HAVE PASSPORT, WILL GO TO THEATRE - Part 1

HAVE PASSPORT, WILL GO TO THEATRE - Part 1

Theatre Adventures Abroad

I love to travel. It broadens the mind, enriches the soul and is just plain fun. While I can get into pretty scenery and quaint villages, I'm an urban boy at heart and given the choice, a city vacation usually wins. (A combination of pretty scenery, quaint villages and a city is even better!) Living in a major city, I enjoy the energy of cities and the variety of cultural treasures to be discovered in them. And, of course, if at all possible, we try to catch some theatre. Although the basics of theatre really hasn't changed much since the Greeks, and please notice I said basics, and theatre at its core is theatre no matter what country you're in or what language the play is performed in, each country has its own star network and names I have never heard of before are major stars in their native countries. And, yes, even though we share many personalities with the U.K., for example, the U.K. also has its share of actors that we're not familiar with whose names sell tickets at the box office.

Want some examples? Read on.

DEVON: Roughly three hours by train from London in southwest England is the county of Devon. Home to historic Exeter, vibrant and commercial Plymouth and the seaside beauty of Sidmouth, Devon has everything you'd expect of a picturesque English county…winding, narrow roads, beautiful, old buildings, and an abundance of theatre. After all, this is the nation of Shakespeare and the theatrical tradition still thrives. For proof, I offer the following.

REBECCA - Manor Pavilion Playhouse, Sidmouth, Devon, UK - August, 1995

In the acknowledgments, the Open Hand Theatre Company is thanked. Our dear friends Ron and Roger were members of Open Hand and did many productions with them. On more than one occasion I would quip that Open Hand's sister company was the Closed Fist Theatre Company.  Think about it. I'll wait. For the record, this witty comment was always greeted with the same pained smile I'm sure it's getting now. Sigh.

The Manor Pavilion, Sidmouth

August, 1995. A taste of summer stock/repertory…UK style and part of the Charles Vance Summer Play Festival. Charles Vance, you say? You don't know of him? Seriously? I quote: "Although both Charles Vance and Imogen Moynihan have had separate and distinguished careers as actors and directors in their own rights, they must now be unique in being the last of that anachronistic band of husband and wife teams presenting and working together in repertory." Still not ringing bells, huh? Don't worry. I hadn't a clue either…still don't. "Rebecca" is one of those hoary stories of dead first wives, evil housekeepers, secret-keeping husbands, deception, adultery, and lies. In other words, great fun. Smartly acted and directed, with an impressive physical production, this was hugely enjoyable. Our friends Ron and Roger would do many things at the Manor Pavilion before leaving Sidmouth. The Manor Pavilion seats 277 in a gently raked auditorium that offers good sightlines from all seats. Even better, a full bar offered libations before and after the show and during the intervals.

Sidebar: Sidmouth is one of those quintessential British seaside communities that you envision whenever you hear someone in a British play, film or TV show say that they are going to vacation by the sea. Could Sidmouth be the "By the Sea" Mrs. Lovett dreams about when she sings of her longing for a more idyllic life with Sweeney Todd? Perhaps. Charming, yet with a surprising sophistication, I would spend lots of time here with my friends Ron and Roger, especially during the "Lick My Wounds" tour (see earlier post). It's a terrific place to get genuine clotted cream, not the fake stuff. Sidmouth remains a favorite spot of mine.

JOLSON - Theatre Royal, Plymouth, Devon, UK - September, 1995

September, 1995. Jolson covered 30 years in the life and career of Al Jolson through a bio-book and great standards from Tin Pan Alley and featured a mini-concert as its finale. Once referred to as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," in private life, Jolson was quite the douche, in stark contrast to his public persona. How much of this portrayal is fiction and how much is fact is unclear, but it provided for a lively and entertaining evening at the theatre with all the production bells and whistles one would expect from a West End musical. (Jolson had its tryout in Plymouth.) Beloved UK comedian and entertainer Brian Conley played Jolson in a dynamic performance that the audience ate up from start to finish. Popular stage and television star John Bennett played Jolson's friend and agent Louis Epstein. Until Jolson, I had not heard of either actor. Judging by the entrance applause awarded to both men, I was in the minority. Playing Ruby Keeler in a really nifty performance was Sally Ann Triplett, who I just saw here in Chicago in the tryout of the John Logan/Brian Yorkey/Sting musical The Last Ship. She was impressive then; she was impressive now.

Sidebar: It seems as if every major city in the UK has its own Theatre Royal. Originally the designation of "Theatre Royal" indicated that the theatre had received a Royal Patent, without which theatrical performances would be illegal. I won't even pretend to understand the logic, but Theatre Royals dot the landscape of England and Scotland. Plymouth's current Theatre Royal opened in 1982 with Princess Margaret cutting the proverbial ribbon. The main auditorium seats 1315. The auditorium is of that era and is functionally efficient and aesthetically cold. 

DICK WHITTINGTON - Northcott Theatre, Exeter, Devon, UK - December, 1998

December, 1998. The pantomime, or panto as it is commonly called, has been a tradition in British theatre since time began. Based on popular children's tales, the typical panto follows strict rues of format. For example, the hero is played by a woman (think Peter Pan), the Dame is played by a man in drag and there is always lots of audience participation. I couldn't tell you the plot if I tried, but it was all great, noisy fun. This panto was different in at least one respect: Dick, the hero, was played by a man. The Dame, however, was played in great exaggerated drag and the audience participated with glee. Even I got into the action, though perhaps I should not have cheered the villain. The folks on stage did not take kindly to that breach of protocol and good-naturedly, and to the delight of the audience, chastised the crass offender (me). It was a delightful experience and one that simply cannot be duplicated in the States.

Sidebar: Exeter is a historic town in Devon and home to Exeter University. A I-didn't-know-that fact: Exeter is home to third-oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom (1763). The theatre itself is a comfortable, small house that is now owned and operated by Exeter University. It opened in 1967 and seats, after a recent renovation 464.

And now let's cross the North Sea to….

STOCKHOLM!! A city of great beauty, history, culture, style, sophistication and real Swedish meatballs. Plus Sweden has one of the best looking royal families in Europe. Let's be honest here. Prince Carl Phillip is just plain H-O-T. In the princely good looks department, His Highness beats the crap out of those British brothers. Often called the "Venice of the North," Stockholm was a last minute subsititution for the actual Venice when proposed flights got delayed. (The joys of standby travel!) It was a convoluted journey there and back (Chicago-Cincinnati-Paris-Warsaw-Stockholm; Stockholm-Milan-overnight-Atlanta-Chicago), but the planned four days turned into a week and both of us fell in love with the city. The Old Town, the Castle, the City Hall, the jewel box of an opera house, the maritime beauty of the Vasa and the GLBT-welcoming atmosphere all made for a memorable time. Imagine our delight, then, when we discovered, quite by accident, that two popular musicals were on the boards during our stay. Needless to say, we beat tracks to the respective box offices. 

MY FAIR LADY - Oscarsteatern. Stockholm, SE - March 2009

March, 2009. Upon overhearing Bob and I chatting before the performance, the lady next to me tapped me on the arm and said, "You're American, aren't you?" (As if my flat Midwestern accent didn't give me away!) When I said "yes," she said, "You do know the show will be performed in Swedish, don't you?" I smiled and said that we both knew the show well and it wouldn't be a problem for us at all. And it wasn't. In any language, this is a masterpiece. It's not my favorite show, but there is simply no denying the magnificent score and the timeless tale that nearly 60 years after it first opened still enthralls audiences. Beautifully designed and staged, this production was as first-rate as any production I've seen anywhere. Leads Tommy Körberg and Helen Sjöholm are Swedish superstars with extensive recording and stage credits and even appeared together before in Chess. The audience greeted both of them with extended entrance applause. Yes, both of them were too old by at least two decades for the parts, but both performances were vibrant, well-acted and well-sung. (Curiously, the actor playing Pickering seemed too young. Go figure.) In Swedish, I didn't even mind Doolittle's two songs, which normally drive me up the wall. The show sailed along quite nicely until Act Two during the Embassy Ball scene. (In Stockholm, the interval came after the "Ascot Gavotte" scene with Mrs. Higgins, et. al.) Beloved Swedish stage, film and television comic star Henrik Dorsin played the smallish part of Zoltan Karpathy. Moments after his entrance in the scene, he went into an extended comic monologue that lasted about 10 minutes. Seriously. I know he wasn't doing Alan Jay Lerner's dialogue because I know the script doesn't include a reference to Chicago. Whatever the reference was, it got a huge laugh. While it may not have served the intentions of Messrs. Lerner and Loewe, or Shaw for that matter, it delighted the audience and after he finished to great applause, My Fair Lady resumed as though nothing had happened. Most strange. This production also, unfortunately, dropped one of my favorite songs, "Without You," possibly to accommodate Dorsin's bit? The highlight of this excellent production, however, was Sjöholm's brilliant "I Could Have Danced All Night." She sang it with a wondrous delight and vocal excitement and during the last chorus, the scenery disappeared and Eliza was alone on a bare stage and bathed in gorgeous lighting as she brought the song to an absolutely thrilling conclusion. Bar none, this was the best rendition of the song that I have heard. Ms. Sjöholm stopped the show cold and the ovation was exciting and deserved. A perfectly loverly evening!

Sidebar: Oscarsteatern was built in 1906, seats 905 and is Sweden's most well-known musical theatre.

THE PRODUCERS ("DET VǞRAS FÖR HITLER") - Chinateatern, Stockholm, SE - March, 2009

March, 2009. Although Susan Stroman isn't credited with the direction and choreography and none of the original designers recreated their work, this was virtually a mirror of the original production. (Were all of the creative aspects licensed?) Popular Swedish theatre stars Kim Sulocki and Claes Malberg (the bigger star of the two) played Leo and Max, respectively, with the brio these demanding parts required. And although all of the performances from leads to ensemble were crisp and professional, the direction and choreography tight and precise and all the design and technical aspects spot-on and although the show received solid applause at the end, it nevertheless somehow seemed, I don't know, forced? A bit too over-eager to please? It was obvious the audience enjoyed themselves, but there was never a real show-stopping moment in the show. "Springtime for Hitler" came close. Is it that Mel Brooks' broad humor didn't translate well into Swedish? Or is it simply that The Producers' time had come and gone? Concerns aside, however, it was enjoyable and fun. (And the ensemble men were mighty easy on the eyes!)

Sidebar: Chinateatern was built in 1928 as a movie theatre and seats 1250. The large front lobby is typical of movie houses built in those days. 

And just in case you're wondering, over in Sidmouth, the summer festival continues, though no longer under the auspices of Charles Vance who died in 2013 at the age of 83. This is quite the lineup and quite an ambitious season.

Enjoy the week. More later.

© 2014 Jeffrey Geddes