Josh, tell us about the show and why you wanted to direct it.
Josh: The show is a retelling of the classic legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy The Once and Future King. More specifically it focuses on the love story between Arthur, Queen Guenevere and Lancelot. I wanted to direct it because I think the score is one of the loveliest in the musical theater canon. Also, there has been no recent productions in the area (and not in the last thirty-five years), and I knew I had people I could work with - actors, musicians and artists - to do this production justice.
Any challenges you're running into?
Josh: There are the usual challenges in mounting a musical, but for me the big challenge of this production is to present the show with a degree of opulence that folks expect from a production of Camelot, and at the same time preserve a certain intimacy and not let it be overwhelmed by spectacle.
Can you tell us a moment from rehearsals that really made you laugh/cry/pump your fist in the air with a resounding "YES!"
Josh: I pump my fist in the air whenever an actor gets off-book with a scene... Seriously there are a number of wondrous moments in the production process: when the designs for set and costumes are unveiled, when the ensemble sings with such beauty, when the big dance number (for Lusty Month of May) is performed and looks absolutely spectacular. But my favorite moments are when in the course of rehearsals actors manage to connect with the material, and bring it to life in the most wonderful vivid manner. And that, I think, is the most wondrous thing about Camelot -- there is substance to the show, that it is literate and has humor and heart. And I hope that is what audiences take out of this production.
Camelot opens September 24th at the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City. After Camelot, ICCT offers a very different kind of musical - Zombie Prom. The show follows the story of Jonny, a rebel who eschews the "h" normally found in his name, and Toffee, a good girl whose parents don't approve of the rebel. They fall in love but are pulled apart leading to someone becoming a zombie. The second act deals with the age old question: Should zombies be allowed in high school? There's plenty of singing dancing in the show, which is sure to appeal to regular ICCT theatergoers.
The first show in 2010 will be Wonderful Town, book by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Greene, and music by Leonard Bernstein. Director Ben Bentler has created a website so everyone can follow the show's progress from pre-production to auditions and rehearsals to performance. We had a chance to get the inside scoop on the show from Ben.
Ben, can you give us a little background about yourself?
Ben: My background is strictly in musical theatre and voice. I graduated from the University of Iowa with a Vocal Performance degree and have worked on as Director and Music Director on nearly 40 shows. I teach privately voice and piano and focus very much on Stanislavski technique being integrated into the vocal practices of my students.
Tell us about this website you've created for the show.
Ben: I’m planning on putting information up for the actors and a place to give a sneak peak to the public. You can peruse the articles to give your evenings worth of entertainment a bit more pizazz by understanding where the authors came from and myself.
That sounds great. So Wonderful Town. I admit I had never heard of it. What made you suggest it to ICCT?
Ben: Wonderful Town is a fantastic show. I’ve been proposing it to organizations in the area for about five years since I heard the music by Leonard Bernstein. As my degree is in music, the Bernstein score really shines as one of the most remarkable aspects of the show. It’s sort of a hidden treasure of the musical theatre world as very few have heard about it.
Can you give us a synopsis of the story?
Ben: Ruth and Eileen are two Midwestern women who are thrown into the wild heart of Greenwich Village. In this show, they minimize the struggle of the Depression, and show people living there lives free of the struggle outside in the rest of the country as most of the denizens already were on the brink of poverty (starving artists). Greenwich village at the time was becoming less of a true bohemia, as it was in the teens and the twenties, and more of a regular art community. Tourists were now being brought in (as in the opening number) and shown these “rebels,” however with the growing tourism, the true rebels were long since gone. Nonetheless, it was still a place for artists and creatives to share ideas and work together to create amazing pieces of art.
What one word sums up the show?
Ben: If I were to give this show a one word theme as I often do when preparing is would be TENACITY. Ruth is an unusual women of the day. As per the script, she is written in very awkwardly for the 1930’s: a women who is very intellectual and speaks her mind. As per the score, she is meant to sing an octave lower than written. It’s a baritones range! Even through this she still seeks what so many of us do, companionship and success in what we are passionate for. She is a writer and struggles throughout the show to find someone to publish her. The very man who winds up paying attention to her work also finds interest in her as a woman. However, after some poor choice of words, she tells him to take a hike, even though he would be the only one at the time willing to publish her. She shows strong integrity to herself and to her work, even through a very difficult time for woman’s rights.
What else can you tell us about the show?
Ben: Throughout this entire story, however, there is the delightful and very complex scoring of Bernstein that really accentuates the importance of Jazz in an era where it was really being brought to the forefront of popularity. It’s a very anxious and energetic score that will keep you and your ears on your toes. Also, jokes and the smart humor of the writers Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov are sprinkled throughout the show. All in all, it’s a show that keeps you laughing and listening and should leave you with the feeling that hard work and high integrity will pay off in the end as it does with Ruth.
After Wonderful Town, we are treated to an original piece by local writer and director, Michael Sokoloff. Sokoloff has worked in New York (on Broadway and off), in Chicago store-fronts, in summer stock theatres large and small, and everywhere in between. He was the Fight Director for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Tony-winning production of The Grapes of Wrath starring Gary Sinise. His theatre company Aggravated Assault Ensemble focuses on "a rigorous physical approach to training actors, developing scripts, and mounting productions." His play, Bend in the Road, follows two young adventurers on the Oregon Trail as they stumble upon a wagon of strange characters. In the wagon is a beautiful trunk. They find a suit of clothes which transforms one of the. "It raises the question of whether clothes make the man," says Sokoloff. "It's about judging people superficially." When asked if it's a morality tale, Sokoloff cops to the description despite not wanting to admit it. He adds that it's a "wry play with music. Kind of rascally." It may be rascally, but it also won Northwest Regional Playwrights Conference in 1998 and was one of five playa chosen for the Chicago New Play Festival in 1999.
Sokoloff noted that before he staged the show again, he knew he needed good composer. He found one with Nathan Basinger, who has his finger to the pulse of the piece, says Sokoloff. Audiences will find the show has a music hall feel. After a show from a local writer, ICCT ends the season with a play by one of the most well known American playwrights, Neil Simon. Written in 1977, the show is called Chapter Two. It examines the life of a widower who is discovering the second chapter of his life. We talked with Brian Tanner, director of the show.
What lead you to choose a little known Neil Simon play?
Brian: I was perusing the plays at the ICCT library and came across this title by Neil Simon that I hadn't heard of before. I started reading it and was immediately hooked. It had the classic Simon wit and zing to it but was this really deep and emotional story about people trying to discover love again. It was refreshing not to be as familiar with this play as say, The Odd Couple, because it was like experiencing something like The Odd Couple for the first time.
Can you tell us a little bit about the story?
Brian: This is a more intimate play involving four adults with a lot of emotional baggage that they bring with them to their new relationships. The main character is a widow who is still recovering to some extent who decides it may be time for a new beginning, or Chapter Two in his life. He becomes involved with a woman who is recently divorced and not sure if she is ready for another romance so soon. Eventually they meet because of his brother and her est friend and hit it off and maybe a little too well. I found that because these people have these histories, they became much more complex and interesting than your usual "star-crossed lovers". Underlying the surface of all this is Simon's gift for dialogue and wit.
What do you anticipate to be the challenges with this show?
Brian: One of the challenges may be in the casting because it is such a small cast. I hope that many people in the area will be interested in this production so am hoping for a good turnout. I have no preconceptions about the parts as long as they can generally play characters within the same age range and they need to fit well together. Once I decide on one cast member that will affect the dynamic of who is cast in the other roles. So as long as people are in the ballpark I would encourage them to audition. I think this is going to be a really fun show to really stretch one's acting wings in. I'm really looking forward to working on this project.
Anything you'd like to add?
Brian: I appreciate that ICCT is willing to do this play even though it might not be one of his "standards." I don't think Simon fans or fans of intelligent, grown-up comedies will be disappointed.
There's no question ICCT has put together an eclectic season of shows. For more information about the season, check out their website.
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