It's good to see the King.
I went out with a theatre buddy of mine last night to see New Stage's production of Idols of the King. I had a great time at the show, and I recommend it for those looking for a fun, entertaining evening of theatre. (This is not Sartre. If you're looking for the intellectual deliberation of weighty issues in your theatre, stay away. However, if you're looking for light summer fare, head on over to New Stage.)
First of all, the cast did a great job. New Stage veteran Jo Ann Robinson played "The Woman," and she portrayed a large number of characters with heart and wackiness. My particular favorite was a scene depicting a piano teacher who apparently still lives with her mother. The companion cat, the liquor hidden away in the instrument, the griping mother calling from the next room, the need for a fantasy she could lose herself in - it was pitch perfect. (I was less thrilled with "Zephyr," a loopy flower-child, but that was definitely the script, not Robinson.)
Chris Roebuck, who also played Bob Cratchit in this year's New Stage production of A Christmas Carol, played "The Man." I loved him as the paranoid radio broadcaster, the redneck boyfriend of a (bad) songwriter, and the gay florist. He also shone as the off-stage voice of a querelous mother. For both Robinson and Roebuck, the mastery of the physical workout of the show (and the many quick changes that have to take place in the wings) merits attention. To boot, they both did a great job portraying a wide variety of characters.
And then we come to the King. During the first act, I felt myself resisting the charms of Lance Zitron, a Memphis native that New Stage flew in from L.A. to portray one of Mississippi's favorite native sons. But sometime during act two, I fell under the spell of the King. (Part of this might have been due to a rabid Elvis fan that seated herself next to me during intermission. She clapped, hooted, and sang along to all the songs. Her excitement was totally contagious. That, and Zitron looks pretty darn good in leather pants.) By the end of the show, I was in Zitron's corner. Great voice, great face/body, great movement, and lots of pelvic thrusts. If that's not a recipe for success, I don't know what is.
Add Robinson, Roebuck, and Zitron in with a kickin' band, and you've got a fabulous show. The show also had great technical support. Costumes were a notable standout. MaryAnise did wonderful work recreating some of Elvis' most famous "looks." Lighting by Brent Lefavor guided the eye and accentuated the lame (!). Tom Jenkins weighed in with musical direction on this production. I saw his work at the Millsaps production of Nunsense recently, and I'm beginning to expect great work from him as a matter of course. J.R. Robertson and Sonny White took care of scenic design, and the smart use of rotating panels on both stage left and stage right kept the action clipping along, with no long (or even short) pauses as set pieces were moved.
Congrats to New Stage for a throughly enjoyable production!
First of all, the cast did a great job. New Stage veteran Jo Ann Robinson played "The Woman," and she portrayed a large number of characters with heart and wackiness. My particular favorite was a scene depicting a piano teacher who apparently still lives with her mother. The companion cat, the liquor hidden away in the instrument, the griping mother calling from the next room, the need for a fantasy she could lose herself in - it was pitch perfect. (I was less thrilled with "Zephyr," a loopy flower-child, but that was definitely the script, not Robinson.)
Chris Roebuck, who also played Bob Cratchit in this year's New Stage production of A Christmas Carol, played "The Man." I loved him as the paranoid radio broadcaster, the redneck boyfriend of a (bad) songwriter, and the gay florist. He also shone as the off-stage voice of a querelous mother. For both Robinson and Roebuck, the mastery of the physical workout of the show (and the many quick changes that have to take place in the wings) merits attention. To boot, they both did a great job portraying a wide variety of characters.
And then we come to the King. During the first act, I felt myself resisting the charms of Lance Zitron, a Memphis native that New Stage flew in from L.A. to portray one of Mississippi's favorite native sons. But sometime during act two, I fell under the spell of the King. (Part of this might have been due to a rabid Elvis fan that seated herself next to me during intermission. She clapped, hooted, and sang along to all the songs. Her excitement was totally contagious. That, and Zitron looks pretty darn good in leather pants.) By the end of the show, I was in Zitron's corner. Great voice, great face/body, great movement, and lots of pelvic thrusts. If that's not a recipe for success, I don't know what is.
Add Robinson, Roebuck, and Zitron in with a kickin' band, and you've got a fabulous show. The show also had great technical support. Costumes were a notable standout. MaryAnise did wonderful work recreating some of Elvis' most famous "looks." Lighting by Brent Lefavor guided the eye and accentuated the lame (!). Tom Jenkins weighed in with musical direction on this production. I saw his work at the Millsaps production of Nunsense recently, and I'm beginning to expect great work from him as a matter of course. J.R. Robertson and Sonny White took care of scenic design, and the smart use of rotating panels on both stage left and stage right kept the action clipping along, with no long (or even short) pauses as set pieces were moved.
Congrats to New Stage for a throughly enjoyable production!
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