2007-03 Vital Source Mag – March 2007
The Days of Wine and Roses
By Russ Bickerstaff As anyone who has been anywhere near it could attest, there is little if anything romantic about alcoholism. And as quaint and idealized as the picture of Irish drinking culture has become in this country, there is little that separates an Irish alcoholic from a Russian alcoholic from an American alcoholic from an alcoholic anywhere in the world. Exploring the tragic nature of the addiction, the Boulevard Ensemble Theatre trots out Owen McCafferty’s compelling dramatic duet The Days Of Wine And Roses. On an exceptionally bare set, Amy Kull and Tom Dillon star as Mona and Donal, an Irish couple meeting for the first time at an airport in Belfast in the early ‘60s. They meet as each are headed to London. He’s going there to further his career as a bookie; she’s going there because she’s fascinated by what she’s heard abut London. The two find themselves leaving familiar elements and have that first drink of whiskey together. Things are never so happy as they are in this opening scene, which manages to capture much of the initial euphoria of two people meeting and falling in love. The Irish accents are solid enough to sound reasonably authentic for Milwaukee ears. They aren’t alarmingly real, but thankfully, both Kull and Dillon know when to tone down the accents and simply let the characters breathe. Nowhere is this more apparent than in this opening scene. The two agree to spend their lives together in the second scene, but we begin to see the seeds of emotional and physical dependency take hold. Things begin to get a bit darker with the third scene, set a full two years after Scene One. We begin to see all the classic charm of an abusive alcoholic romance. It’s not real pleasant to sit through, but Kull and Dillon provide performances with enough depth to keep things from ever getting too entirely dark. Everything does, however, continue to get less and less comfortable as the play crawls toward the ninth and final scene. It’s a very slow crawl to the end in the intimate confines of the Boulevard Theatre. Based on J. P. Miller’s mid-century original drama, a story like this was much more powerful when it first debuted. Alcoholics Anonymous had only been around for a couple of decades back then and the real drama of addiction had only just started to surface on the stage and screen. Now that it’s been thoroughly explored and dissected in dramatic presentations of every shade, The Days Of Wine and Roses doesn’t come across as shocking – just kind of pathetic. As uncomfortable as it is to spend an evening with a couple of abusive, drunken people, it’s even less comfortable sitting through a couple of hours watching a couple of bad actors attempting to portray a couple of abusive, drunken people. Thankfully, we are spared that here. Kull puts in her usual stellar performance and Dillon matches that with what might be his best […]
Mar 20th, 2007 by Vital Archives
The Glass Menagerie
By Jill Gilmer It’s beginning to show its age… or is it? When Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie was first produced in 1945, it drew praise from audiences and critics for its portrayal of a man’s struggle to balance his family responsibilities with his longing for inner fulfillment. This theme, which had broad relevance in the post-depression era, seems quaintly outdated in 2007. However, The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre breathed new life into this American classic by bringing it to the stage with a talented African-American cast and director, creating a provocative theatre experience that challenges racial stereotypes. The Glass Menagerie gives us a peek into the world of the Wingfield family. At its head is Amanda Wingfield, an aging and irritating Southern belle played magnificently by Brenda Thomas. Amanda is struggling to hold on to the privileged lifestyle with which she grew up. Her goal is complicated by her charismatic husband’s decision to walk out on her and her two children many years earlier to pursue his dreams. Amanda is left with the daunting task of maintaining a household with her two adult children: Laura, a shy and crippled 24 year old at risk of becoming an “old maid,” and Tom, a restless 22 year old trying to live up to his mother’s expectations to support the family on a factory worker’s salary while yearning for real-life adventures on par with the movies he adores. This tension-filled family unit begins to unravel when Tom invites Jim Connor, a charming and ambitious co-worker, to dinner with the covert objective of marrying off his sister. What would happen if this all-American story were depicted by African-Americans? Would this classic play transcend race, or would race transform the story? These were some of the questions that motivated director Jacqueline Moscou, who also directed an African-American cast in Death of a Salesman. I believe the answer is both. The human experiences of love, guilt and desire for social status and self-actualization are not bound by race. A blind theatergoer may be unable to detect that the characters are black. However, a sighted audience brings a range of expectations about class and race that this production may confront and challenge. Were there really wealthy black families whose daughters aspired to marry plantation owners? (Yes.) Are there black men who anticipate technological revolution (i.e. the coming of television) and have the discipline and focus to position themselves to take advantage of it? (Yes.) Are black men who abandon their families to follow their dreams any worse than affluent white men who do the same? Ms. Moscou’s Glass Menagerie depicts a world with which few Americans, black or white, are familiar. The story of wealthy African-Americans, many of whom have hired help (and for some, back in the day, slaves), is rarely depicted in the mass media. The references to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the 100-year-old college sorority for black women, may have escaped many in the audience. This production could be praised as refreshing and […]
Mar 14th, 2007 by Vital Archives
Smokey Joe’s Café
By Peggy Sue Dunigan The sparks on stage opening weekend for Smokey Joe’s Café at the Skylight Opera were more than electric. Every facet of this musical revue was on fire. Celebrating the most prolific songwriting team from the ‘50s and ‘60s, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the review celebrates about 30 of their songs with blazing style. This ground breaking team infused R & B with rock & roll, adding in melodies of jazz and cabaret, and produced 14 #1 hits over four decades. Leiber and Stoller have influenced many songwriters, including Lennon and McCartney, and the duo was inducted into both the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. While the audience will perhaps remember “Kansas City,” “Love Potion #9,” “Jailhouse Rock” and “Hound Dog,” the revue reverberates through the theater even more creatively on less familiar tunes. The sensual “Trouble,” with a white curtain for a backdrop, and “Don Juan,” which innovatively uses a purple boa, are mesmerizing. Throw in the gospel numbers “D.W.Washburn” together with “Saved” and the staged burned out the fires of hell. The second-act highlights include “Teach Me How to Shimmy,” “I Am a Woman” and the oft immortalized “Stand By Me.” Although every song during the two hour revue could stand-alone. Set in an imaginative post World War II industrial steel framework, complete with a silver catwalk and spiral staircase accented in red, the scenes smoke with creativity. Seamless stage maneuvers and costume changes keep the audience on the edge of their seat while Donna Drake’s compelling choreography and musical director Jamie Johns keep fanning the flames throughout this revue. Stacey Galloway (costume designer), Annmarie Duggan (lighting designer) and Mikhail Moore (sound designer) add their own brand of magic. The six-piece band is a pleasure to watch perform in the background, adding another element of perfection. The talent of each of the nine cast members is also red-hot. Although four are familiar to the Skylight, the remaining five are making their debut to Milwaukee’s delight. Each member has their own individual moment on stage, but alone or together this cast creates combustion every minute of the show, whether slow burning sexy or snap crackling fun. With song or dance, this cast is dynamic and consumes the stage. The audience could barely contain themselves on Saturday night as clapping and cheers combined with lip-syncing in the Cabot Theatre. Afterwards, the free cabaret performance in the Skylight Bar glows with A Nite of 1000 Songs, which includes Ray Jivoff, Liz Baltes, Chris Klopatek and, again, the untiring Jamie Johns at the piano. This becomes a wonderful encore to Smokey Joe’s Café, the high energy, hot ticket in Milwaukee. VS Smokey Joe’s Café is performed in the Cabot Theater at the Broadway Theatre Center through April 1, with the cabaret performance following. Tickets: 414-291-7800
Mar 12th, 2007 by Peggy Sue Dunigan
The Voysey Inheritance
By Russ Bickerstaff The forced perspective is ominous in every single detail and I’m not just talking about the set. Scenic designer Linda Buchanan has taken what probably is little more than glass, plywood and metal strips and turned them into something that brilliantly conveys a feeling of overwhelming immensity in the finite space that is the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater. This set doesn’t represent just any ban – it represents every bank. The bank frames the action in The Rep’s production of playwright Harley Granville-Barker’s early 20th century political drama, The Voysey Inheritance. In one of the Rep’s best performances of the season, Brian Vaughn plays Edward Voysey, a man set to inherit the substantial fortunes of the family business from his father (James Pickering). The play opens as Mr. Voysey reveals to Edward certain particulars of the business he is set to inherit. In a particularly fascinating bit of dry business conversation, Edward expresses outrage at the fact that his father has been taking money from people who have entrusted it to his business in order to finance a very lavish lifestyle. The elder Voysey assures Edward that the money will be there for his clients when they need it. Thus begins the journey of discovery that every subsequent generation learns from the one which preceded it. All is not as neat and tidy as we have been led to believe and the responsibility for the colossal mess will soon rest in our hands. All too quickly the elder Voysey passes away, leaving Edward with the choice of either putting things right with the business or maintaining things as the have been for decades. It’s a difficult choice that involves not only his substantial fortune, but also that of a large extended family that relies on money unlawfully amassed by the business. Aiding Edward in his decision is his long-time romantic interest Alice Maitland (Jessica Bates). Edward has proposed to Alice on numerous occasions to no avail. Bates and Vaughn do an admirable job of delivering the kind of chemistry that attracts two equals romantically interested in each other while also accurately portraying the kind of perpetual posturing that keeps them from ever really getting together until outside forces necessitate it. It’s the most satisfying romantic performance to hit the stages so far this season. The rest of the Rep cast rounds out the stage quite well. We see Rose Pickring in a clever performance as the hearing impaired widow of Edward’s father. Yes it’s incredibly lowbrow and more than a tad insensitive, but as old as deaf comedy is, it never fails to hit. It’s Rose’s brilliantly delayed timing that makes it work so well here. Jonathan Smoots plays vanity with his usual flair as the pompous Booth Voysey. Capable of lending fresh elements to any ensemble, Gerard Neugent cleverly plays the artistically inclined Hugh Voysey. His decision to forfeit his inheritance for the good of the company near the play’s end holds a startlingly memorable bit of […]
Mar 12th, 2007 by Vital Archives
Bob Mittnacht and the Crowning Glories
By Blaine Schultz Tuning into WMSE on Tuesday nights for the Midnight Radio program might give you some advance warning of the influences that figure into Bob Mittnacht’s talents as a songwriter. Coming off somewhere between Garland Jeffries and T-Bone Burnett, Mittnacht and his band combine guileless lyrics with an organic rock sound the features great pedal steel swells by Ken Champion and Hammond organ parts from Larry Byrne. As a guitarist Mittnacht’s clean and economic Telecaster lines add punctuation with punchy riffs. Prismatic childhood memories of older gearheads as well as thoughts of raising one’s own family root these songs in something other than the latest hipster fad. There’s nothing trendy here, just sturdy tunes built for the long haul. Not that Mittnacht doesn’t have an axe to grind. “All Screwed Up,” the ominous “There’s A Better Way” and “Ivory Tower” illuminates his social conscience and frustrations with the powers that be. Here’s to the emergence of the Port Washington Sound. VS See Bob Mittnacht and the Crowning Glories opening 3/11 at Shank Hall with Chris Difford of Squeeze
Mar 9th, 2007 by Vital Archives
A Lie of the Mind
By Russ Bickerstaff Playwright Sam Shepherd is known for some pretty brutal drama. People go through intense stress. People get hurt. Sometimes things get weird. And, in the case of A Lie Of The Mind, sometimes things get REALLY weird. Windfall Theatre continues its 14th season with a thoughtful staging of one of Shepherd’s most compellingly off-center works. Thomas and Sonia Rosenthal play Jake and Beth, the archetypal abusive young lovers who really should never have gotten together in the first place. With Shepherd’s script, we don’t see them together for much of the play. This is after the pain and suffering of incompatible love. The play happens well after the relationship has completely fallen apart. Beth is in the hospital and Jake has put her there. Mistakenly assuming that he has killed her, Jake goes to see his brother Frankie (Keith Tamsett) to help him sort things out while Beth finds herself visited by her brother Mike (Robert W.C. Kennedy) in the hospital. As Frankie tries to piece together what Jake did to Beth, Mike spends time with Beth trying to help her recover. The Mike and Beth dynamic is much more interesting at this point. Beth has been severely damaged by the beating Jake gave her. She can barely speak the language, as many words are lost to her. Shepherd gives her some very powerful lines with a severely limited vocabulary. Sonia Rosenthal performs the lines impeccably. It’s one thing to sound stilted by deliberately sparse dialogue . . . it’s another altogether to make that stilted dialogue sound natural. Sonia plays it beautifully. Through Sonia, we see the damage that has been done to Beth and it carries much of the first act. Thomas Rosenthal’s performance as Jake, however, is missing something early on. Mike struggles as Jake struggles to express himself to a world of which he’s very fearful and suspicious. Rather than being compellingly uncomfortable, Jake’s early scenes are just plain uncomfortable, which has its own effect entirely. The play rolls into its second act as we are introduced to more characters. Frankie takes Jake to be with their family so his mother can look after him. Carol Zippel plays Jake’s mother, Lorrain, with all the misguided pride that comes with a character who has spent a lifetime covering for her son’s brutal mistakes. Zippel’s performance enhances Jake’s end of the story considerably. CommedySportz’s Stacey Meyer takes a fascinating dramatic turn playing Jake’s sister Sally. She just might be one of the brightest, most pulled together characters in the entire play, which means that as an audience, we’re seeing things more through her perspective than any other character in the play. Rarely has a character seemed this interested in being the emotional medium between the world of the play and the world of the audience. Meyer plays the character with precisely the kind of disinterested strength for which the role calls. Meanwhile, Beth is taken home to be with her brother, father and mother. Here […]
Mar 8th, 2007 by Vital Archives
Macbeth
By Russ Bickerstaff It’s a bombed-out brick wall that looks like it’s just barely survived some sort of apocalypse. There are sweetly sick trees dotting the stage. There’s a decaying playground merry-go-round over to the left. Civilized civilization has been here and left. What else could this be but Macbeth? Marjorie Bradley Kellogg sets the stage for Milwaukee Shakespeare’s production with a design meant to invoke an ambiguous contemporary era. The production design, a collaboration between Kellogg, Director Eleanor Holdridge and a few others, stands as one of the few modest innovations in an otherwise uncharacteristically unimpressive and disappointing production for Milwaukee Shakespeare. The witches. It always starts with the witches, played here by Alison Mary Forbes, Laura Gray and Ted Dyson. Immensely clever sound design by Joshua Horvath wraps those first few moments of the first act in a feeling of decay. That isn’t static or distortion everyone’s hearing over the speakers . . . this is Milwaukee Shakespeare – they have some of the slickest productions seen on local stages, they would’ve worked out any problems with the sound system in tech rehearsals. No, that’s not static; it’s a sound reminiscent of the clicking of a Geiger counter. We’re in terribly diseased times here and Horvath brings the setting across with strikingly subtle clarity. In walk the three witches in rags . . . every bit as creepy and diseased as one would expect. Dyson is hardly visible beneath garb and makeup and mannerisms that transform him into an old crone. Laura Gray looks refined and faded in somewhat dated fashions . . . like she’d just walked out of an old photograph on decades-old newsprint that had turned yellow in a gutter somewhere. She’s got a deliciously disturbing poise about her. And then there’s the fresh-faced wholesomeness of Alison Mary Forbes, which costuming, makeup and lighting have bleached into sickly emaciation. The three double as excellent background décor. They’re post-apocalyptic scavengers who seem to take particular pleasure in making scene changes and the action moving. Things settle down once the action takes hold. Relatively fresh from his performance as King Lear with the Rep earlier this year, Mark Corkins graces the stage for his second performance in the title role of a Shakespearian tragedy in a single season. Corkins is brash and gruff in the role of Macbeth with just the right amount of authentic fear peaking through from beneath it all. There something that doesn’t feel quite right about the way Corkins fills the role, however. At the risk of sounding overly critical (and downright pretentious), I preferred James DeVita’s performance in the title role of the American Players Theatre’s 2005 production. DeVita had the distinction of being both cold and vulnerable in the role of the tragic figure, making for a much more textured performance on the surface. Corkins’ vulnerability as Macbeth is much more subtle, making for an entirely different experience. Milwaukee Shakespeare’s production is everything one could expect from a well-funded theatre group […]
Mar 5th, 2007 by Vital Archives
Strong medicine for the healthcare access crisis?
By Ted Bobrow When Governor Jim Doyle laid out his health care proposal during his State of the State address in January, he dramatically transformed the debate about health care in Wisconsin. He summed it up succinctly: “The simple truth is, the time has come for the wealthiest nation in the world to provide access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance for its citizens – and Wisconsin can lead the way.” It’s an attractive scenario and perhaps very timely. Health care in today’s United States is truly Dickensian: the best of worlds and the worst of worlds. For the very wealthy and for people with good health insurance, there is practically no limit to the quality of available care. Double, even quadruple bypass surgeries are routine. Many cancers can be detected early enough to be treated completely. And promising new treatments are in the works for neurological disorders like epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and depression. What a wonderful world we live in, eh? Well, some of us do. In reality, the U.S. is a nation of haves and have-nots, where 47 million people, including 9 million children, have no health insurance. For many in this group, paying out-of-pocket for a routine mammogram or even going to an emergency room at the onset of chest pains is not an option. And the problem is only likely to get worse. With the cost of health care and the insurance to pay for it escalating at twice the rate of inflation and the primary U.S. employment base shifting from large companies to small (less than 100 employees), fewer and fewer employers are able to offer decent health coverage. Early innovations in our own state served as the model for the nation’s current system of unemployment insurance. The time may be right to turn Wisconsin’s progressive tradition towards the problem of the uninsured. The Clinton plan: a costly lesson While access to basic medical care would seem to be a need most appropriately addressed at the federal level, neither the President nor Congress have shown much interest in comprehensive health care reform since Bill and Hillary Clinton’s ill-fated attempt in the early 90s. When President Clinton took office in 1993, he identified health care as the first big challenge of his presidency and he appointed his wife to head a task force to come up with a solution. First Lady Hillary Clinton, now a senator from New York and the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, assembled a group of the nation’s leading thinkers on health care and got to work. The Clinton task force eventually put forth a proposal that sank like a stone. There were many reasons for this failure, but the most instructive of all was that the Clintons did not build adequate support for the proposal among several key stakeholders including, incredibly, Congress and the American people. The Clinton proposal was complicated, and it became an easy target for opponents, most notably health insurance companies and small businesses, who […]
Mar 1st, 2007 by Vital Archives
Out of the shower and up to the mic
By Brian Jacobson + Photos By Kat Berger It is a bitterly cold night in Milwaukee, and the idea of staying home and huddling around the warmth of a television set is alluring. Yet many brave souls venture out into the sub-zero darkness this Saturday evening. They’ve come to Frank’s Power Plant in Bay View to engage in the ancient Japanese practice of performing songs for a gathered audience. Until recently, karaoke (literally translated as “empty orchestra” ) fans in the greater Milwaukee area were hard-pressed to find more than a dozen weekly events. Developed in its present form in Japan around 1970 and imported to the states in the 1980s, the U.S. karaoke craze seemed to hit its zenith in the mid-1990s before going the way of the dinosaur and disco. But in the last few years, some funny things have happened involving consumer technology and pop culture, and karaoke has reared its sparkly head again. Now devotees can find a dozen events per night or more in Milwaukee alone, with midweek action of sometimes 20-25. Don’t blame it entirely on American Idol. Yes, the uber-popular contest show may have made people believe that stardom could be found with some colored spotlights, a stage and a wireless mic. But the current scene rarely involves contests for money. Hardly any even use a stage and spotlight. Nobody expects to become a star. HOPELESSLY DEVOTED The popularity of websites like singshot.com and video games like Karaoke Revolution certainly gave the genre a new shot in the arm. But let’s face it; it’s just not the same without a roomful of strangers and a slight tremble in the hand that holds the microphone. Karaoke’s new-found affection seems to be more about sentimental love for popular music from all decades and styles. Singers carry around that certain tune that speaks to them until they find themselves sharing with others. They bring their voices out of the shower or car seat and into the saloon. “I don’t know if it’s really more popular than ever,” says Moonlight Karaoke host Lee Seeber. “But I have been busier lately.” Seeber reflects on his craft as he sets up at Mo’na’s on a Tuesday night. He distributes piles of songbooks to the gathering score of patrons, who set upon them, scribbling out catalog numbers – mostly for country and ‘80s tunes. He got his start as a karaoke enthusiast at a local bar some seven years ago. One night, he was given a chance to take over the hosting gig. Nowadays he packs up his minivan as many as four or five nights a week and takes his own show on the road. Needless to say, he’s seen his share of performances. “Some people think they’re great…and while they’re not bad, they’re not good,” states Seeber. “[But] some are actually incredibly great. They’re usually the ones that don’t care and don’t flaunt it.” Far to the south in Wind Lake, super-sports bar Kelly’s Bleachers II is packed […]
Mar 1st, 2007 by Brian Jacobson
Consolidating control of the Titanic
By Donald Kaul Admit it, you were fooled. You listened to that wimpy State of the Union address and you thought President Bush was in full retreat before an angry electorate. Yet again you misunderestimated the man. The retreat was merely tactical. Less than a week after the speech, he returned to the fray, guns blazing. He signed a Presidential directive that, in effect, grants him control over all federal rules and policies developed to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy. The directive, which does not need Congressional approval, requires regulatory agencies to have a policy office run by a political appointee who makes sure proposed regulations don’t cost the regulated industries too much. (And by “too much,” I would imagine, they mean “anything.” ) In the past, such regulations have been the responsibility of career civil servants and scientists. From now on, political hacks will be running the show, preferably ones who don’t believe in abortion, stem cell research or evolution. If you liked Katrina, you’re going to love the next two years. As Rep. Henry Waxman (D-California) said: “The executive order allows the political staff at the White House to dictate decisions on health and safety issues, even if the government’s own impartial experts disagree. This is a terrible way to govern, but great news for special interests.” It occurs to me that what President Bush is doing, in his way, is resurrecting the administration of Richard Nixon. Like Bush, Nixon tried to put his political operatives at key positions in virtually every department of the government, to better exercise power. Like Bush, he wire-tapped his enemies, opened their mail and spied on them. He also had a burglary team working for him and we don’t know whether President Bush has one of those – yet. The genius of Bush, however, is that while Nixon had to resign his Presidency and nearly went to jail for his crimes, Bush commits them openly and no one lays a glove on him. It’s the War on Terror, don’t you know. Everything he does is legal because he’s a war president and he says it’s legal. It’s a terrific hustle and you have to give him credit for pulling it off. So he’s down in the polls a little, so what? The people he’s taking care of now will take care of him down the road. I do worry about our vice president, however. He seems to have gone a little…I don’t know…soft in the head, I guess you’d call it. A couple of weeks ago Mr. Cheney sat down with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and answered critics of the war in Iraq. “Hogwash.” That’s what he called the criticisms. The war, far from being a failure, has been a string of “enormous successes,” he said. We got rid of Saddam, we got rid of his sons, we established a democracy in the Middle East, we gave the Iraqis a constitution. “The world is much safer today because […]
Mar 1st, 2007 by Vital Archives
The Underpants
By Peggy Sue Dunigan In 1910, when this play was written, “a glimpse of stocking was shocking” and ultimately humorous. On a weekend in 2007, the shock factor may be slightly removed but the comedy continues as RSVP Productions presents a 90-minute version of The Underpants. Originally penned under the title Die Hose by Carl Sternheim, actor and comedian Steve Martin adapted the play, relieving the script of its more biting moments that had led the German government to originally ban the production. Martin infuses the original two acts with his own brand of sophisticated comedic timing and sexual innuendo while still retaining the commentary on class, feminism and fleeting fame. The company’s decision to reduce the play to one act does leave some of the impact, in both comic and social interpretation, behind. But RSVP’s performance, especially the female characters, still connects with the audience. Kelly Simon as Louise is perfect as the pretty “housfrau” who causes a stir by exposing her stockings during a parade in the park. Suddenly Louise is famous for her faux pas, which understand upsets her working class husband, Theo (Ken T. Williams). A striking, if not frightening, similarity to the tabloids today that speak to Britney Spears, sans underwear. Two men who “glimpsed this shocking event” seek to rent a room in the couple’s apartment, wishing to woo Louise as their lover. Louise’s friend and upstairs neighbor, Gertrude (Missy DeIrueste), encourages Louise in her newfound position of power and fashions even more exquisite underwear for her so she is able to optimize her options. DeIrueste’s role as Gertrude is reduced in this version, which is slightly dismaying as the two women, both in character and chemistry, create a strong presence when on stage. And the stage, for a small theatre company, sets the apartment of the German newlyweds quite appropriately giving added dimension to the production. Considering the American appetite and appreciation for lingerie, several elements in this script’s premise remain completely believable on a stage today, although subtly eccentric. Martin’s adaptation, along with the RSVP production, always extends the humor, laughs and smiles with each line. Yet the play consistently reflects, perhaps even in a more timely fashion, on the nature of fame – creating celebrities for the moment concurrent with the public’s fascination for the minuteness of events. VS The Underpants is presented by RSVP Productions in the Astor Theatre at the Brady Street Pharmacy, 1696 North Astor Street, through March 3: 414.278.0765 or www.rsvptheater.com
Mar 1st, 2007 by Peggy Sue Dunigan
Cé
By Evan Solochek + Photo By Richard Galling With Milwaukee’s strong Irish heritage, it’s no wonder that traditional Irish music is a fixture in this city. For proof, just check out Irish Fest, the Badger State Feis, the Cream City Feis, the renowned Celtic Irish Studies Program at UWM and the numerous pub sessions that occur on a weekly basis throughout the city. And prominent at each one of these Irish institutions is Milwaukee’s very own Cé. This local trio, made up of Asher Gray (flute, whistle, bouzouki, bodhrán), Randy Gosa (guitar, tenor banjo) and Devin McCabe (fiddle, concertina, whistle), play traditional and contemporary music from Ireland, England and Brittany. And while young, these three multi-instrumentalists have more than 35 years of musical experience between them and bring to this old-world craft a unique modern perspective, not to mention a level of skill often only seen in musicians twice their age. To hear more from Cé, check out myspace.com/cemusic or cemusic.net. 1. How did you three meet? I (Asher) met Devin when I was 14 or 15 and we’ve been playing together in sessions and different bands like Anam Rí and now Cé. Around the time that Anam Rí was coming to an end we started playing tunes with Randy in sessions around Milwaukee. It just seemed right that the three of us start a new group because we all shared a common passion for the music. 2. How would you describe Traditional Irish music to someone who had never heard it before? Traditional Irish music is dance music. It is directly connected to the roots in the dancing that accompanies it. Tunes provide a framework for dancing and for musicians to improvise over. 3. How does your young age affect your reception from either the audience or fellow Irish musicians? People who aren’t familiar with the music are sometimes surprised to see three guys in their 20s playing traditional music. I think it gives a little edge and helps to keep the audience’s attention. Anyone that plays it, though, knows that it’s music for all ages. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an 8 year old playing with an 80 year old. 4. Who would Cé like to collaborate with and why? We have always wanted to work with singers. As an instrumental band, our music yearns for that final element of vocal expression. Recently, Randy has been working with a singer from Boscobel named Andreas Transo, who would be a lovely addition. 5. What are your goals for Cé? We’re focusing on getting more gigs around the country and in Europe. There are so many great festivals and venues all over the world that focus on world and Celtic music. We’re also going to record a new album and hopefully release it this summer. VS
Mar 1st, 2007 by Vital Archives
