Playing flamboyant Mame Dennis in the musical version of Patrick Dennis’s comic tribute to his bohemian auntie is not exactly opening a new window for Leslie Uggams. After all, she has a history of being associated with the songs of composer-lyricist Jerry Herman. She appeared on Broadway in the retrospective revue, Jerry’s Girls and played Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, … [Read more...]
Slow Burn sees power in cult musical ‘Side Show’
The 1997 musical Side Show, about Daisy and Violet Hilton, real-life conjoined twins who exploited their congenital oddity in circuses of the 1930s, was either ahead of its time or simply too weird for a mainstream Broadway audience. It lasted a mere 91 performances in New York, losing its entire investment. It was nominated for four Tony Awards, including best musical, but … [Read more...]
Pilobolus shows power of collective invention
Pilobolus finished off the Duncan Theatre’s 25th anniversary season in a way that few dance companies can. Engaging and satisfying on so many levels, one can clearly sense the unique creative force required to present such a satisfying program. The company functions as a collective, collaborating to create the works that are performed, and you can feel the hours they spend in … [Read more...]
Gritty ‘Ajami’ gains power without preaching about Mideast life
There’s enough action in the opening five minutes of the Oscar-nominated Israeli film Ajami to fill the hourly quota of any prime-time drama: A young boy murdered, contract-style, in broad daylight while washing his car, a man defending himself by planting a bullet in a threatening, pistol-waving Bedouin mobster, that mobster’s family taking its paralyzing revenge on the … [Read more...]