple threat, as he was responsible for the music, lyrics, and, atypical for a composer outside of opera, his own orchestrations. Yet when it opened off Broadway, despite a Drama Desk award for Best Lyrics and Music and a handful of other nominations, it lasted just two months. Two years prior, Brown had won a Tony Award for “Parade” (for which he also wrote the music and lyrics) which also won Best Musical. The disappointing reception to “The Last Five Years” was inexplicable, except perhaps for its back story.

Before “The Last Five Years” was to open (at Lincoln Center), Brown’s ex-wife declared it way too autobiographical and personal, necessitating some basic changes to the plot and the substitution of a song. Meanwhile, the planned opening on Broadway was delayed, and the first production in New York (after a Chicago tryout) was at an Off-Broadway theater in its present form, with two future megastars, Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott. Even with two actors in their prime, the work never caught on, but has become a bit of a cult musical with numerous productions throughout the country as well as overseas. A fine version was done in the Boston area, not long after its New York premiere, by SpeakEasy Stage Company.

It’s an intense and absorbing work of theater, requiring a great deal of focus. As such, the choice of the Black Box Theater as a venue was a smart one, as is the New Rep’s set design. Since the plot evolves from the points of view of two characters, the stage is at the center of the house, with audience members sitting on opposing sides. The action takes place within a stunning fragmented Chagall-like globe, thanks to the brilliant creative vision of scenic designer Cristina Todesco. The taut direction by Jim Petosa avoids the pitfalls of typical theater in the round as much as humanly possible without making the audience dizzy from the necessary stage movement. (Some may recall, as does this reviewer, the halcyon days of the Carousel Theater in Framingham some decades ago with the players’ frantic efforts to keep from upstaging themselves for half the audience at a time).

The story is told forward by Jamie (Mark Linehan, in his New Rep debut) and backward by Cathy (Aimee Doherty, familiar to New Rep audiences from several previous productions). They meet onstage midway for a wedding song, the only appearance of an ampersand. Here they are referred to as “Jamie & Cathy”, as opposed to all the other numbers which are either solos or presented as separate antiphonies (“Jamie/Cathy” and “Cathy/Jamie”). This could be seen as a mere gimmick in lesser hands, but Brown manages to keep the two story lines involving and coherent. Not since Sondheim‘s “Merrily We Roll Along” has a work toyed so successfully with time.

The varied score includes elements of pop, jazz, rock, folk, classical, and even Latin and Klezmer influences, and is well served by both leads as well as by the excellent contributions from the five piece orchestra led by Todd C. Gordon. Linehan has the easier task with a logical progression from boyish excitement to maturing disillusionment, while Doherty must progress from mutual marital disconnection to the recapturing of their initial attraction and exuberance. It doesn’t hurt that each can hold her and his own with a demanding range of vocal challenges while remaining totally in character.

“The Last Five Years” in its New Rep incarnation would appear to have made more converts to the work. As the final production of the current season nears, (yet another very personal musical, “Passing Strange”), theatergoers can look forward with renewed interest to the New Rep’s next five years, and what that legacy will hold.

Inside the Rehearsal Room: Passing Strange

Hello everyone, this is Steve Black, assistant director of Passing  Strange. I’m very excited to be working together with Kate and this talented cast! The set, although simple, will be remarkably effective and industrial, giving the story the edge that it needs. Audiences will feel as if they are in a rock concert and will be able to focus on the story told by each of the actors on stage. The various levels of platforms involved in the set have given us interesting challenges in blocking, however, this is what helps keep things interesting and effective on stage.

We are in day three of the rehearsal process and well on our way to having a rocking show. We have sung through the show, some staging has begun, and choreography for one of the large group numbers has been taught. Although the majority of the time has been spent breathing life into the music, the cast is already showing how incredibly energized and fun this production is going to be. This group was very prepared coming into the rehearsal process and this has resulted in time for them to play while creating the many characters that appear throughout this work. We are currently researching and experimenting with the Dutch, German, and French accents/dialects that appear throughout the show. There have been many laughs and audiences are not only going to experience a rock concert, but more importantly a story that is compelling, heartfelt, funny and full of energy!