Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Contemporary Theater’s current show is “Unnecessary Farce” by Paul Slade Smith. The audience is in on a sting operation in a budget hotel where two rookie cops work with a municipal accountant to ensnare the mayor they suspect of embezzling millions. The bumbling mayor eventually leads them to the heart of the Scottish mob with hilarious and unexpected results. It has clever plot twists and turns when you think something is going to happen but it doesn’t turn out the way you expect it to. Many pratfalls and doors slamming constantly and sometimes with someone caught behind them. Director Rebecca Magnotta is used to directing serious shows but she tackles this farce and comes up a winner at the laugh a minute antics of her talented cast.

 

She gives them plenty of shtick to perform and they perform it to a tee. The two bumbling cops are marvelous to watch. Jake Clarke and Christine Cauchon shine as officers Eric Sheridan and Billie Dwyer. He gets a lot of action in more ways then he first anticipates as he disrobes and a young lady to go with it. Jake first puts his mind into being a by the book cop but meets the pretty accountant and becomes tongue tied while delivering clever one liners. The undressing scenes are hysterical and when he dons a kilt to deliver some Scottish lines that leave you rolling in the aisles. Christine has many funny moments, too. The scarfing of donuts while watching the video is a laugh out loud moment. Her fight scene with Agent Frank on the bed and her interpretation of a long Scottish line is a definite show stopper. Both Jake and Christine shine in these roles.

 

Pretty Emily Carter plays Karen Clark, the pretty accountant who is enamored of Officer Sheridan. Their sex scenes and naughty ones when the Mayor and his unsuspecting wife appear on the scene are excellently done. One of the biggest scene stealers of the show is Ryan Sekac as Todd, the Scottish Mafioso enforcer. His Scottish accent is a hoot and his funny antics are priceless. The mistaken identities, the door slamming, the sexual innuendoes and plot twists abound all night long. His garbled speech wins many laughs as he threatens everybody in sight.

 

Rounding out this laugh a minute show is Daniel Greene as Agent Frank who is the security man assigned to protect the Mayor but is more of a cowardly lion type. He does a marvelous job as he quails and quakes and misunderstands the phrase I’m hot. Terry Simpson plays the befuddled Mayor, who may have more smarts than anyone thinks. Sandy Cerel plays his quirky wife, Mary Meekly who we find out might not be so meek after all. It is the perfect way to spend a hot summer evening in an air conditioned theatre. So be sure to catch this madcap farce at Contemporary Theater before time runs out. Tell them Tony sent you.

The Contemporary Theater Company 327 Main St., Wakefield, RI

1(401)218-0282 or www.thecontemporarytheater.com

“ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS”

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Renaissance City Theatre Inc., the producing entity at the Granite Theatre’s current production is “One Man, Two Guvnors” by Richard Bean. It is an English adaptation of “Servant of Two Master’s”, a 1743 Commedia dell’arte style comedy play by the Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni. This version changes the locale from Italy to Brighton in 1963. The man, Francis finds himself having to pick up an second job to just scrape together enough money to buy himself a pint of beer. But he soon finds out having two bosses is more trouble than it is worth.

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Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Ivoryton Playhouse’s current musical is “Grease.” It opened off Broadway on February 14, 1972 and ran for 128 performances before moving to Broadway to run for a record breaking 3,388 performances, closing April 11, 1980. It was made into a very successful 1978 movie version starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. The movie is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year. The audience is welcomed back to 1959 at Rydell High School to celebrate the high spirited days of gum chewing, hub cap stealing, hot rod loving boys with their D.A.’s and their wise cracking girls in their bobby socks and pedal pushers and enjoy the adventures of bad boy Danny Zuko and good girl Sandy Dumbrowski. This new version of “Grease” is directed and choreographed by Todd Underwood with musical direction by Mike Morris with a topnotch cast and orchestra. This musical is a high energy hit from start to finish with its multitalented cast. He casts each of these roles splendidly. The sense of professionalism comes through in the entire presentation especially the song and dance numbers that will take your breath away.

Read more “(GREASE at Ivoryton Playhouse, CT)”

 

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Renaissance City Theatre Inc., the producing entity of the Granite Theatre’s fourth show of their 17th season is Tim Firth’s delightful comedy “Calendar Girls” which is the true and “revealing story” of a women’s group in England who decided to drop everything and raise money for a new settee for the hospital waiting room in honor of one’s husband who died of leukemia. It is based on Firth’s “Calendar Girls” movie from 2003.The news of the “alternative calendar” charitable venture spread like wildfire and ultimately raised over a million dollars.

Read more ““CALENDAR GIRLS” Renaissance City Theatre Inc, (Westerly, RI)”

“YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN”

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

 

Norton Singers summer musical this season is “Young Frankenstein”, the musical. Based on the classic film directed by Mel Brooks and written by Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, the tribute to the Frankenstein movies of the 1940’s is an hilarious spoof of this genre. The story follows bright young Frederick Frankenstein (that’s Fronkenstein) as he attempts to finish his grandfather’s unfinished masterwork of bringing a corpse back to life.

Read more ““YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN” (Norton Singers, Wheaton College)”