The Adding Machine A Musical
Original Music by Joshua Schmidt
Libretto by Jason Loewith & Joshua Schmidt
Based on the play The Adding Machine by Elmer Rice
Directed by Paul Melone
Steven Bergman, Music Director; David Connolly, Choreographer; Susan Xeeman Rogers, Scenic Design; Gail Astrid Buckley, Costumes; Jeff Adelberg, Lighting; Aaron Mack, Sound Design.
Cast: Brendan McNab (Mr. Zero), Amelia Broome (Mrs. Zero), Liz Hayes (Daisy Dorothea Devore), John Bambery (Shrdlu), Sean McGuirk (The Boss/The Fixer/Charles), Leigh Barrett (Mrs. One/Mae/Prisoner’s Wife), Cheryl McMahon (Mrs. Two/Betty/Matron), Bob DeVivo (Mr. One/Prisoner), David Krinitt (Mr. Two/Prison Guard).
Presented by the Speakeasy Stage Company at the Calderwood Pavillion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston. Until April 10, 2010.

The Adding Machine starts its journey by introducing Mr. and Mrs. Zero, a typical couple living out the American dream. Only it has turned into a nightmare. She is a scold. He silently endures her hectoring, his life of quiet desperation being the best he can manage. At work he is a cipher, his job to tally an endless stream of numbers. He has no imagination, no drive, no hope. His sole source of pride is his spotless record of 25 years of perfect attendance, never being late, and it seems, never having made a mistake.

At work, Mr. Zero (Brendan McNab) is helped by Daisy, who for years has read the numbers to him as he writes them down. She is taken with him, but he is cold and rebuffs any real contact with her. After one attempt at human warmth he responds with “You thought wrong”. In the best song of the show, Daisy (Liz Hayes) sings “I’d Rather Watch You” as she heads home, alone, on the Subway.

The structure of the show is such that not much is clear at first, and then, layer by layer, the audience comes to know the characters, their lives, and begins to care about each of the poor souls who inhabit this world of numbers. “In Numbers” is a recurring leitmotif of a song, syncopated and a capella. It is an amazing concoction.

On the day of his 25th Anniversary, Zero, instead of being promoted and thanked, is let go, with only a month’s notice. He will be replaced by an adding machine. Later that evening, at a “party” thrown by his wife, he is mocked and demeaned, and reveals that he was fired. “I killed the boss.” he adds matter of factly, “and am waiting for the police to arrive.”

That’s when this musical gets really interesting, since like Willie Loman in Death of A Salesman, it has a lesson to impart. But in The Adding Machine, it is not about slowly losing one’s mojo and the ability to keep up with changing times. That was Arthur Miller’s play. In the Rice/Schmidt/Loewith tale, it is worse.

Zero turns out to be a human being who has simply never thrived. He is a total failure in personal growth, fearful of anything but the safe and predictable. Worse he is also a small minded bigoted little cockroach. He wouldn’t take the initiative if it was handed to him on a silver platter.

And this continues after his arrest, trial and execution when he finds himself in the Elysian Fields with Daisy, his former co-worker. She committed suicide when he was executed in order to be with him. Yet even here he rebuffs her, afraid of what is “right”. He is a wasted soul, ready for recycling, not having grown a bit during his time on earth.

The cast is uniformly excellent, with Amelia Broome as Mrs. Zero taking a star turn with her opening four minute solo “Something to be Proud Of,” which is close to being an operatic aria. Brendan McNab as Mr. Zero never failed to hit the right notes, especially in the “Ham ‘n’ Eggs” duet with his wife.

John Bambery as Shrdlu arrives on the scene with explosive energy about halfway through the production, and provides an imaginative and energetic contrast to the timid Mr. Zero.

Leigh Barrett and Bob DeVivo played the cookie cutter Mr. & Mrs. One, while Cheryl McMahon and David Krinitt firmly held the roles of Mr & Mrs Two in check. Required to downplay the innocuous neighbors, they do it with class and subtlety.

Giving The Adding Machine real zip and energy is the music as delivered by a small but powerful trio with Steven Bergman at the piano, Matthew Raskopf on percussion and David Rose on the synthesizer. Rose knows how to make it sound like a lot more than one instrument.

Paul Melone’s direction keeps things moving briskly and fully utilizes the clever set. The checkerboard stage with stark lighting and frequent special effects make excellent use of the Speakeasy space. The slash in the stage floor which serves as the work space is used to great, even stunning effect.

The Adding Machine as a musical is a bit like a well constructed house. We can only fully appreciate it once it is finished. As layer after layer of the story are added, the whole construct becomes more encompassing and thought-provoking. It requires some attention to fully appreciate the message it has to deliver, but as the curtain comes down, the audience realizes that they have just seen a musical that is more than the sum of its parts.

For those who live in Boston this is a “must see.” For those in the Berkshires, gas up and check the oil. It’s worth making the trip. It is running through April 10.

And this continues after his arrest, trial and execution when he finds himself in the Elysian Fields with Daisy, his former co-worker. She committed suicide when he was executed in order to be with him. Yet even here he rebuffs her, afraid of what is “right”. He is a wasted soul, ready for recycling, not having grown a bit during his time on earth.

The cast is uniformly excellent, with Amelia Broome as Mrs. Zero taking a star turn with her opening four minute solo “Something to be Proud Of,” which is close to being an operatic aria. Brendan McNab as Mr. Zero never failed to hit the right notes, especially in the “Ham ‘n’ Eggs” duet with his wife.

John Bambery as Shrdlu arrives on the scene with explosive energy about halfway through the production, and provides an imaginative and energetic contrast to the timid Mr. Zero.

Leigh Barrett and Bob DeVivo played the cookie cutter Mr. & Mrs. One, while Cheryl McMahon and David Krinitt firmly held the roles of Mr & Mrs Two in check. Required to downplay the innocuous neighbors, they do it with class and subtlety.

Giving The Adding Machine real zip and energy is the music as delivered by a small but powerful trio with Steven Bergman at the piano, Matthew Raskopf on percussion and David Rose on the synthesizer. Rose knows how to make it sound like a lot more than one instrument.

Paul Melone’s direction keeps things moving briskly and fully utilizes the clever set. The checkerboard stage with stark lighting and frequent special effects make excellent use of the Speakeasy space. The slash in the stage floor which serves as the work space is used to great, even stunning effect.

The Adding Machine as a musical is a bit like a well constructed house. We can only fully appreciate it once it is finished. As layer after layer of the story are added, the whole construct becomes more encompassing and thought-provoking. It requires some attention to fully appreciate the message it has to deliver, but as the curtain comes down, the audience realizes that they have just seen a musical that is more than the sum of its parts.

For those who live in Boston this is a “must see.” For those in the Berkshires, gas up and check the oil. It’s worth making the trip. It is running through April 10.

Experience the phenomenon of Disney’s THE LION KING. Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by award-winning director Julie Taymor, whose visual images for this show you’ll remember forever.

Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscarâ-winning song “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” Let your imagination run wild at the Tony® Award-winning Broadway sensation Newsweek calls “a landmark event in entertainment.” It’s the most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the stage!

Tôi cho vở này 8/10. Thế mạnh của một Disney Production là lung linh sắcmàu và hoành tráng.

Ngoài ra chất liệu World Music được sử dụng để tạo không gian rừng núi rất lạ và hay (tôi vốn thích World Music).
Điều tôi không thích là nhân vật thú không được cách điệu mà cố tả thực rất rườm rà.

Ngoài ra, có thể lúc xem version cartoon tôi còn quá nhỏ nên quá thần tượng nên khi xem version musical này không trách khỏi so sánh và nhàm chán. Dù sao cũng hãnh diện ghi thêm một vở Broadway vào bề dầy thưởng lãm của mình.

Long before it was a film, “Dreamgirls” was a Tony Award-winning blockbuster musical.

Nearly 30 years and a modest makeover later, the dream is back and it’s better than ever.

Though “Dreamgirls” is a story about the road to stardom traveled by a 1960s girl group, everyone knows this is Effie’s show. “And I Am Telling You …” that if the producers of the film had discovered Moya Angela first, Jennifer Hudson might still be a struggling “American Idol” alum.

With a voice that nearly raises the rafters of the Colonial Theatre, Angela’s Effie is so big and so perfectly over-the-top that you can’t help but hurt when she hurts and practically bust at the seams when she gets revenge. Sure, it’s the best role, complete with a gut-wrenching, show-stopping number, but Angela’s incredible performance really does stop the show, and rightfully so.

In lesser hands, the remaining ensemble could easily be left in the dust. But this extraordinarily talented troupe, including “American Idol” Season 7 second runner-up Syesha Mercado, proves to be up to the challenge with strong vocals, great emotional depth and flawless execution of the show’s updated choreography.

With little more than LED lights and moving panels, the stage is seamlessly transformed over and over as the story unfolds. And make no mistake about it, this remarkable dream is in living color, thanks largely to the sparkles and sequins of William Ivey Long’s colorful costumes.

Wow chẳng trách sao vở này đoạt giải Tony. Lần đầu tiên tôi được xem một vở musical với chất liệu nhạc latino kết hợp cùng nhạc đường phố. Chất liệu nhạc này hoàn toàn phù hợp vì vở kịch nói về những người latino sống trong một khu phố nhỏ ở NY.

Những tiếng nhạc xập xình khiến ai cũng phải đong đưa. Những câu Hispanic đan xem trong đối thoại. Những màn ca vũ nóng bỏng, điêu luyện… tôi không còn lời nào để mô tả.

Thật sự rất rất xứng đáng cho một giải Tony. Xem. thấy từng giác quan sung sướng được cảm thụ. Sướng!

THE 101 DALMATIANS MUSICAL

Chỉ là một vở nhạc kịch vui nhỗn cho trẻ con mà tôi đi xem đứng vào dịp Xmas vừa rồi. Cuồi vở diễn có mấy chú cún đốm làm trò dễ cưng lắm cơ.

Shipwrecked! An Entertainment:

The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as told by himself)

By Donald Margulies
Directed by Scott LaFeber
Boston Premiere – At sixteen, Louis de Rougemont leaves his sickbed and London home, vowing to see the world. As he climbs …aboard a ship of pearl divers, a typhoon hits, leaving him stranded on an island.

Thirty years later, hailed as a hero, he returns to Victoria London with a tale so amazing it’s hard to believe it is true. Filled with theatrical magic and “good old-fashioned yarn spinning,” (The New York Times) audiences young and old will enjoy this magical story of exotic lands, extraordinary creatures, and incredible adventures. “Magical theatrical sleight of hand.” –The New York Times

Vở kịch nói là tự truyện về chuyến thám hiểm hơn 30 năm của Louis de Rouge. Vở kịch có hơi hướng của Ngày Xửa Ngày Xưa. Ngoài diễn viên chính, 2 diễn viên phụ đảm nhiệm tất cả các vai, tạo cảnh, tạo tiếng động (rất giỏi).

Mình không phải là fan của thể loại thám hiễm nên thấy hơi dài dòng. Tuy diễn biến trẻ con nhưng kết cục khiến người lớn phải suy nghĩ: Mọi điều mà Louis kể bị lật tẩy là không logic và chỉ là tưởng tượng. Là một người xem, bạn sẽ chọn tin hay không tin vào cuộc phiêu lưu, để cho trí tưởng tượng bay bỗng hay để cho lý trí trói buộc.

The American Repertory Theater makes its first Loeb Drama Center appearance of the season with this holiday musical with book and lyrics by Randy Weiner and music by Obie winner Diedre Murray. Part of new ART artistic director Diane Paulus’s “Shakespeare” season, it got a thumbs-up from the New York Times— “This rousing musical has taken the plot from The Winter’s Tale, tossed out anything resembling Shakespearean language, and achieved a hypnotic effect with musical numbers that leave the audience whooping” — so never mind that the language is the best part of any Shakespeare play and just enjoy the R&B and gospel treats. The cast includes Gregg Baker, Mary Bond Davis, and Jeanette Bayardelle; Paulus herself directs. | Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St, Cambridge

Nằm trong mùa diễn nhỏ bao gồm các bản cải biên kịch của Shakespeare, Nhà hát American Repertory ra mắt vở Best of Both Words. Vở kịch là bản dựng musical từ kịch bản The Winter Tale của Shakespeare. Chẳng biết nếu xem kịch bản cổ điển thì tôi có cảm giác thế nào nhưng chắc chắn là bản dựng musical này quá sức hay. Lần đầu tiên tôi xem một vở musical toàn nhạc R&B và Gospel. Thể loại này rất thích hợp để thể hiện những cảm xúc bi tráng của vở. Chỉ có 7 diễn viên da màu nhưng hầu hết họ đều có giọng hát tuyệt vời. Tôi thật sự xúc động khi diễn viên trong vai hoàng hậu cất tiếng ca thể hiện tình yêu của mình dàng cho nhà vua dù đang bị đuổi ra khỏi cung điện vì hàm oan. Khi xem lại mới biết là diễn viên này được mời từ Broadway về cộng tác. Giọng hát của cô mạnh mẽ, nồng nàn, thê thiết, tải rộng cả khán phòng. Nhắm mắt lại mà nghe cũng còn có thể khóc. Vở kịch thật sự là tuyệt vời, một đại tiệc âm thanh và giọng hát. Chính giọng hát của diễn viên tạo nên độ hoành tránh của vở chứ không phải là nhờ phông màn đằng sau. Thật hạnh phúc khi được thưởng lãm một tác phẩm nghệ thuật như thế.

This musical adaption of Thornton Wilder�s The Matchmaker has won multiple Tony awards and is widely regarded as one of Browdways most enduring hits. Crafty, meddling Do…lly Gallagher Levi is charged with finding a suitable wife for the upright, respectable Horace Vandergelder. But she quickly decides to take matters into her own hands and keep him for herself, and Dolly sets out to scheme and sing her way into Horace�s hard heart all over New York. Musical

Lai đi xem kịch một mình trong 1 đêm tiết trời lạnh như cắt. Vở này cũng rất là nổi tiếng, dàn dựng của sân khấu Footlight Club không quá hoành tráng nhưng tài nghệ của diễn viên thì hoàn toàn đáng nể. Lại cái cảm giác vui sướng khi xem musical. Lại cái cảm giác kỳ dị vì mình là người duy nhất đi một mình.