Filed under: Performing Arts — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:49
As I mentioned during my review of the 2015 production of TITANIC in Toronto, sometimes, perhaps rarer than usual, theater grabs a hold of you and makes a truly indelible impression. For me, that occurrence came with the original 1997 Broadway production of TITANIC: A New Musical. As a young man of 19, it was the first show I had ever seen on the Great White Way; and it has forever lived in my heart as one of my absolute most favorite life experiences. The show, which many believed was doomed from the start (after all, who would want to watch a musical about the famed ocean liner that’s fate is well, pretty well darned known?), became a surprise hit. Winning 5 Tony Awards, TITANIC proved it was the Unsinkable Molly Brown, taking home statues for Best Orchestrations, Best Score, Best Scenic Design, Best Book, and the coveted prize for Best Musical. The show ran for almost two years at the Lunt Fontanne Theater. And it was a juggernaut for actors who would go on to become major Broadway players. Victoria Clark, Michael Cerveris, and Brian D’Arcy James all had main roles.
But as the popularity of TITANIC the film started to dwindle, the musical shuttered on March 21, 1999. However, the show has been considered by many to be a major contribution to the repertoire of American musical theater. Rex Reed commented in his review of the original production that he believed he was watching, “A genuine addition to the American musical theater.” Reed was correct. The show has proven itself as an iconic work and lived on through numerous incarnations of the show–including a national tour, productions across the globe, and most recently at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada in the Summer of 2015. The Toronto production, which opened May 19th, 2015 was based on an acclaimed chamber version of the show which ran in London’s Off-West End Southwark Playhouse in 2013. That show was so well received, there were plans to run it in Toronto in 2014 and bring it back to Broadway in 2015. Unfortunately, official word was producers were unable to find a house for the show; and plans were scrapped.
So, until TITANIC is able to rightly take its place back on the Broadway stage once again, it lives on in regional productions, including the scaled down, yet beautiful, production at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. The actors, many of whom play multiple roles, are spectacular. As an ensemble, they are spine-chillingly perfect. Some of the individual performers really stand out. Christopher Block portrays Captain EJ Smith perhaps even more convincingly than original Broadway cast member John Cunningham. He has the mannerisms of the famed Captain down exquisitely.
Bobby Smith, whose absolutely gorgeous and powerful voice fills the theater during each of his scenes, proves he is a veteran performer with the talent and ability to back it. Lawrence Redmond’s Ismay is just as effective. And Nick Lehan, playing wireless operator Harold Bride, displays an incredible range of dynamic vocal quality, that makes up for some of the shortcomings in the dynamic range of Sam Ludwig, who plays Barrett among other roles. Their duet, “The Night Was Alive” has always been my favorite number and scene from the show; and Lehan’s sweet and ranging style provides the perfect blend with Ludwig’s more direct and less dynamic voice during the song.
Florence Lacy, as Ida Strauss, is complimented by the equally capable John Leslie Wolfe as husband Isidor, amazingly. Their duet “Still,” showcases the love the characters had for one another as they decided to die together rather than occupy a space in a lifeboat. Finally, Chris Sizemore and Iyona Blake, though strangely coupled as second class soon-to-be spouses Charles Clarke and Caroline Neville, amazingly make the audience forget their age and racial difference (which is only signifiant because it would more than likely not have existed during the early 1900’s). Neville has a beautiful operatic quality to her voice that is complimented incredibly well by Sizemore. Their number, “I Give You My Hand,” cut from the original Broadway production, is restored beautifully here. While I was originally skeptical of the duo; their performances quickly silenced any fear of anachronism I may have originally had.
Perhaps one aspect in which the show is lacking is its sets. The set is punctuated by several ramps that transverse through several stories throughout the theater, reflecting various entry points to the ship. While this provides scale to the production, most of the action takes place on the main stage, which is often barren sans a very small number of props. So, scenic designer Paul Tate dePoo III leaves a LOT to audiences’ imagination. That works to a certain extent in the theater; but leaving the audience with too much responsibility to fill in the scenic gaps can cheapen the effectiveness of a show. The original production was lauded for its incredible sets. Stewart Laing won the Tony Award for a set that did the unthinkable–SANK! Of course, with large set pieces, props, and costumes (designed by Frank Labovitz and which are somewhat basic in this production), comes enormous expense that regional theaters’ budgets simply don’t have as much space for.
However where the show lacks in sets and costumes, it more than makes up for where it counts–THE BEAUTIFUL MAURY YESTON SCORE!!! Unlike the Toronto production, which utilized a tiny 6-person orchestra, Signature has opted to use a full orchestra to provide the score. THAT ALONE MAKES THIS PRODUCTION WORTH SEEING MORE THAN ONCE! The richness of that amazing score is performed EXACTLY the way it should be! It was so incredibly nice to hear every musical nuance of the production, with an amazingly capable cast of musicians. The woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussion are blended flawlessly in Yeston’s work; and it is so incredibly refreshing to hear it all here! Josh Clayton (orchestrations), James Moore (musical direction), and Ryan Hickey (sound design) demonstrate the addition of woodwinds and brass to the arrangement of heavy strings augments heavily the more nautical feel of the show.
There are also some very smart, subtle, and intelligent changes to the book that bolster the quality and flow of the musical. Some lines, delivered by different characters in this production compared to the original, provide a fresh take on the work. The final scene of the original show, which I truly believe was the best final scene ever written for the theater, is less effective with the staging employed here. The characters are moreso joined by the dead, spaced throughout the set, rather than reunited with them, as seen in the original and subsequent productions of the show. Yet the ensemble makes the audience quickly overlook that with their sweepingly powerful and beautiful vocals.
TITANIC truly deserves a life on Broadway. I am really hoping that somehow, that happens! The quality of what is on-stage in Arlington right now is truly amazing. And while Broadway is ever-increasingly cutthroat and ever so reliant on the rehashing of cartoon movies and movie musicals, TITANIC could be a real welcomed breath of fresh air. TITANIC plays at the Signature Theatre through January 29th. For tickets, visit the show’s official Web site @: http://www.sigtheatre.org/events/2016-17/titanic/. Below, watch highlights of the show, courtesy of Signature Theatre:
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 02:09
The UCF Knights (6-7; 4-4 AAC) lost in embarrassing fashion Saturday night to the Red Wolves of Arkansas State (8-5; 7-1 SBC) in Orlando during the second annual Cure Bowl, televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. The loss sealed UCF’s 2016 season as a losing one. As reported by the American Athletic Conference:
Justice Hansen threw three touchdown passes to Kendall Sanders to help Arkansas State beat UCF 31-13 on Saturday night in the AutoNation Cure Bowl. Hansen and Sanders hooked up for touchdown strikes of 12, 75 and 17 yards, but the biggest plays of the night came from the Red Wolves’ special teams. They scored on a blocked punt and produced two turnovers that were turned into touchdowns. Hansen completed 12 of 26 passes for 205 yards.
The Red Wolves (8-5) sealed the victory when they went up 31-13 on Sanders’ 17-yard scoring reception early in the fourth quarter. That touchdown was set up after UCF returner Chris Johnson mishandled a punt and it was recovered by Logan Moragne at the Knights 37. The tone for the special teams was set in the first quarter when Johnston White broke through the line to block Caleb Houston’s punt and B.J. Edmonds fell on the ball in the end zone to put the Red Wolves ahead 7-0 in the first 4 minutes. The Red Wolves took a 17-0 lead over the Knights (6-7) in the first quarter after a UCF fumbled kickoff return set up Hansen’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Hansen.
UCF freshman quarterback McKenzie Milton and the offense couldn’t get much going. Arkansas State’s defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage and kept Milton off balance throughout. Milton completed 22 of 39 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown. Check out video highlights of the game below, courtesy of ESPN, by clicking the URL below:
Filed under: Popular Culture — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:17
WOW! Hold your breath and feel your hands get sweaty watching these teens scale a skyscraper construction site in NYC. You might want to take a Xanax or down a glass of wine first. NYC FireWire reports:
All 5 boro’s of NYC offer a range of challenges emergency responders must face on a daily basis. From Manhattan’s sky scrapers above ground to below grade Subway lines, Staten Island shipping container terminal or even a private dwelling in the Bronx which holds the unknown such as a drug den like the one that took the life of FDNY Battalion Chief Michael Fahy in September, 2016. FDNY Firefighters have to be on their toes and ready to handle whatever is thrown their way. Aside from buildings, we also have all walks of life, including ones who feel important enough to evade security at a Central Park South High Rise being built. An urban exploer posts videos on youtube of his tresspassing adventure into Manhattan’s High Rises and puts himself into precarious positions just for the thrill of it. Unfortunately, those that must respond in the event he should become trapped or injured on one of these journeys, don’t see the thrill the way he does. This puts responders in a position they are trained for, but never wish to have to execute. Should the thrill seekers selfish acts fail, it will tie up highly trained technical rescue resources and put members at risk of their own.
His events call to question the integrity of the security hired to secure the buildings he gained access to. This leaves NYC’s huge buildings vulnerable. In this day in age, this is completely unacceptable.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:17
The UCF Knights (6-6; 4-4 AAC) will face the Red Wolves of Arkansas State (9-3; 7-1 SBC) in the 2016 AutoNation Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando Florida on December 17th. Kickoff is set for 5:30pm and the game will be nationally broadcasted on CBS Sports Network. Although the Knights dropped their final two games of the season at home against Tulsa (9-3; 6-2 AAC) and USF (10-2; 7-1 AAC), their win against the Bearcats of Cincinnati on November 12th gave the Knights’ their requisite 6-season wins, cementing their eligibility for selection in post-season bowl play. The Cure Bowl is a relatively new contest, debuting in the 2015 season. The Bowl’s main focus is to highlight breast cancer awareness; and a significant portion of the bowl’s profits benefits breast cancer research. The bowl is played in UCF’s old stadium, formerly called the Citrus Bowl. The Knights called the Citrus Bowl home from 1979 through 2006. Andrea Adelson and Sam Khan, Jr. break down the matchup between UCF and Arkansas State for ESPN:
Cure Bowl: UCF Knights vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves
Location: Camping World Stadium | Orlando, Florida
UCF
Best moment: UCF beat UConn 24-16 for the first time since 2013, then left behind the Civil ConFLiCT trophy that Huskies coach Bob Diaco had made to go to the winner of the game. There really is no better way to throw shade at a program that tried to make up a rivalry where one didn’t exist. Without this win, UCF might not have a bowl opportunity.
Lowest moment: Losing to South Florida is never ideal for the Knights, but the way they lost to Houston might be slightly more painful. UCF had a 24-3 lead early in the second half on the road against the Cougars before letting it all slip away. The Knights had four turnovers in the second half and 29 total yards. Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr.took advantage and rallied the Cougars to the 31-24 victory.
Key player: LB Shaquem Griffin. Griffin might be the most remarkable player in college football. Playing with one hand, the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year is tied for No. 10 in the nation in sacks (11) and tackles for loss (19), and he ranks second on the team with 85 total tackles. His twin brother, Shaquill, starts on defense, too. Shaquill leads the team with 12 pass breakups.
Motivation level: High. UCF went 0-12 last season, so getting to six wins and a bowl game under first-year coach Scott Frost is a huge accomplishment. Winning the bowl would be even bigger. It would be the Knights’ first bowl win since Blake Bortles led them to the Fiesta Bowl title over Baylor to end the 2013 season. — Andrea Adelson
Arkansas State
Best moment: The Red Wolves went on the road and whipped an AP-ranked Troy team 35-3. The Trojans came into the game with the Sun Belt’s top scoring offense but committed five turnovers and didn’t reach the end zone once. “They felt like they had already won the Sun Belt title,” Arkansas State defensive end Chris Odom said. “Well, they had to go through us … and we showed them how we play.”
Lowest moment: A 28-23 loss to FCS foe Central Arkansas on Sept. 24 gave the Red Wolves their first 0-4 start in 15 years. The team committed four turnovers, three of which turned into Central Arkansas points. It was Central Arkansas’ first win over an FBS opponent in seven years.
Key player: Ja’Von Rolland-Jones is one sack away from breaking Arkansas State’s school record for career sacks (28). The junior defensive end has 11 of those sacks this season and 16 tackles for loss, leading the Sun Belt in both categories.
Motivation level: Bowl games are always good showcases for schools that don’t get the kind of attention that Power 5 programs get, so you can be assured the Red Wolves will be plenty motivated. This is the sixth consecutive season Arkansas State is bowl eligible and the ninth time in the past 12 years. — Sam Khan Jr.
Filed under: Popular Music — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 00:00
Lady GaGa gave a microphone-dropping performance of her new single, “Million Reasons” from her new #1-selling album Joanne Sunday on the UK version of X Factor. Take a look at her absolutely amazing performance below. Joanne is available now for digital download and in retail stores everywhere from Interscope Records.
Filed under: Performing Arts — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 02:12
The Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA is staging what is sure to be an epic mounting of Maury Yeston’s and Peter Stone’s Tony-Award winning Best Musical TITANIC. The production, which will be staged in an immersive format with the audience surrounding the stage in Signature’s MAX Theatre, begins performances on December 13th and runs through January 29th. Yesterday, Signature released a video of the cast and orchestra rehearsing the opening number, “The Launching: Godspeed TITANIC.” Take a look at the video below. Tickets for the production can be purchased here: http://www.sigtheatre.org/events/2016-17/titanic/.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 02:29
After going winless in 2015, the UCF Knights (6-4; 4-2 AAC) are BOWL BOUND! The Knights resoundingly defeated the Bearcats of Cincinnati (4-6; 1-5 AAC) 24-3 on Saturday in-front of 30,346 fans at Bright House Networks Stadium. Terrance Harris of the Associated Press reports:
McKenzie Milton threw a touchdown pass and UCF cashed in on turnovers to beat Cincinnati 24-3 on Saturday to become bowl eligible for the fourth time in five years. Justin McDonald returned a punt blocked by Tre Neal 23 yards for a score in the third quarter and Seyvon Lawrey’s interception of a Hayden Moore pass led to a 25-yard TD run by Jawon Hamilton in the fourth quarter. Milton was 22 of 34 for 150 yards passing for UCF (6-4, 4-2 American Athletic) and hit Dredrick Snelson on a 1-yard TD pass in the first quarter. Matthew Wright kicked a 22-yard field goal. Hamilton gained 81 yards on 17 carries. The Bearcats (4-6, 1-5) outgained the Knights 327-305 in total yards, but saw one drive end with a fumble by Moore after he was sacked. Moore was 13 of 25 for 129 yards passing. Josh Pasley kicked a 38-yard field goal in the second quarter.
The Knights take on the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa (7-3; 4-2 AAC) next Saturday (time and broadcast cannel TBD) to start the final two challenging games of the season. The Knights travel to Tampa to take on rival USF (8-2; 5-1 AAC) on 11/26. That game will be nationally-televised with a time that’s currently TBD. The Knights will be selected to appear in one of the American Athletic Conference’s post-season bowl games in 2016. Options include:
– Armed Forces Bowl (Navy) vs. Big 12
– AutoNation Cure Bowl vs. Sun Belt
– Birmingham Bowl vs. SEC
– Marmot Boca Raton Bowl vs. Conference USA
– Miami Beach Bowl vs. MAC
– Military Bowl vs. ACC
– Popeyes Bahamas Bowl vs. MAC
– St. Petersburg Bowl vs. ACC
Below, watch highlights of UCF’s 24-3 win over the Cincinatti Bearcats, courtesy of ESPN:
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 23:17
The UCF Knights (5-4; 3-2 AAC) crushed the Green Wave of Tulane (3-6; 0-5 AAC) 37-6 on Saturday night in-front of an energetic crowd at Bright House Networks Stadium and a nationwide audience on ESPN3. The Knights started the game with a fumble that Tulane returned for 6-points, missing the extra point. But those were the only points the Green Wave would score for the remainder of the game. As Shannon Green from the Orlando Sentinel reported:
UCF’s offense needed to get back on track after struggling to find a rhythm in the past three games. During nonconference games, the Knights established themselves as a stout running team, running for 275 yards against No. 5 Michigan. But UCF saw a steady decline against Temple, UConn and Houston, registering a season-low 40 yards on the road against the Cougars [the Knights blew a 21-0 halftime lead and lost to Houston last week]. One major contributing factor was the loss of the steady left guard Tyler Hudanick. He suffered a season-ending knee injury against Temple on Oct. 15.
Led by freshmen Jawon Hamilton and Adrian Killins, the Knights were able to rush for more than 100 yards for the first time in three games. The two combined for 82 yards on 11 carries and Killins averaged 9.4 yards per carry. Senior running back Dontravious Wilson also added 35 rushing yards. Killins contributed to a shaky start for UCF. He fumbled the ball on the first play of the game for the Knights. That was followed up by an interception tossed by McKenzie Milton.
The Knights struggled to punch the ball in the end zone despite taking the ball into Tulane’s territory on four of their six drives in the first half. But the speedy rookie tailback, Killins, helped break the offense out of its slump with 44 yards rushing and receiving during UCF’s solo scoring drive in the first half. Milton faked a handoff and ran in a one-yard rushing touchdown to give the Knights a 7-6 lead. It was the third rushing touchdown of the season for the rookie quarterback.
“That’s not how we want to start a football game, particularly when you are playing a team that has a different type of offense than you are used to seeing,” Frost said of the turnovers. “It takes a little bit, maybe a series or two for guys to get the feel for what the speed of how they do it is like.” UCF’s offense stalled for much of the game, but Johnson’s fumble recovery in the third quarter marked a turning point for the Knights. Johnson and Griffin scored two defensive touchdowns in the third quarter to shut down the Green Wave’s chance for a rally.
The Knights’ next offensive touchdown didn’t come until the fourth quarter. With a 30-6 lead, coaches brought senior quarterback Justin Holman in to relieve Milton. Holman threw a 50-yard bomb to senior receiver Hayden Jones on his first play and capped the drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown.
UCF needs only one more win to become bowl eligible, which would be an incredibly amazing feat just one year after the team went winless in 2015. The Knights return home on Saturday to take on the Bearcats of Cincinnati (4-5; 1-4 AAC) at Noon. The game will be nationally televised on either ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN News, or CBS Sports Network. Below, watch highlights of UCF’s 37-6 win over the Tulane Green Wave courtesy of the American Athletic Conference.
Filed under: UCF Sports — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 15:46
The UCF Knights (4-3; 2-1 AAC) defeated the Huskies of UCONN (3-4; 1-3 AAC) 24-16 in-front of a national audience on ESPN News Network today after getting out of a 13-0 slump that saw the Knights scoreless in the first quarter. The win comes after last week’s heartbreaking 26-25 homecoming loss to the Temple Owls (5-3; 3-1 AAC), a team that soundly defeated the Bulls of USF last night. UCF struggled mightily against the Owls in the second half of last week’s game. UCF”s anemic offense didn’t put a single point on the board in the final 2 quarters; and with just :41 left on the clock and no time outs, Temple drove 70-yards to seal the game. But the Knights made adjustments today when UCONN decided to execute Temple’s game plan. Although they first succeeded, UCF’s offense started making gains, including a 91-yard touchdown drive that lasted less than 90 seconds and ended the first half with the Knights down 16-14. The defense also showed they could end the success UCONN had with the run during the first half by making adjustments to all but shut down UCONN’s running game in the second half. And an incredible third-and long pass kept UCF’s scoring drive alive in the first possession of the third quarter, allowing the Knights to score. UCF’s stout defense also stopped UCONN on the majority of their second half 3-1 and 4-1 situations, allowing UCF to run the clock and outscore the Huskies. UCF now moves on to #11 Houston (6-1; 2-1 AAC) next week in a game that sees the Knights playing their toughest opponent since their play in the Big House against Michigan in week 2. That game will be nationally televised on ESPNU with kickoff at Noon. Below are highlights from the game courtesy of the American Athletic Conference:
Filed under: Popular Music — Dr. Christopher Blackwell @ 01:23
Lady GaGa released her second single from her forthcoming new studio album Joanne last week. The song, entitled “Million Pieces” features a slight country-pop mix and is punctuated by GaGa’s amazingly powerful vocals, music, and lyrics. Joanne releases in the US on 10/21 from Interscope Records and is available for pre-order on iTunes now. Take a listen to “Million Pieces” below:
