Square One’s Cast: ‘The Right People’

Written by Joanne G. Rochman
Monday, 16 November 2009 18:16

Square One, Stratford: As usual, Square One’s artistic director Tom Holehan has cast just the right actors in the current production of Charles Grodin’s The Right Kind of People.

While the play addresses the many biases of the privileged class quite well, the focus is narrow, and tends to be redundant and predictable. There is a bit of a surprise ending, but the beans won’t be spilled here. Overall, this is a good production of an entertaining one-act play.

Set in the 1980s and ‘90s, the board of a Fifth Avenue co-op apartment meets to discuss prospective buyers. Board members reject buyers who have young children, teens, pets, talk too much, or for any reason that pops into the board’s elitist heads.

For ‘The Man in Black’ only a rave will do

Written by Joanne G. Rochman
Monday, 09 November 2009 14:13

Honestly, I have never been a Johnny Cash fan, but the Downtown Cabaret’s The Man in Black has converted me.

Scott Keeton’s phenomenal performance not only turned me into an immediate Cash fan, but I’m now a die-hard Keeton fan as well. This man is absolutely fantastic.

Keeton is such a versatile musician, you don’t know what he’s going to do next. However, after the first number, you realize you’re experiencing an uncommon talent and that whatever he does, it’s going to be sensational.

Goodspeed’s “… Forum” miscast

Written by Joanne G. Rochman
Monday, 02 November 2009 16:36

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is one of those shows where you can laugh so hard, you cry.

With Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics, it’s impossible not to be taken in by the show’s witty numbers. If you’ve never seen this show before, then you still will have a good time at the Goodspeed Opera House with Forum. However, you won’t laugh that hard with this production, which overall is disappointing.

Audience upstages the actors

Written by Joanne G. Rochman
Tuesday, 27 October 2009 08:49

As with most productions of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, prop bags are sold before the show. They include: newspaper, directions for the “Time Warp” dance, a glow stick, a party blower, a bag of rice and a plastic glove. While the Bridgeport production was far tamer than its production last year, the audience was not.

There are plenty of opportunities for call-outs in this show. These are lines shouted by the audience to the actors on stage. They come at specific times with specific responses. The opening night audience didn’t wait for cues.