Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Broadway's Brightest Join Cast of Funny Girl Benefit
ReVision Announces Broadway Cast for Benefit Performance of
Steven Brinberg as Barbra Streisand in
Funny Girl
at the Paramount Theatre on the Boardwalk in Asbury Park
Asbury Park, New Jersey – ReVision Theatre announces star studded cast for benefit performance of Funny Girl starring Steven Brinberg as Barbra Streisand with very special guest Lainie Kazan. The one night only event will be at the Paramount Theatre on the Boardwalk in Asbury Park on Saturday, July 11th, at 8 pm. The show will be directed and choreographed by Connor Gallagher and music directed by John Fischer. Tickets are available online now at www.ReVisionTheatre.org or by calling 732-455-3059. Premium Seats are still available and tickets are priced at $100, $50, and $25.
For the first time in history, Fanny Brice will be played by a male, a complete “revision” of Funny Girl. Steven Brinberg is the premier Barbra Streisand Impressionist, having performed his show, Simply Barbra, both on stage & screen. Steven accurately portrays Streisand physically and vocally. Joining Mr. Brinberg on stage will be Grant Norman (Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast) as Nicky Arnstein, Loni Ackerman (Evita, Cats) as Mrs. Brice, Nicola Blackman (West End’s Mutiny!, Destry Rides Again) as Mrs. Strakosh, Ivy Austin as Mrs. Meeker, Laura Jordan (Cry-Baby) as Mrs. O’Malley, Claybourne Elder (Road Show) as Eddie Ryan, Harvey Evans (Sunset Boulevard, Oklahoma) as Florenz Ziegfeld, Gene Castle (Original Broadway Productions of Gypsy and George M) as Mr. Keeney, and Bill Coyne as the Ziegfeld Tenor. ReVision’s Funny Girl will also feature a Broadway ensemble of dancers and singers. The creative team includes Dawn von Suskil (Scenic Design), Brian Tovar (Lighting Design), and David Withrow (Costume Design)
Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Nominee Lainie Kazan will open the show with a few of her stories based on her experience with the original Broadway production of Funny Girl. Kazan at the time served as understudy to Barbra Streisand, finally getting to go on eighteen months into the run when the star became ill with a serious throat problem. On the Paramount Theatre stage, Ms. Kazan will perform “His is the Only Music that Makes Me Dance”.
With music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Bob Merrill, Funny Girl has some of the most popular songs in the history of musical theatre including “I’m the Greatest Star”, “People”, “You are Woman, I am Man”, and “Don’t Rain on my Parade”. Funny Girl follows the career of Fanny Brice, one of the funniest women of early American musical theatre. Fanny Brice made her first appearance in Vaudeville in 1910 and became “The Greatest Star” when she was discovered by Florenz Ziegfield and performed as a headliner in the Ziegfeld Follies for the next 25 years. Funny Girl is the story of Fanny Brice’s rise to fame and her overcoming a variety of obstacles including her heart wrenching relationship with her husband, Nicky Arnstein.
The Broadway musical Funny Girl, starring Barbra Streisand, opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in March of 1964, and ran until July of 1967. Barbra Streisand went on to star, making her debut, in the 1968 film of Funny Girl opposite Omar Sharif. She was nominated and won an "Oscar" her first time out. The song "People", sung by Barbra Streisand, became a standard around the world. The score to Funny Girl and the song "People" both won Grammy Awards in 1965.
ReVision Theatre is a non-profit 501(c)3 professional regional theatre company dedicated to producing invigorating theatre with a fresh new perspective reaching the diverse community of Asbury Park and Monmouth County. ReVision Theatre’s Producing Artistic Directors, Thomas Morrissey, David E. Leidholdt, and Stephen Bishop Seely, produce reinventions of previously produced classics, overlooked or forgotten work in a new way, and new work with a fresh voice. The company serves as a home for local artists and writers. ReVision Theatre also believes in the importance of theatre education and teaches children and adult theatre classes. ReVision Theatre produces readings, workshops, cabarets, concerts, and mainstage productions. ReVision Theatre’s 2008-2009 Season will end with the blockbuster musical, The Full Monty (August 12-September 6) at the Carousel Theatre on the Boardwalk in Asbury Park.
Visit www.RevisionTheatre.org or call 732-455-3059 for show calendars and more information.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
ReVisual: The Collaborative Work of ReVision Theatre
June 8, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW ART EXHIBIT OPENS WITH A FRESH TWIST
ReVisual: The Collaborative Work of ReVision Theatre
Opens June 19th at Market in the Middle
ASBURY PARK- ReVision Theatre is the subject of a new art exhibit, “ReVisual: The Collaborative Work of ReVision Theatre”, featuring the works of designers, photographers, scenic painters, and public artists who have contributed to the overall design of ReVision Theatre’s theatrical productions. The exhibit is an inside look of the process that takes place before the opening of a show. The art show will run June 19 through July 19 at local restaurant, Market in the Middle, 516 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey. Artists whose work will be on display include Kip Marsh, Sarita Fellows, Russell Schramm, Kathy Polenberg, Jason Sisino, and Chris Hartsgrove and feature designs and work from Hair, Scrooge in Rouge, Hello, Dolly!, and Kingdom.
The public is invited to the opening on June 19 at 7 pm which will also be a fundraiser for ReVision Theatre. All donations will go to ReVision Theatre and its programs. The opening is also in conjunction with Collide-A-Scope, a monthly arts event, sponsored by ArtsCAP, the Arts Coalition of Asbury Park.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for the community to come and see the “process art” work that happens before the actors take center stage,” says Dawn von Suskil, Artistic Coordinator of “ReVisual” and ReVision Theatre. “The work gives voice to each artist’s unique style. The theatre is a collaborative art form, and this exhibit will really show how all visions come together.”
ReVision Theatre is a non-profit 501(c)3 professional regional theatre company dedicated to producing invigorating theatre with a fresh new perspective reaching the diverse community of Asbury Park and beyond. ReVision Theatre’s Producing Artistic Directors, Thomas Morrissey, David E. Leidholdt, and Stephen Bishop Seely, produce reinventions of previously produced classics, overlooked or forgotten work in a new way, and new work with a fresh voice. The company serves as a home for local artists and writers. ReVision Theatre also believes in the importance of theatre education and teaches children and adult theatre classes. ReVision Theatre produces readings, workshops, cabarets, concerts, and mainstage productions. ReVision Theatre’s 2008-2009 Season includes a one night only benefit performance of Steven Brinberg as Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl on Saturday, July 11, at the Paramount Theatre with special guest star, Lainie Kazan and the blockbuster musical, The Full Monty running August 12 to September 6 at the Carousel Theater on the Boardwalk in Asbury Park.
Visit www.RevisionTheatre.org or call 732-455-3059 for more information.
CONTACT: Dawn von Suskil
Artistic Coordinator for Revision Theatre
732-822-8371
or
Tray Pressner
Market in the Middle
732-776-8886
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
'Kingdom' is a first-rate effort
ReVision marks its "Kingdom" in Asbury
By TOM CHESEK
Asbury Park Press
April 24, 2009
You may not completely catch what's being said onstage in "Kingdom," the hip-hop-flavored, bilingual musical drama now in its East Coast premiere engagement in Asbury Park. You might not be on the same page as its non-moralizing, largely sympathetic view of urban gang life. And you're probably not going to exit the auditorium humming the score.
But if you're interested in seeing a piece of modern musical theater that compels the attention, not through gimmicky stagecraft but through purely people-powered energy, then you've knocked on the right door.
When they set up shop in Asbury Park last year, the founders of the professional ReVision Theatre Company quickly distinguished themselves with their passion for musicals, their stated mission to bring some fresh and challenging fare to the local stage and their remarkable ability to transform the most oddball of spaces into a functional site for live performance.
"Kingdom" carries irrefutable evidence of the first two points, and the troupe's host venue — the generously scaled bingo hall inside the city's historic VFW building — shows that this young, essentially "homeless" company continues to earn its name daily. This is the same place where ReVision presented a silly holiday show last December. But this time, the room is configured so that the action takes place basketball-court style, with the actors inhabiting a long central area, a four-piece band on the raised stage and the audience set up on either side of the performance.
In the story by book author and lyricist Aaron Jafferis, a pair of Latino kids in an unspecified city — naive Juan (Christian Amaraut) and the ever-so-slightly more streetwise Andres (Miguel Jarquin-Moreland) — are on the lookout for more out of life, having quit their Dunkin Donuts jobs (and shared quarters when Juan's mom skips out on him). A dust-up at a neighborhood dance introduces them to tart-tongued Marisa (Desiree Rodriguez), sister of Cano (Dell Howlett), the charismatic head of the local chapter of the Latin Kings.
Hot music
Taking Juan and Andres into the fold — and dedicating himself to maintaining a fragile peace in his Portingale Park neighborhood — Cano finds it necessary to intervene when his hotheaded young charges get in a confrontation with drug dealers Hector and Danny (Keith Antone, Jose Candelaria). It's all done to a rocked-up score by Ian Williams.Jafferis makes some points about the ways in which wars begin and spiral out of control, using the litter-strewn park in the 'hood as his flashpoint. It's all done as realistically as possible for a show in which characters break out into song or scripted freestyle (the actors under the direction of Carlos Armesto and supervision of choreographer Tiffany Rachelle Stewart prove adept at both).
The two young leads remain strong and credible throughout, inhabiting the invisible cityscape of the show like they've lived there all their lives. There is such a thing as theater magic, after all, and in the end this first-rate company works to break down all barriers — cultural, generational, logistical — in bringing this highly charged show to life.
Additional Facts
KINGDOM
VFW Theatre, 701 Lake Ave., Asbury Park — 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 7 p.m. Sundays through May 3 — $25-$35
(732) 455-3059
www.ReVisionTheatre.org
By TOM CHESEK
Asbury Park Press
April 24, 2009
You may not completely catch what's being said onstage in "Kingdom," the hip-hop-flavored, bilingual musical drama now in its East Coast premiere engagement in Asbury Park. You might not be on the same page as its non-moralizing, largely sympathetic view of urban gang life. And you're probably not going to exit the auditorium humming the score.
But if you're interested in seeing a piece of modern musical theater that compels the attention, not through gimmicky stagecraft but through purely people-powered energy, then you've knocked on the right door.
When they set up shop in Asbury Park last year, the founders of the professional ReVision Theatre Company quickly distinguished themselves with their passion for musicals, their stated mission to bring some fresh and challenging fare to the local stage and their remarkable ability to transform the most oddball of spaces into a functional site for live performance.
"Kingdom" carries irrefutable evidence of the first two points, and the troupe's host venue — the generously scaled bingo hall inside the city's historic VFW building — shows that this young, essentially "homeless" company continues to earn its name daily. This is the same place where ReVision presented a silly holiday show last December. But this time, the room is configured so that the action takes place basketball-court style, with the actors inhabiting a long central area, a four-piece band on the raised stage and the audience set up on either side of the performance.
In the story by book author and lyricist Aaron Jafferis, a pair of Latino kids in an unspecified city — naive Juan (Christian Amaraut) and the ever-so-slightly more streetwise Andres (Miguel Jarquin-Moreland) — are on the lookout for more out of life, having quit their Dunkin Donuts jobs (and shared quarters when Juan's mom skips out on him). A dust-up at a neighborhood dance introduces them to tart-tongued Marisa (Desiree Rodriguez), sister of Cano (Dell Howlett), the charismatic head of the local chapter of the Latin Kings.
Hot music
Taking Juan and Andres into the fold — and dedicating himself to maintaining a fragile peace in his Portingale Park neighborhood — Cano finds it necessary to intervene when his hotheaded young charges get in a confrontation with drug dealers Hector and Danny (Keith Antone, Jose Candelaria). It's all done to a rocked-up score by Ian Williams.Jafferis makes some points about the ways in which wars begin and spiral out of control, using the litter-strewn park in the 'hood as his flashpoint. It's all done as realistically as possible for a show in which characters break out into song or scripted freestyle (the actors under the direction of Carlos Armesto and supervision of choreographer Tiffany Rachelle Stewart prove adept at both).
The two young leads remain strong and credible throughout, inhabiting the invisible cityscape of the show like they've lived there all their lives. There is such a thing as theater magic, after all, and in the end this first-rate company works to break down all barriers — cultural, generational, logistical — in bringing this highly charged show to life.
Additional Facts
KINGDOM
VFW Theatre, 701 Lake Ave., Asbury Park — 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 7 p.m. Sundays through May 3 — $25-$35
(732) 455-3059
www.ReVisionTheatre.org
'Kingdom' brings realistic gang life on stage
By Peter Filichia
April 24, 2009
The Star-Ledger
The current Broadway revival of "West Side Story" has garnered some criticism because its rival gang members don't seem tough, raw or real enough.
That won't be a charge leveled against the cast members of "Kingdom," the gritty and rather successful urban musical now at ReVision Theatre in Asbury Park. Director Carlos Armesto has found young performers, both male and female, who look as if they just came off New Jersey's most dangerous streets.
Thank the Lord, though, that they aren't out there, but onstage -- because they have channeled their energies in a far more rewarding and effective fashion. Every one of the 10 cast members has much more talent and training than the lost souls whose story they're telling in Aaron Jafferis' hard-hitting book and lyrics. Every one of them does an excellent job in singing Ian Williams' rock, hip-hop, and salsa music, as well as dancing Tiffany Rachelle Stewart's flashy choreography.
Juan, sensitively played by Christian Amaraut, wants to be a doctor, but he's going to have a hard time reaching that goal. At the moment, Juan has no place to live, because his mother has demanded he leave so her new boyfriend can move in. Has there ever been another musical as frank about the poor parenting that causes kids to go wrong?
Then Juan, because he was late for his donut shop shift, is fired. His good friend and co-worker Andres quits in a rash moment of solidarity. A theatergoer couldn't ask for a better Andres than Miguel Jarquin-Moreland, a hot-headed scene-stealer.
Where else is there for these boys to turn, but drugs? They hope that dealer Hector, played with convincing menace by Keith Antone, will give them some freebies (though they should know better). When Hector flashes his money, the lads steal it, and, in the show's least convincing moment, Hector doesn't chase them, but just watches them run.
Now that the two young men are flush, they look for romance. At a dance, both are smitten by Marisa. Says Andres, "I don't deserve to dance with you" -- to which Marisa snaps back, "You don't." Desiree Rodriguez has the perfect attitude of a lass that believes it her right and privilege to be haughty simply because she's attractive.
Marisa's brother Cano, enacted with steel-eyed cool by Dell Howlett, sneers at Andres, "You're so insecure you're not even sure you're there." The boys find that Cano is the self-appointed king of the neighborhood. Even in ad hoc street government, there's a hierarchy -- and good deal of bureaucracy to boot.
But here's where Jafferis' script takes a startling and welcome turn. Cano isn't just another street punk, but is someone in the Guardian Angels' mold. He wants to improve the neighborhood, and enlists Juan and Andreas to help. But such distressed streets aren't easy to clean up, and the rest of the show underlines the great obstacles in everyone's way.
Jafferis never neglects to show that these kids have a native intelligence that could bring them to greatness if they only got a break here or there. Whenever characters step to the bad side, they're not happy they're doing it. They simply can't see other options. A second act highlight has Rodriguez deliver a soliloquy message that all kids at society's crossroads should hear.
Williams' music delivers, especially in an anthem to Latino power. That fits the musical's conclusion that as much as people want money, they want and need respect just as much. En route, "Kingdom" becomes a show that itself deserves a good deal of respect.
Kingdom
Where: ReVision Theatre, 701 Lake Ave., Asbury Park
When: Through May 3. Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m.
How much: $15-$35. Call (732) 455-3059 or visit revisiontheatre.org
April 24, 2009
The Star-Ledger
The current Broadway revival of "West Side Story" has garnered some criticism because its rival gang members don't seem tough, raw or real enough.
That won't be a charge leveled against the cast members of "Kingdom," the gritty and rather successful urban musical now at ReVision Theatre in Asbury Park. Director Carlos Armesto has found young performers, both male and female, who look as if they just came off New Jersey's most dangerous streets.
Thank the Lord, though, that they aren't out there, but onstage -- because they have channeled their energies in a far more rewarding and effective fashion. Every one of the 10 cast members has much more talent and training than the lost souls whose story they're telling in Aaron Jafferis' hard-hitting book and lyrics. Every one of them does an excellent job in singing Ian Williams' rock, hip-hop, and salsa music, as well as dancing Tiffany Rachelle Stewart's flashy choreography.
Juan, sensitively played by Christian Amaraut, wants to be a doctor, but he's going to have a hard time reaching that goal. At the moment, Juan has no place to live, because his mother has demanded he leave so her new boyfriend can move in. Has there ever been another musical as frank about the poor parenting that causes kids to go wrong?
Then Juan, because he was late for his donut shop shift, is fired. His good friend and co-worker Andres quits in a rash moment of solidarity. A theatergoer couldn't ask for a better Andres than Miguel Jarquin-Moreland, a hot-headed scene-stealer.
Where else is there for these boys to turn, but drugs? They hope that dealer Hector, played with convincing menace by Keith Antone, will give them some freebies (though they should know better). When Hector flashes his money, the lads steal it, and, in the show's least convincing moment, Hector doesn't chase them, but just watches them run.
Now that the two young men are flush, they look for romance. At a dance, both are smitten by Marisa. Says Andres, "I don't deserve to dance with you" -- to which Marisa snaps back, "You don't." Desiree Rodriguez has the perfect attitude of a lass that believes it her right and privilege to be haughty simply because she's attractive.
Marisa's brother Cano, enacted with steel-eyed cool by Dell Howlett, sneers at Andres, "You're so insecure you're not even sure you're there." The boys find that Cano is the self-appointed king of the neighborhood. Even in ad hoc street government, there's a hierarchy -- and good deal of bureaucracy to boot.
But here's where Jafferis' script takes a startling and welcome turn. Cano isn't just another street punk, but is someone in the Guardian Angels' mold. He wants to improve the neighborhood, and enlists Juan and Andreas to help. But such distressed streets aren't easy to clean up, and the rest of the show underlines the great obstacles in everyone's way.
Jafferis never neglects to show that these kids have a native intelligence that could bring them to greatness if they only got a break here or there. Whenever characters step to the bad side, they're not happy they're doing it. They simply can't see other options. A second act highlight has Rodriguez deliver a soliloquy message that all kids at society's crossroads should hear.
Williams' music delivers, especially in an anthem to Latino power. That fits the musical's conclusion that as much as people want money, they want and need respect just as much. En route, "Kingdom" becomes a show that itself deserves a good deal of respect.
Kingdom
Where: ReVision Theatre, 701 Lake Ave., Asbury Park
When: Through May 3. Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m.
How much: $15-$35. Call (732) 455-3059 or visit revisiontheatre.org
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