CHEATED OF FEATURE The joy of watching Shakespeare in performance largely depends on the ensemble’s ability to make sense of the language. In this regard, Sacred Fools’ new Richard III succeeds, and before the intermission, it boasts the equally rare Shakespearean virtue of velocity. But any staging of any play has responsibilities beyond diction and [...]
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IF THIS IS THE CIRCUS, WHERE’S MY BREAD? In 1992, Guy Laliberté gentrified the big top with Saltimbanco, offering pure spectacle at Wagnerian prices, and in the process conflating art with acrobatics. Millions of people have subsequently made the same adjustment to their definition of quality entertainment. The change may be more significant than it [...]
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THE NATURALIST THING TO DO In the late 19th century, Naturalism emerged as a viable theatrical style in response to the artifice that had earlier been in vogue. It was almost inevitable that overly manipulated plots and histrionic acting styles would give way to something more genuine like Naturalism. Seeing 3-D sets with actual running [...]
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IT’S A NIGHTCLUB (NOT A CABARET) It was by sheer luck that the Rrazz Room in San Francisco became known to me. Not long after this intimate spot opened, a friend brought me to the nightclub act of the illustrious Linda Purl. Since then, business partners Robert Kotonly and Rory Paull – who transformed a [...]
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THE ART OF MAKING ART In economically troubled times such as these, many artistic directors are vainly attempting to figure out how their output can be remunerative. Instead of presenting a bold concept to audiences, artistic directors (and many other disciplinary artists) seem to be relying on proven methods of the past in order to [...]
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DECIDING THE FATE OF BLACK MEN IN BASEBALL In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color line in major league baseball, the first black man in modern baseball history to play in the majors. That’s a matter of record. In 1989, playwright Ed Schmidt used that seminal event in American sports and social history to write [...]
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THIS SHOWGIRL NEVER AGES For the typical visitor, Donn Arden’s Jubilee! is what Las Vegas entertainment is all about – spectacle, elegance, and acres of nubile topless young ladies descending a giant staircase. The show has been a staple of the Las Vegas scene for 30 years at Bally’s Hotel (excluding a remodeling hiatus) and [...]
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DRINK PLENTY OF ABSINTHE BEFORE YOU ATTEND THIS FRAT PARTY Absinthe – an uneasy cross between terrific variety acts and a stag party – takes place near the entrance to Caesars Palace Hotel, in a 600-seat tent; it’s an in-the-round venue that brings viewers close in to the acts (and, for better or worse, to [...]
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OH, WHAT FOOL THIS IMMORTAL BE After a short run in Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour begins its 48-city North American excursion that will last through August, 2012, after which it will return to Las Vegas for an open run in May, 2013. The months between now and its [...]
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A VIRTUAL VOLCANO OF VISCERALLY VIVACIOUS VARIETY Not every rewarding entertainment experience in Las Vegas tries to blow audiences’ minds with a massive cast, dazzling special effects, and topless dancers. Consider V – The Ultimate Variety Show at the V Theatre inside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort. The variety show is housed [...]
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