Page 2 of 3
Leaving that question hanging, I'll say that this is certainly the tightest, most brightly polished effort the Chix have ever hatched. Scenery by Brian Ruggaber, humble by PAC standards, is among the finest ever built at Off-Tryon. And the costumes by Foy, Lambert, and director Julie Janorschke are absolutely lavish by Chix standards.
I daresay Lorraine Larocque, CL's Newcomer of the Year, perfectly fits the profile Vogel envisioned for the title role, with an angelic face of an authentic naif and the diminutive size that Othello could crush as easily as a butterfly, coupled with the ability to freely spout filth and licentiousness without a wince or a blush.
Larocque delivers her best comic work since she was the foul-mouthed Slippy Helen in Cripple of Inishmaan exactly one year ago -- this time with an uppercrust British accent. Still, I wish Janorschke had egged her on to even greater excess and variety.
Another two weeks of interaction with her co-stars may have the same effect. The contrast of accents is already devastating. As Des's unlikely "mate," Nicia Carla gives Bianca a Cockney accent as thick as week-old porridge. Laura Depta's upright Emilia, eyeing an upgrade from her current scullery drudgery, mouths her platitudes and pieties in a colorful Irish brogue.
Tossing in a limp that swivels her ample frame about 10 degrees with every other step, Depta delivers a performance so pure and concentrated that I found it difficult to keep my eyes off her. For many reasons, Depta's seething resentments peak with the arrival of Des's harlot pal. Emilia considers herself far above the degraded Bianca, while Des takes exactly the opposite view. Carla prances into the palace without a trace of presumption, eyes tilted upward in wonder, mouth agape with a horsey smile. An utter delight at first. Soon enough, we find that Carla's fuse is about as short as Iago's much-maligned wick.
Is she the social outcast that Emilia despises or the emancipated capitalist Desdemona admires? Bianca herself seems woefully conflicted and confused on the subject -- possibly because a male-dominated world has left her too hardened and ignorant to have an answer.
Sabrina Blanks's lighting design is far from perfect, too obvious and obtrusive. But the trio onstage is so close to flawless that the fidgeting in the light booth hardly matters. A fine evening of theater, one that is already awakening good crowds to the goodies regularly on display at Off-Tryon. Paired with the Othello-thon appetizer, this is Charlotte's new Off-Broadway at its finest.
The Symphony came back from its brief holiday with a gallop and a roar -- or so it seemed, as guest conductor Junichi Hirokami lifted his baton and launched into the Best of Brahms concert. Despite some initial dyspepsia from the brass, the familiar Academic Festival Overture sounded faster, bolder, and more spontaneous than usual -- which is not always a good thing. Wind solos, though fine individually, seemed ill-matched dynamically.
But what fun watching the little guy throwing his cues and radiating his enthusiasm! Eventually, it all coalesced in an irresistibly rushed ending played with exceptional clarity.
The spell didn't last. Through the first five segments of Mr. B's Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn, despite Hirokami's increasingly eccentric baton work, the CSO sounded utterly moribund. Some positive propulsion finally surfaced when the ensemble frisked through two successive uptempo variations. The ensuing slowdown brought a power meltdown. Another powerful finale salvaged the performance as the uninspired ensemble broke for intermission.
From a listener's standpoint, it was Anton Kuerti to the rescue. Perhaps the CSO focused a disproportionate amount of rehearsal time on Brahms's Second Piano Concerto, but it was the only fully satisfying piece of the night. Kuerti tore into the piece with relentless concentration and fire, eclipsed here and there by silvery runs and sweetly voiced chords. A more subdued Hirokami kept Symphony focused at the same high level.
Particularly impressive was the brace of solos complimenting Kuerti in the middle movements. Hollis Ulaky's oboe was achingly forlorn, Alan Black's cello warm and empathetic. During the pauses between movements, Hirokami couldn't help smiling back at the soloist. The joy and confidence of bringing it home seemed to add buoyancy to Kuerti's closing allegretto. So satisfied was he taking his bows that he lowered the top of the Steinway for the audience to get a clearer view of the players.
For half a concert, they were brilliant.
Before Victory Pictures found a permanent home, they brought a low-budget production of Neil Simon's The Good Doctor to Theatre Charlotte late in 2000 that occasionally sparkled with a raggedy charm. Now after a couple of postponements, Vic Pix has revived their Doc at their new permanent home in the Matthews Community Center.