Outstanding Performances of 2011

by James E. Trainor III

Theatre is a collaboration between a great number of artists with a wide variety of abilities - from writers to actors to graphic designers and everything in-between - but the role of the individual actor is unique because it gives the art a very personal feel. An actor can be a evocation of the audience's collective demons, a warm guide into a world of wonder, or simply an entertaining host for an exciting night out.

Today I want to talk about a few people who did a particularly memorable job of creating characters in the past year. This list is by no means exhaustive; we cherish all those who spend their time and energy bringing imaginary worlds to life. Please post in the comments if you have particular performances you remember fondly from 2011.


Mike Wilhelm as Mr. Applegate

Damn Yankees, TCR

Damn Yankees is a musical comedy about a man who offers his soul in exchange for the chance to be young again and win the Washington Senators the pennant. It's a fun, heartwarming, and clever piece that pops when it gets going. To really swing for the fence on this one, a company needs someone who can bring considerable stage presence to bear as Mr. Applegate, the sly, smooth-talking devil who tries to con honest Joe out of his soul.

Applegate does it all: sings, dances, even lights his cigarette with a flashy bit of stage magic. Wilhelm embodied the role with the smooth carelessness that can only come from weeks of careful practice. Whenever he stepped on the stage, the dramatic stakes rose and the pure fun of the piece went up a notch. The charm, grace and gleeful evil he brought to the role really sold the premise of the piece.

K. Lindsay Eaves as Abigail Williams

The Crucible, Dreamwell

If Mr. Applegate is the devil you love to hate, Abigail Williams brings a more realistic, decidedly frightening face of evil to the stage. The destructive, opportunistic girl embodies all the mendacity, paranoia and perversion that is present in Miller's depiction of the Salem witch trials. She is the shrill counterpart to the calm, maddeningly rational Danforth; a more active and therefore more dangerous evil.

K. Lindsay Eaves portrayed this vicious young lady with boundless energy and tireless commitment. She was never afraid to take things to the next level, and was always working with the other actors silently as the consequences of Abigail's schemes played out. The result was the perfect atmosphere for a script of this caliber. The work of Eaves and her scene partners kept the tension in this classic drama agonizingly high, and if you missed it, I'm sorry to say you missed one of the best productions of The Crucible to come to the Corridor in quite a while.

Saffron Henke in The Syringa Tree

Riverside Theatre

The area has no shortage of profoundly dedicated professional performers. Facilitated by companies like Riverside Theatre, these artists are able to bring incredibly immersive works like The Syringa Tree to the stage.

The Syringa Tree tells the story of South African apartheid from a variety of perspective, most notably from that of Lizzie Grace, who introduces us to this morally ambiguous world with childlike innocence and whose story we follow throughout the play. The show is remarkable because the same performer creates all the characters, and Henke did an amazing job creating a world that was absorbing from beginning to end. With no other actors and little set dressing to speak of, she applied her considerable skill and experience to play all parts, with equal dedication, in this bemusing, tragic and ultimately invigorating story.

Lincoln Ginsberg as Tobias and Emmy Palmersheim as Little Stone

Sweeney Todd and Eurydice, TCR

Theatre is above all else a art that enlivens the spirit of community, and an important part of that is passing down our traditions to our children. TCR does a fantastic job of selecting shows that allow young actors to work directly with a script, onstage with their elders, learning the craft as part of the community.



Lincoln Ginsberg and Emmy Palmersheim stood out this year as two young performers who went above and beyond in some really challenging roles. Ginsberg played the ill-fated Tobias in Sweeney Todd to chilling effect. He was charming, energetic, understood the tone of the show, and took direction well. The image of Tobias's final moments strike is probably the most haunting thing I've seen on the TCR mainstage, and I've been screaming at vampires, pirates and assassins in that space since I was a boy myself.



Emmy Palmersheim did a remarkable job in Eurydice, a poetic and quirky modern retelling of a famous Greek Myth. She worked well with the other actors and has a very striking stage presence. She also successfully directed a very funny ten-minute piece The Ethical Dilemma of a Sandwich Down the Pants for TCR Underground. Acting in a surrealist tragedy and directing a funny short play require completely different skill-sets, and to accomplish both in one season is deserving of recognition.

So, a round of applause to these artists, and to all those who brought us out to the theatre this year to draw inspiration, confront uncomfortable truths, or just plain have a good time.

What were your favorite performances this year? Memorable characters? Hilarious or shocking moments? We'd like to hear from you; follow the "Comments" link below to post your thoughts.

Sweeney Todd is Amazing

by Andrew Juhl

Cedar Rapids - There’s an incredibly obvious way to endorse Theatre Cedar Rapids’ staging of Sweeny Todd. And I’ll get to it. Later. For right now, I’ll just say this: You had better not miss this production without a darn good reason.

First, the boilerplate description: Stephen Sondheim’s daring musical, Sweeney Todd, is the tale of a skillful barber, wrongfully imprisoned by the malicious Judge Turpin due to the judge’s envy of the barber’s beautiful wife. Escaped and looking to recapture his former love, Sweeney Todd returns to London after fifteen years, only to discover that his former life is all-but-gone, save for the sad remnants of a cloistered daughter, his old razors, and a failing pie shop, owned by indefatigable Mrs. Lovett, which still stands below the skeletal remains of his once great barbershop.

Simply put, I was amazed by TCR’s production at several points in the evening. This is not a show most community theatres could pull off, let alone pull off this well. I daresay few like-sized professional theatres in this country would have done this fine of a job. Every detail, from the costuming to the makeup to the stage to the dispensary of Todd’s victims was a cut above. (Rimshot.)

This is one of those reviews that could go on for a while, but I will do my best to be efficiently effusive.

My first praise goes to actors, and the first of that goes to the Ensemble, who was seemingly always everywhere, yet somehow never in the way. To be that supportive of the main cast while never upstaging them is a honorable accomplishment. Young Lincoln Ginsberg (‘Tobias’) performs amazingly for an actor of so few years, ringing a realistic depth and believability in a character that—in lesser productions—could have been an annoying thorn in the audience’s paw. Special notice goes to Michael Cervantes (‘Judge Turpin’), who does a purely wonderful rendition of “Johanna,” an extremely important (and difficult) exposition song. Daniel Kelchen, playing the titular Sweeney Todd, deftly maneuvers between scenes calling for booming rage, thoughtful consternation, and abject hopelessness. (Booming rage was my favorite; when Sweeney is angry about something, the audience damned-well knows it.)

As good as Kelchen is, however, TCR newcomer Piper Pack-Smith (Mrs. Lovett) steals the show with her remorseless buoyancy and pinpoint comic timing. There are precious few moments for levity in Sweeney Todd, and all of them are appreciated; thankfully, Pack-Smith and Kelchen make the most of these opportunities, helping turn what could have been a merely good night at the theatre into a great one.

Into the bargain of great acting and singing, shout-outs go to lighting designer Derek Easton, who nailed the mood of the every scene without fault, and also the multiple sound designers, whose additions to the night cannot be understated. (Sidenote: whoever decided to add an echo effect to the word ‘grave’ in ‘Epiphany,’ bravo.) There were some noticeable sound issues and drowned-out lyrics during the opening night’s performances, but I have faith that those balancing issues will be corrected by the second weekend’s shows. Additionally, TCR needs to be commended for their incredible set design (designer: Bret Gothe). Possessed as I am with the ability to describe it, I choose not to; do yourself the favor of seeing it in person. No, I don’t care if that’s a cop-out. Do it. Because I said so, that’s why. And finish your vegetables.

I would be remiss without also mentioning the wonderful musical accompaniment of music director Janelle Lauer’s small, curiously strong orchestra. Combined with Leslie Charipar’s skillful overall direction, the music of Sweeney Todd helps coalesce the many pieces of this complex and intricate showcase into a night of pure musical theatre that really comes alive.

Okay. I’ve now held it back as long as I could. Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.

(Photos by Alisabeth Photography.)

Violently Comic Sweeney Todd Opens Friday

Cedar Rapids – Theatre Cedar Rapids has a long history of producing good-natured and family-friendly musicals, including December’s White Christmas.

Sweeney Todd is not one of them.

“It’s not that there’s anything like nudity or bad words,” says director Leslie Charipar. “But the subject matter is very adult, and it’s scary. Kids will have nightmares about Daniel Kelchen.”

Kelchen is the actor playing the murderous title role in Sweeney Todd, a musical that’s earned fame (and a cult following) thanks to its bloody reputation, multiple productions on Broadway, the fame of its composer Stephen Sondheim, and more recently, the Tim Burton movie starring Johnny Depp. It’s even become a pop-culture staple, getting performed as a rather shocking grade-school pageant in the Ben Affleck movie Jersey Girl.

Not sure what Sweeney Todd is about? The show lets you know from the very first lyric:

“Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
His skin was pale, his eye was odd
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
Who never thereafter were heard of again
He trod a path that few have trod
Did Sweeney Todd
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

There’s more to the story than that, of course. There’s suspense. Revenge. Romance. Beautiful music and some wickedly-funny wordplay.

But everyone remembers the blood.

“Last season we had some great exciting titles like The Producers and RENT, and I think that’s what Sweeney Todd does for this season,” Charipar says. “It’s one of those big, recognizable, holy-cow-how-are-they-going-to-do-that kinds of titles. We’ve never done it before, so it seemed like a fun challenge.”

Here’s the story in a nutshell: At the start of the show, Sweeney (played by Daniel Kelchen) has just returned to 19th century London ,15 years after being sent to prison by a corrupt judge (Michael Cervantes) who’d had eyes for Sweeney’s wife Lucy. To get rid of him, the Judge had Sweeney — who worked as a barber — framed on a trumped-up charge.

Sweeney learns from Mrs. Lovett (Piper Pack-Smith) that once he was removed, the Judge went after Lucy, who was driven to poison herself as a result. Sweeney’s daughter Johanna was then adopted by the Judge. Enraged, Sweeney vows revenge, with a simple plan: He will re-establish his barbershop under a different name, lure the Judge and his ally The Beadle (Nick Williams) as customers, and kill them.

Sweeney’s plan almost works, until it’s accidentally foiled by the arrival of Anthony (Aaron Brewer), who has fallen in love with the now-adult Johanna (Elizabeth Simon). Sweeney is so furious that he extends his thirst for vengeance to all of London, vowing to kill indiscriminately until he finally has his revenge.

Of course, that’s when Mrs. Lovett (who knows Sweeney’s plan, and who has a shortage of meat for the pies in her bakery) suggests a rather resourceful use for the bodies that are starting to pile up ...

And it gets demented from there.

Charipar stresses one key thing about Sweeney: Yes, it’s dark and scary, but it’s also funny. Very, very funny.

“The character of Mrs. Lovett is hilarious,” she says. “There’s songs like ‘A Little Priest’ and ‘God That’s Good.’ Pirelli, one of Sweeney’s rival barbers, is a hoot.

“I think that the absolute failure of this piece is if it takes itself too seriously,” she adds. “There are moments where Sweeney himself contributes to the comedy of the thing. There’s a tendency to play Sweeney on one angry note, but Daniel is mixing it up, finding places where he can be likeable and funny. Which I’m intrigued by, because it really screws you up when you start liking the guy who’s killing everybody.”

Those who have seen Sweeney before may notice some major changes between TCR’s interpretation and productions of the past.

“It’s kind of a deconstruction, from a design standpoint,” Charipar says. “Though the set pieces are big and neat, they’re simple. They continuously change in function throughout the show. I love that idea.

“We’ve sort of been playing with the idea of ‘vaudeville of the grotesque,’ Charipar added. “Footlights play into the design, and so does Victorian makeup ... We’re sort of distorting things. The show verges on melodrama anyway, so we wanted to make it feel almost otherworldly. It’ll still be gritty, but in a really odd sort of way.”

That element of simplicity and deconstruction also applied to the handling of the music. Music Director Janelle Lauer and Assistant Music Director Ben Schmidt have worked to pare down instruments wherever possible, so that the music would support the emotion of the story without overwhelming it.

“There’s always something a little creepy and more powerful about a single voice coming through,” Charipar says. “We wanted to pare this show down to its essence and highlight the story and the voices as a bare-bones rendering of the show.”

That said, Charipar says the “wow” factor is very much a part of this production of Sweeney Todd. As an example, she points to the collapsible barber’s chair that Sweeney uses to dispose of his victims. When Sweeney hits the switch, audiences will see the actors drop 20 feet.

“The chair will seem very dangerous to the audience, and I think that’s exciting,” Charipar says. “I am so thrilled to finally be bringing Sweeney Todd to the TCR stage. I really, really hope our audiences have as much fun at this show as we are.”

Sweeney Todd runs March 4-26, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays as well as 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17 and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 13 and 20. The show is sponsored by RBC Wealth Management. For tickets, call (319) 366-8591, visit the box office at 102 Third St. SE or go online at www.theatrecr.org.

This show contains violence and mature subject matter. It is not recommended for children.

City Circles announces 1st show in new space

Coralville - City Circle Acting Company of Coralville is proud to announce that the smash hit musical Hairspray will be the first full production performed at the new Coralville Center for the Performing Arts.

Hairspray is a musical-comedy phenomenon that inspired a major motion picture and won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Based on the cult classic John Waters film, with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, the musical celebrates community, friendship and tolerance. Hairspray celebrates the music of the sixties, from pop dance hits to rhythm and blues, and rocks with energetic choreography. This story of one pleasantly plump girl’s quest for success will leave audiences cheering.

Prior to Hairspray and the official opening of the new theatre, City Circle will begin their fourteenth season with two summertime productions.

In keeping with their educational mission, the Company will produce a youth musical version of West Side Story in June. City Circle’s recent summer youth musicals have included Rent and Godspell and have provided opportunities for area junior and senior high students to perform in fully produced, high-quality musicals.

The Coralville community will then be treated to a “sneak peek” of the new venue when the Company presents a concert version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in August. This special presentation will feature a local star in the title role and provide an opportunity for area actors and singers to be the first to perform in the exciting new venue.

TCR casts two shows

TCR - Theatre Cedar Rapids has two very different shows on the horizon: the feminist drama Crimes of the Heart and the macabre musical Sweeney Todd. Crimes is up first, opening at the end of January. Sweeney follows in March. The cast lists are below.

Crimes of the Heart:

Chick - Clare Duffy
Meg - Sarah Jarmon
Babe - Katy Slaven
Lenny - Angie Toomsen
Barnette -Justin Braden
Doc - Alex Williams

Sweeney Todd:

Sweeney Todd - Daniel Kelchen
Mrs. Lovett - Piper Pack
Judge Turpin - Mike Cervantes
Anthony - Aaron Brewer
Pirelli - Jay Burken
Beadle - Nick Williams
Johanna - Beth Simon
Tobias - Lincoln Ginsberg
Beggar Woman - Jen Boettger
Ensemble - Heather Anholt
Ensemble - Jared Bourne
Ensemble - Tiffany DeBow
Ensemble - Bryant Duffy
Ensemble - Eric Dean Freese
Ensemble - Alex Gassman
Ensemble - Genevieve Heinrich
Ensemble - Tracie Hodina
Ensemble - Brian Middleswarth
Ensemble - Emily Nelson
Ensemble - Greg Smith