Wilbury’s Spring Awakening Is Unforgettable

Nineteenth century German Lutheran adolescents singing rock music might sound like an off-kilter premise for a musical, but throw in clever staging and universal, timeless themes, and Spring Awakening’s massive success since its opening on Broadway a decade ago is no wonder. Based on the 1891 German play of the same name by Frank Wedekind, the edginess that contributed to its success also makes it a perfect fit for the Wilbury Theatre Group as their season closer.

Spring Awakening follows a group of adolescents as they discover their sexualities and identities within the confines of a conservative, religious, authoritarian community. We first see naive and curious Wendla Bergmann (Katrina Z. Pavao) lament that her mother (Jennifer Pierel) has left her ill-prepared to handle growing up, illustrated in a conversation between the two in which Wendla asks her mother where babies come from, and her mother fails to tell her all of the facts, instead claiming that a child is conceived when a woman loves her husband with all her heart. Wendla’s friends, Martha (Jennifer Pierel), Anna (Daraja Hinds) and Thea (Maggie Papa), are equally uninformed, but nonetheless develop crushes on their male peers — most notably, the rebellious and charismatic Melchior Gabor (Diego Guevara), who ends up returning Wendla’s affections, and the two explore their sexualities in an ultimately doomed relationship. Melchior stands up for his anxious friend, Moritz (Bradley Wilson) against their strict teachers and teaches him about sex in a detailed essay complete with illustrations. Rounding out their class are Hanschen (Gunar Manchester) and Ernst (Aaron Blanck), who are each other’s love interests; Georg (Matthew Gorgone), who lusts after his older and busty piano teacher; and Otto (Nigel Richrds). Moritz experiences extreme pressure from his parents to succeed in school, but his teachers seem hell bent against letting him progress. Meanwhile, Martha admits to her friends that she faces physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her father, but is discouraged from reporting it for fear of ending up homeless like their childhood friend, Ilse (Jessie March).

This show is decidedly not for the faint of heart, with heavy references to sex, sexual assault, abuse and suicide. But for those who can stomach it, Spring Awakening is an amazing piece of theater, and this production does it every bit of justice. Though their space is somewhat small, Wilbury makes excellent use of it. One of the most notable aspects of the staging is in the portrayal of the adults, who are always elevated (sometimes on stilts) and lit from below, so the audience sees them from a child’s perspective as big and scary entities, plotting the demise of the main cast. Along with real instruments, including a violin and guitars played by members of the cast, they also use typewriters, classroom instruments and parts of the set as additional instruments to further fill out the sound. This accentuates the clash of childlike innocence with the adult nature of the subject matter, much in the same way this clash occurs within each of the characters. Perhaps the most viscerally intense moment comes at the end of act one when Wendla and Melchior first have sex. Wendla stands in the stationary middle of the main platform while the cast spins the rest of the platform. The audience is forced to feel the same way Wendla does in that moment: disoriented and overwhelmed. It is an absolutely stunning effect that had me reeling right into the intermission.

The cast is filled with excellent performances — all the more impressive considering the young cast, with some even still in high school — from funny to tragic, innocent to risque. The vocals are strong all around, though often drowned out by the instrumentation. Pavao, Guevara and Wilson in particular stand out with their earnest and brilliant portrayals of their conflicted young characters. Of the musical numbers, “Totally Fucked” is perhaps the most entertaining. It is a fun, energetic number that comes between some of the darkest moments of the musical. The children all rock out while mocking the adults (“Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah”). The finale, “Song of Purple Summer,” is gorgeous and highlights the camaraderie of the cast. Despite the tragedies that plague the lives of the characters, especially throughout the second act, it truly does end on a high note.

Spring Awakening relays the disastrous consequences that come from fearing the truth. To make something taboo is not to stop it from existing and having an impact; it just leaves its victims unprepared and ignorant. As Melchior’s mother notes, “Are we so afraid of the truth we will join the ranks of fools and cowards?” This production is beautiful, poignant, heart-wrenching and intense; one that will not be easily forgotten by audiences.

The Wilbury Group’s Spring Awakening runs through June 4 at the Trinity Square Theater, 393 Broad St. in Providence. For more information or tickets, visit thewilburygroup.org or call the box office at 401-400-7100.

Riverdance Comes to PPAC

“Come and meet those dancing feet. On the avenue we’re taking you to.” – old Weybosset St.

No, not THOSE feet. These feet are the thunderous, stage-vibrating, Irish step-dancing feet that belong to the large cast of Riverdance, The Show, the sensation taking over the stage at Providence Performing Arts Center June 2 through 4.

Years back, they said it was over, but apparently not. Here they are on their 20th Anniversary tour. A whole new generation of fans is just now beginning to enjoy, appreciate and emulate this phenomenon.

The Riverdance humble beginnings started in 1994 in , Ireland, as an interval filler in between judging during the . It was broadcast by, heard and seen on Irish public radio and TV. Produced originally by , the segment was artistically based on the life of an Irish river, starting as a stream and finally submitting itself to the sea. The cast featured two American-born traditional Irish dancers, and , a choir and a slew of step dancers. With haunting music specially composed by , this number, aptly called, “Riverdance,” became wildly popular. So much so that it was expanded to become a full stage show that opened in Dublin in 1995 before heading to .

That show was taped and broadcast here in North America by PBS stations and used during their donation pledge performances. Its popularity garnered generous donations for public television. Another broadcast version of the show was performed and filmed at New York at Radio City Music Hall in 1996. This one was headlined by Jean Butler with , a more traditional Irish dancer taking the role created by the bombastic Michael Flatley. Flatley was an exciting performer, extremely fleet afoot, but rather egotistical leaning toward the more “Vegas-like” performance rather than true traditional and music. Flatley was fired for artistic differences, but soon created his own successful productions, the dramatic Lord of the Dance and , both of which were performed in his flashier style.

These PBS showings created throngs of young, dance-class students (predominately little girls) pleading – and succeeding – with their parents to spend a great deal of money on beautifully embroidered dresses and hard black shoes. And then there are those banana-curly hairpieces, often painfully attached to their own tresses, which bob up and down in unison as they dance. At touring performances, you can almost be assured there will be a number of dance-class members in attendance.

The dance form itself is similar to clogging, with the exception of the stiffly erect stature and (mostly) lack of movement of the upper body and arms. The performers are often shoulder to shoulder in a straight line or circle.

It’s amusing that the Irish embraced the show so lovingly. Pre-PBS, in the “old country,” many children (boys and girls) were forced to dance and hated to dance. Then all of the sudden it became cool. The show’s dancing was lovingly ridiculed and comedians imitated the form, thus only adding to its appeal.

The true intention of Riverdance, the Show, is to showcase the Irish history and culture, and journey to other worlds by dance. Excellence in performance is key — bios in the program show that many of the dancers are champions. The music accompanying the large cast of beautiful people is contagious. The instruments, which include a fiery , the strange Uillean Pipe and the feet stomping, tapping percussive rhythms, are contagious. It’s hard to sit still watching these amazing dances. In addition to the Irish spectacles, there are dazzling flamenco, urban and Russian numbers depicting the mingling of cultures. The finale of the show is thunderous with most of the entire troupe participating.

Irish music and dance is alive, well and living comfortably in RI. Whether with live instrumental accompaniment or taped music, dancers are still jigging and the curls are still bouncing.

Nick Albanese To Take Last Sicilian to New York

Playwright Nick Albanese has high hopes for his hit one-man show, The Last Sicilian. Albanese intends to perform the show in New York next January, and he launched an online funding campaign (gofundme.com/thelastsicilian) to allow him to bring the project to the 13th Street Repertory Theatre for a tw0-week run.

Albanese took questions from the audience at a recent performance at the Granite Theatre in Westerly. “It’s about coming to America and about family,” Albanese said, noting The Last Sicilian is “a story of everybody.”

In his show, Albanese takes audiences on a trip back in time to when he grew up above his father’s bakery in Providence. He shares heartwarming and funny memories of growing up Italian and shares the history of Italians in America. “It brings people back to their childhoods,” Albanese explained. The Last Sicilian was first performed in 2015 and has played at theaters all over Rhode Island. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, and Albanese won a Motif award in 2016.

Albanese recalls a Hollywood movie producer who approached him after a performance at Theatre 82 in Cranston last year. “He came and watched the show and talked to me after,” Albanese said. “He really loved it.” As a result of this conversation, Albanese believes it might be possible to see The Last Sicilian on the movie screen someday, if the right person comes to see it. “Can you imagine who can walk in in New York City?” he asks.

Since its debut, Albanese added 20 minutes of new material to the show, and has written a new play, All About the Family, which will debut next month. All About the Family will feature stories that weren’t featured in The Last Sicilian, Alabense noted.

The Last Sicilian will undergo some more revisions as Albanese prepares for the show to reach an even larger audience. He knows he is about to enter a much different theatrical environment. “I know I get to New York I need to be on my A game,” Albanese said. “I’m doing 10 performances there, and they need to be solid.”

Matilda Wows at PPAC

I love theater. I love British Literature; from Jane Austen to JK Rowling to JR Tolkien to Roald Dahl. And then these two entities that I adore got together and formed Matilda The Musical. This show is playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center until Sunday, and you really don’t want to miss it!

Matilda The Musical is everything I would imagine Roald Dahl would want it to be. Dahl’s books contain a certain amount of magic that readers happily fall into. As a young reader, I loved his books, and I think because he never treated his audience as children who needed something to be watered down for them. That trusted unspoken confidence with readers was transferred to the stage. Dennis Kelly’s script doesn’t talk down to kids, and at times the story is downright frightening. Dahl’s tale of the little girl who is brought up by unloving and abusive parents, only to fall into a school with a headmistress of the same caliber, doesn’t sound like a children’s story, but this is. The magic of Hugh Vanstone’s Tony award-winning lighting design brings home that delightful darkness that Dahl’s stories have. Is it too scary for kids? My son is 8 and loved it; he told me it wasn’t scary. However, three years ago he might have been scared, so this may not be the show for the under-5 crowd.

The evening I saw the show, Jenna Weir was playing the title role of the show. At times she invoked a young Hermoine and was delightful the entire time. Her voice was strong, and her acting was top rate. In fact I was in awe of all the kids in this show. These kids are kept so busy onstage, it’s a good thing they’re young! The opening number, “Miracle,” was a definite highlight of the night, and when I looked back at my notes, next to “Revolting Children” I wrote two words: hell yeah. These kids rock! I hate to even single any of them out, but I have to say that Gabriele Beredo has a moment with the audience where you can see a young comedian blossoming. Jennifer Bowles is Miss Honey, and Miss Honey is the teacher every teacher wishes to be. We really met her during the number “Pathetic, but when she lets it all go for “My House,” you can’t help but cheer from your seat. The ending leaves you a little misty-eyed thanks to her down-to-earth portrayal of Miss Honey. Keisha Fraser’s Miss Phelps, the neighborhood librarian Matilda connects with, was simply a bundle of joy onstage.

This show has something for everyone; you don’t need to take a child to love this show. With lines like “children are maggots” and “it’s not normal for a girl to be all thinky,” the audience is thoroughly engaged through each song and scene. Don’t miss it!

Matilda The Musical runs until Sunday, May 21. Tickets are $21-$88 and can be ordered by calling the box office at 401-421-2787, or online at www.ppacri.org

Matilda Comes to PPAC with Miss Honey by Her Side

As a teacher, I have to admit I gravitate toward stories involving education. As a literature/theater nerd, I think Roald Dahl’s work was simply amazing. And if those worlds could actually collide?Rolling into the Providence Performing Arts Center next week is Matilda, the Broadway musical based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name. This show nabbed five Tonys in 2013, and is toward the tail end of a successful run throughout the United States. Get to the head of the class, and buy your tickets today, as this certainly sounds like a show to remember.

For those familiar with the story, you’ll remember that Miss Honey, Matilda’s teacher, is the teacher. You know, the one teacher teachers aspire to be! On tour Miss Honey is played by Jennifer Bowles, herself no stranger to the world of education. Bowles comes from a family of teachers; both her parents are teachers, as are many other family members, so playing a teacher wasn’t too much of a stretch for her. (This may sound like hyperbole, but ask any teacher with a family — it becomes a family affair!)

Bowles spent three and a half years as a member of the Broadway production as both an acrobat, and Miss Honey’s understudy. Having the role on tour has given her the time needed to really sink her teeth into the character. After such a long time with one show (which is virtually unheard of) one would imagine that Bowles would grow weary of the script, but she hasn’t. In fact she is still enamored by the role, and the process itself. “The joy of being able to play this role everyday, and grow the character, that’s such a joy.”

As a shy student herself growing up, Bowles connects to Miss Honey in a way that is unusual to think of when thinking of performers. “I couldn’t speak in front of the class, or walk to the teacher’s desk alone,” she recalled. Being a shy kid, it was her brother who got her into theater. “In high school, my big brother told my parents I needed to get involved.” She was encouraged to audition for the school musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and it stuck. That’s not to say that she’s left the girl she was behind. In fact it’s something she uses onstage. “In the song “Pathetic” she (Miss Honey) has trouble showing her strength, I can tap into myself.” An example of the fact that the experiences we have in school can affect our future, something that audiences will undoubtedly feel when they sit down to see Matilda this week.

Matilda is playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center from Wednesday, May 17, to Sunday, May 21. Tickets can be ordered online at ppacri.org or by calling 401-421-2787.

Blonde Ambition: MM

Marilyn Monroe was a world famous sex symbol and one of Hollywood’s top movie stars in the 1950s, and nearly 55 years after her death, she remains a major cultural icon.

Barbara Schweitzer’s MM is a surreal psychodrama that takes place inside Monroe’s mind in the moments following a drug overdose on the night of August 4, 1962.

Meg Sullivan plays Marilyn, who is sweet, sexy and emotionally fragile. Marilyn becomes friends with Frankenstein (Derek Corriveau), whom she nicknames ‘Frankie.’ The two bond over their unhappy childhoods and find solace in each other’s company. Marilyn notes she is as much of a creation as the monster. In fact, the girl named Norma Jeane spent most of her childhood being shuffled from one foster home to another. She was discovered while doing modeling work and became a superstar.

The most powerful moments in the show are Marilyn’s interactions with a sleazy movie studio executive (well-played by Brien Lang) who verbally abuses her, and her second husband Joe DiMaggio (Lang), who is extremely controlling and possessive.

Sullivan is mesmerizing to watch and allows us to see the pain beneath Marilyn’s sunny exterior. It is an excellent performance.

Corriveau powerfully conveys Frankenstein’s anguish and desire to be loved. The play theorizes Marilyn and the monster are two halves of the same person – creatures manufactured by Hollywood.

What doesn’t work as well are Marilyn’s encounters with Albert Einstein (Nicole Maynard), who wears roller skates and at one point, bunny slippers. These moments are amusing, but they don’t add much to the story.

Like many entertainers, Marilyn Monroe’s main focus in life was to be loved. Sadly, she never seemed to find what she was looking for. MM is an intriguing exploration of a woman who will likely never leave our thoughts and dreams.

*M M* runs through May 27 at Theatre 82, 82 Rolfe Square, Cranston. To purchase tickets, visit: artists-exchange.org/events.html.

If/Then Features Powerhouse Performances

There are some shows that launch their performers into stardom. Then, there are shows that are themselves launched into stardom by their performers. If/Then is definitely an example of the latter. It ran on Broadway in 2014, and its primary draw was its star, Idina Menzel. Just coming off of her Frozen fame, it was the perfect time for her triumphant return to Broadway in a role that was tailor- made for her. When I saw the show around the time it opened, I knew it probably wouldn’t last without its star — and sure enough, soon after she announced she was leaving, the show set its closing date after a year-long run.

A community theater production of the show, needless to say, seemed like a bad idea to me. There are aspects of the show that lend itself well to community theater — there is a solid ensemble part, enough opportunity for some basic choreography and the set can be simplified without taking away from the story. The problem is finding the proper leading lady to step into Idina Menzel’s shoes. It is no easy feat to find a voice like that, that night after night can blow the roof off of the venue. Having someone try and fail to reach that level would be painful for everyone involved. Fortunately, the Academy Players of Rhode Island have Elizabeth Dennis, for whom the impossible task seems almost effortless.

If/Then is essentially two musicals for the price of one. It follows Elizabeth Vaughn, who just left a 12- year marriage, out west for New York City to pursue the life she always wanted. She meets the spirited Kate, a kindergarten teacher who believes in following signs from the universe (Ariel Batista), along with her girlfriend, Anne (Leslie Nevola) and reconnects with her old friend/love interest, a dorky activist named Lucas (Jake Kaufman). From one seemingly small decision, Elizabeth’s life diverges into two paths. In one, she goes by Liz and stops to listen to a sexy guitar guy in the park. She meets Josh, a surgeon just back from his second tour in the army, who is immediately smitten with her. After a few more chance encounters with Josh, at Kate’s urging, she finally agrees to go on a date with him. As their relationship grows, the two also set up Lucas with Josh’s friend, David (Jake Farnum). After Liz unexpectedly gets pregnant, she and Josh marry and start a family. In the other timeline, Elizabeth goes by Beth and attends a protest with Lucas. She gets a call from another old flame, Stephen (Paul Lucenti), who offers her her dream job as an urban planner. Though she excels in her career, her love life leaves much to be desired, and her loneliness drives her into a disastrous fling with Lucas, which threatens their friendship. As Stephen moves on to Wall Street, Beth moves up in her career and takes on an intern, Elena (Haley Bourne), who clearly reminds Beth of herself when she was younger.

The nature of If/Then makes it somewhat difficult to follow, as the two timelines occur in parallel. The difference between the two is marked primarily by apparel: Liz wears glasses as a part of Kate’s scheme to get her a man by making her look smarter, and she wears a more casual sweater, whereas Beth wears a more formal blazer. There are also supposedly lighting changes, but these are a bit harder to spot.

Such is why this role is particularly demanding: In addition to requiring an amazing level of vocal prowess, it is also essentially two characters in one — or more accurately, one character in two different stories. Sometimes, a switch between the two may occur in the middle of a song or a scene. Even so, Dennis never lets up for a moment. If sharing a name with the character was not enough to prove her suitability for the part, then her performance certainly does. It will be interesting to see how she fares later in the run, after several nights of vocal wear. This is probably part of why a co-study for the role (and some others) was cast.

But Dennis is not the only shining star of the production. There is no weak link in the cast. As demanding as Elizabeth’s role is, the roles of Kate and Lucas are no walks in the park either, and Batista and Kaufman are fantastic. Batista captures the spiritedness of Kate brilliantly. The night I was there, she was having some mic problems, which took away from her performance, but hopefully other nights, this will not be the case. Also notable was Bourne as Beth’s intern, who is proof that big voices come in small packages. Her facial expressions as she responded to the craziness of Beth’s life were also a delight. Though she only appears in a few scenes, when she is on stage, she makes her presence known.

My favorite number of the night was definitely “No More Wasted Time,” which features the leading ladies — Dennis, Batista, Nevola and Bourne — in a powerful quartet as Kate, Anne and Elena convince Beth of her worth. Having those four insanely powerful voices all at full throttle all at once was almost too much for that small space to handle. I would also be remiss not to mention Dennis’ eleven o’clock number, “Always Starting Over,” which is the ultimate showcase of her vocals, as well as the emotional climax of the musical. The only thing that took away from the number was at the end when the remainder of the cast started to set up the next scene. It felt like they were encroaching on what should have been her moment.

This leads to the other problem with this particular choice of musical: It needs to be in a bigger space. The Academy Players’ performance space is tiny, which is fine for a lot of theater, but for a musical that was written for a powerhouse like Idina Menzel, it can be overwhelming. There are times when the performers are right in the audience’s faces, singing at top volume. As you can imagine, this can be uncomfortable. Nonetheless, the talent of the cast makes this more bearable and also makes the choice of musical more understandable. All in all, If/Then is a great showcase of the Academy Players’ amazing talents, despite the spatial setbacks of their venue.

“If/Then” runs through May 20 at the Q2Q Blackbox Theatre in Providence. For tickets, visit academyplayersri.org.

The Clean House Charms Audiences

It’s a bold move for a play to begin with a joke told in Portuguese and offer no translation to the audience. But that’s just what The Clean House, currently playing at Contemporary Theatre Company, does. The play is a whimsical journey through fantasy and reality, love and loss, class and gender. The audience begins slightly confused by a joke, and rides that off-kilter feeling through the rest of this charming production.

Matilde is a Brazilian immigrant who has been hired to clean Lane’s house. The problem is that Matilde loves to tell jokes, but hates cleaning. Cleaning has made her sad, and she can no longer come up with jokes. She declares that she was the third funniest person in Brazil, but it’s hard to see the laughter in Emily Rodriguez’s version of the character. Her Matilde is quiet and unassuming. Her movements are graceful and fluid, almost birdlike. We often see her playing with the dirt beds along the edges of the stage, but expect her to fly away at any moment. She is an excellent foil to Lane, the perfect doctor. She knows she is the perfect doctor, wearing a white pantsuit to emphasize her perfection. Lane is fast-paced and solidly grounded. She is sure of herself. She speaks firmly and directly. Stephanie Traversa is nowhere near the 50-something woman described in the script, but she is superb in scenes where she can play up Lane’s strength. However, in scenes where Lane needs to be more emotionally vulnerable, Traversa falls a little flat. Of all the characters in The Clean House, Lane has a considerable emotional journey, but Traversa does not always succeed in showing us the connections and turns and changes. When she finds out her husband (also a doctor) has run off with one of his patients, she sits on the couch and cries herself into laughter. Traversa plays this scene with understated emotion when the scene feels like it needs more and bigger and louder. Traversa is the best in her delivery of one-liners, often drawing the biggest laughs from the audience with her timing and delivery. She’s excellent with the comedy.

The only character who actually cleans the house is Virginia, Lane’s sister. Paula Faber is an adorably neurotic housewife whose purpose in life is to clean. Terry Shea plays Charles, Lane’s husband who leaves her for Ana. He is child-like and naïve, and we wonder how he ever managed to have an affair behind Lane’s back. Ana is the charismatic mastectomy patient who steals Charles’ heart. She is played by Nancy Winokoor to perfection. Shea and Winokoor are hilarious together, bringing us one of the most delightful moments of the play when they act out the story of how they fell in love over Ana’s cancer diagnosis. The entire cast is enchanting.

Contemporary Theatre Company has chosen to run The Clean House and Dirt on alternating weekends, using the same set. The actors work on a small square of brilliant white floor, surrounded on all four sides by beds of dirt. The same paint-splattered stairs ascend to a balcony, overlooking the playing area below. It’s a brilliant idea to have two very different shows use the same set, and it made for some very creative choices for this production of The Clean House. For instance, Matilde is often found playing in the dirt, emphasizing her playfulness and joyful exploration of the world. When Virginia has a breakdown and makes a giant mess in the living room, the dirt is used to great advantage.

The set also cramps the actors in a way that prohibits connection. A pivotal emotional moment between the women centers around sharing ice cream on the couch. The set is too small to accommodate a full- length couch so two women are seated on the short loveseat, one is on the floor, and one hovers awkwardly to the side. Thanks to the set, a cozy moment of sisterhood becomes slightly awkward and disconnected. Virginia’s messy breakdown is stunted because there is no room for extra things on the set. Virginia grabs a magazine and throws it to the ground, when we want to see breaking glass. The fistfuls of dirt that are thrown are carefully choreographed to comical effect, but leave us wanting the real mess of a lived-in house.

Tammy Brown has directed an engaging show, paying careful attention to the language in the script. She allows the words to do the heavy lifting, providing the audience with a lovely story about love and loss and sisterhood. It is a simple production that allows the audience to fall in love with every character on the stage.

The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl runs in rep with Dirt by Bryony Lavery through May 19 at Contemporary Theater Company at 327 Main Street in Wakefield. You can purchase tickets at contemporarytheatercompany.com or by calling the box office at 401-218-0282. I Love… What’s His Name? A Modern Take on a Modern Conundrum

From left to right: Bob Logan, Sarah Dunn, Angela Jajko, Rachel Hanauer, and Jeff Blanchette. Photo courtesy of Rachel Hanauer.

Directed by Rachel Hanauer and co-created by she and Jeff Blanchette (both of whom were lead actors in the production, alongside co-stars Sarah Dunn and Angela Jajko), I Love… What’s His Name? is a delightful musical take on the all-too-often confusing world of dating in the age of Tinder, Grindr and selfish, apathetic people.

As someone who’s saved potential romantic prospects as “Name/Dating App/ Age and important info” in my phone (haven’t we all?), when I heard about this -style show, I immediately felt a connection to it. Fortunately for me and the rest of Saturday’s full house at the Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick, the writing, singing and overall performances that “I Love …” featured blew our minds — and it’s easy to see why.

All four actors are talented and established professional vocalists and performers. Hanauer and Dunn teach voice at the high school and college levels, Blanchette was part of Ocean State Theatre’s well- reviewed take on Avenue Q and Jajko’s singing credits include the most recent Final Fantasy soundtrack(!). Their uber-entertaining performances were supported by pianist Bob Logan and stage, lights and sound supervisor Christian O’Brien.

The tunes in this musical were a mix of new songs composed by musical theater writers, songs from musicals (including ) and one opera aria (from Street Scene). More operatic flair was evident elsewhere throughout the cabaret, too. One of the best parts about this original (I’m saying it one more time to remind you how thoroughly badass that is) production was its original ideas. Like when loyal Starbucks customer Sarah (played by Dunn) professed her love (with song, of course) for “Taylor the latte boy,” an unassuming Starbucks barista (portrayed by Blanchette) who felt more than a bit creeped out by this. And then Taylor responded with his own song for “Sarah, the stalker chick,” complete with an jaw-droppingly awesome falsetto.

Because its central themes and attitudes are relevant to people looking for love in the Millennial era, and because its script and songs were so nicely expressed, I can picture I Love… What’s His Name? being sold and put on in theaters across the country and beyond. It was a fantastic modern take on a cabaret.

I Love … What’s His Name was performed as a one-off performance on May 6 at the Arctic Playhouse

Young Frankenstein Is a Monster Smash

Young Frankenstein is a cheerfully silly musical featuring excellent performances and superb choreography, performed May 5 through 7 at the Stadium Theatre.

The show was adapted from the 1974 film directed by Mel Brooks, who wrote the music and lyrics. Frederick Frankenstein, a brilliant but eccentric scientist, inherits his grandfather’s castle and encounters a bizarre group of characters: Igor (pronounced eye-gore), a hunchback; the buxom blonde Inga; and Frau Blucher, the offbeat housekeeper whose name makes horses whinny. Doctor Frankenstein is inspired to continue his grandfather’s experiments with reanimation and creates a 7- foot-tall man who runs wild around the countryside.

As Frankenstein, Aidan Horrigan provided the perfect blend of madness and whimsy. Frankenstein is a madman, but he has a dream he is determined to pursue and his dedication is endearing. Horrigan and the radiant Lisa Ziniti-Palmer, as Inga, Frankenstein’s assistant, have some wonderful chemistry in their scenes. Their performance of “Roll in the Hay” was amusing and filled with double entendres. Ziniti- Palmer, a musical theater veteran, is a gifted singer and shines on “Listen to Your Heart.” Brian Lopes was adorably zany as Igor, whose facial expressions and mad shuffle across the stage were a comic delight. I also enjoyed the work of Ashley Lopes, as Frankenstein’s conceited paramour Elizabeth, and Rebecca Donald, as Frau Blucher. Donald displayed superb vocals on “He Vas My Boyfriend.”

Special mention must be given to Mike Myers as The Monster, who terrifies the denizens of Transylvania and finds true love. Myers is lovable as he stomps around in platform shoes and groans in bewilderment at the people around him. Brian Wolfe-Leonard has a funny scene as a wild-eyed hermit who attempts to feed soup to the Monster, with sidesplitting results.

This was an exceptionally well-produced and staged show. Director John Kevin-McElroy Morgan came up with one terrific set piece after another, especially a lavish presentation of the classic “Puttin’ On The Ritz.” The sets, costumes and musical accompaniment were all first-rate, adding up to a wonderful night of entertainment.

The Stadium Theatre. 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. stadiumtheatre.com