The Hunchback of Notre Dame

I recently saw The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Aurora Theatre, one of my favorites. Everything I've seen at Aurora has been fantastic, but this show is beyond spectacular! With a star-studded cast, beautiful music, and an indelible set, this show is poised for fanfare of the sort that lasts for decades!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a co-production with Theatrical Outfit—the first show in its 2017-2018 season—where it is now running through Sunday, September 17.

Haden Rider and the cast of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME | Photo by Daniel Parvis

I'd never seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame, so I didn't know the story or what to expect, beyond knowing it would be an amazing performance because it was at Aurora. 

Between seeing The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Aurora Theatre and Theatrical Outfit, I've watched the 1996 Disney animated version and the 1939 black and white Hollywood movie starring a young, new actress Maureen O'Hara. There's also a 1923 film version that I did not see. All are based on the novel written by Victor Hugo, but none exactingly follow the book.

The Aurora Theatre/Theatrical Outfit co-production is an amalgamation of the various previously performed renditions. It doesn't have the happy ending that Disney gave it, but you won't be sorry you saw this perfectly performed work of art!

Haden Rider (Quasimodo) is phenomenal! A young, humble actor, his talent is eons beyond his years. As Quasimodo, he is wholly convincing as an innocent, "different" (caged hunchback), and compassionate human being.

Haden Rider and Julissa Sabino in THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME | Photo by Daniel Parvis

Theatre in Atlanta is the best it has ever been, in my humble opinion. I've seen amazing theatre throughout the years in Atlanta, as far back as 1987. We had great talent then, but now we have so much more!

If there were a First Lady of Atlanta theatre, Julissa Sabino (Esmeralda) would be a strong contender. She's beyond amazing and is so incredibly talented. I've had the great pleasure of seeing her in a number of plays in recent years (The Toxic Avenger, Grease) and have had the awesome pleasure of meeting her. Charming, poised, grateful...she possesses all the best qualities one would hope a celebrity would have.

From being a champion for her people's human rights, the Gypsies, to demonstrating genuine compassion, for Quasimodo, Julissa's performance shines brightly in this tale peppered with darkness. Julissa is also the Dance Captain for this production, which she totally rocks!

David de Vries and Julissa Sabino in THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME | Photo by Daniel Parvis

The multi-talented David de Vries, who has performed in top grossing stage, television and movie projects, plays Dom Claude Frollo, a character I detested from the very first promotional images I saw. The character is creepy! 

That's also to say that David's performance is brilliant. He brings to the stage one of those characters that you love to hate. A character that stirs uneasiness deep down in your soul.

I was so conflicted wanting to see Frollo crushed and totally wanting to meet de Vries! 

This show has a powerful cast, including Kevin Harry and Lowrey Brown, as well as a phenomenal ensemble. And the puppeteers are magical! They bring the gargoyles to life and lighten the dialogue—conversations with Quasimodo—with some wonderful humor.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France | Photo: Barry Holland

I went to see The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Aurora Theatre with my friend Barry, and we already have tickets to see it again at Theatrical Outfit! Barry visited Paris a few years back and made some stunning photos of the Notre Dame Cathedral, this one of the bell tower side we see in the show. He thoroughly enjoyed the musical and I'm sure the spectacular sets whisked him right back to Paris.

Go see The Hunchback of Notre Dame and be whisked away to Paris yourself! 15th Century Paris, that is. And be prepared for one of the most incredibly heart-wrenching, heart-touching stories you've ever seen.

Enjoy a brief look at some of the magnificence you'll enjoy when you go see this show...

Into the Woods to Fairy Tale Land We Go...

Imagine all your favorite children's books weaved into one magnificent tale, rife with drama, laughter, struggle, celebration...and a challenge of gigantic proportions!

Who will get what they dream of...and who will live? Yes, yes, we're talking some serious drama, but with lots of laughs, too. Are you wondering if any of your beloved character's dreams do come true?

That's a Reader's Digest teaser of what you'll wonder and experience when you see Aurora Theatre's rendition of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, playing now through Sunday, April 17.

Shellie Delgado and Googie Uterhardt
"Into the Woods" | Aurora Theatre | Photo by Chris Bartelski

There are many truly outstanding actors in this performance, some I've had the pleasure of seeing perform in other plays and some who mesmerized and made me laugh for the first time. Not that they didn't before...it was just the first time I'd had the honor to see many of them.

If there was a single character who enraptured my attention, across the board—dramatic, funny and wholly entertaining—it was Shelli Delgado, who performed the roll of Little Red Riding Hood. She made me laugh with every line delivered, every exaggerated expression and by turning lemons into lemonade...rather, an enemy into a new cape.

Wendy Melkonian, Evan Jones, Brian Walker
"Into the Woods" | Aurora Theatre | Photo by Chris Bartelski

Aurora Theatre's Into the Woods is told through the eyes of a youngster who finds a book in a library, where the show opens. Evan Jones plays the Narrator absolutely brilliantly. He's one of the best young actors I've seen in a long time. He's fully engaged, focused and easy to follow. Keep an eye on this young man's acting career...he's going places!

Jack's cow is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud prop, with more personality than perhaps I've ever seen in an inanimate creature. And the cow you see pictured above isn't the only rendition of this bovine you'll see during the performance. This cow, as white as milk, becomes "hell on wheels". 

The the expertise of this performance encompasses talent in many disciplines. The acting, the singing (which is glorious!), the set, the costumes, the props, the lighting, the audio...everything about this show is world-class! 

Caroline Arapoglou
"Into the Woods" | Aurora Theatre | Photo by Chris Bartelski

Caroline Arapoglou (Rapunzel), also in Aurora's award-winning Memphis, was not too long ago wedded with another of my favorite Atlanta actors, Nick Arapologu (Toxie, Princeton). Congratulations, you two! Caroline, you totally rocked that "hair as yellow as corn".

Another I've seen before and loved in the production was India Sada Tyree (Florinda) who I'd met when she was Nina in Aurora Theatre's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. She's so delightful in person and brilliant on stage! Diany Rodriguez (Cinderella) also is magnificent. I had the honor of meeting her when she was in Informed Consent, and she too is delightful, and talented in range from a Native American leader (2015) to a beautiful fairy tale princess.

The whole of the cast is remarkable...they make you feel like you're in the fairy tale that's playing out on stage. 

Brooke Owens interviewed Into the Woods set designer Jason Sherwood and one of the questions was about inspiration: "...our question was how can we take this hall of the greatest stories of all time and put it through a child's imagination and then let it get a bit out of control. There are some elements to the set that appear as one thing and then change or move in a way you didn't expect them to...to create a place that feels like you've got a handle on what's going on and then things radically change."

The set morphs time and again, for various characters and story arcs. Things indeed do radically change. Especially in Act II... 

Shelli Delgado, Bernadine Mitchell, Kristin Markiton
"Into the Woods" | Aurora Theatre | Photo by Chris Bartelski

I've not seen Disney's 2014 cinema version of Into the Woods, which hosts a fantastic, well-known Hollywood cast. Aurora Theatre has successfully endeavored to make cast selections not only based on phenomenal acting skill, but also to cast actors who reflect the local citizenship. And this cast wholly represents the fact Aurora is Gwinnett County's only professional theatre.

Cast of "Into the Woods" | Aurora Theatre | Photo by Chris Bartelski

A few words of wisdom, if I may... 

Do not have a jumbo margarita across the street and then go straight to your seat in the theatre. The first act is nearly 1.5 hours. If you conduct such an act—as I did in haste—you're going to hear your mother's voice in your head for at least the last 20 minutes of Act I..."I told you to go before we left the house!"

On the wonderful side of that first hour and a half, by time the first act gives way to intermission, you feel like you've seen an entire musical...and indeed you have. The second act makes a departure from the land of fairy tales and goes in the direction of an epic fantasy battle. A battle! There are losses and there are heroes.

Is there a happy ending? You'll just have to go to Aurora Theatre by April 17 and experience the ending of this magical story for yourself. Just prepare to be whisked away to other times, other places and other realities...in a totally fun and entertaining way, of course. 


Aurora Theatre wraps up its 2015-2016 Signature Series with I'm Not Rappaport, on stage May 5 through June 5. And they have LOTS of other programming, so visit their website to see what else might entertain you. 

I'd like to offer a huge wanderlust ATLANTA "Thank you!" to Aurora Theatre and Brave PR for the tickets to the performance. As always, my posts are my own opinions. And my opinion is that Into the Woods is a fantastical, must-see show!

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike...and more!

My second visit to Aurora Theatre totally reinforced my original opinion of the venue. It's fantastic! This time I went to see Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a co-production with Horizon Theatre. This story showcases brilliant writing and the acting is superb! You will find yourself experiencing a wide range of emotion...laughter, sentiment, introspection, but mostly laughter.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike | Aurora Theatre

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is running at Aurora Theatre, finishing on Sunday, October 25, so you have a whole week to see this magnificent play!

Why should you see Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike? The description on the Aurora Theatre website says it best, and succinctly: 

"Melancholy turns into mayhem when Vanya and his sister, Sonia—along with their clairvoyant housekeeper, Cassandra—are paid a surprise visit by their movie star sibling, Masha, and her boy-toy, Spike. This zany new comedy that took Broadway by storm in 2013 borrows characters and themes from Chekhov, pours them into a blender and mixes them up–and the results are an utterly hilarious and occasionally touching story of regret, sibling rivalry, and growing older."

This was my second time seeing the show, and I'd see it again in a heartbeat! 

One of my favorite scenes in the play was William S. Murphey's (Vanya) tirade contrasting his generation (closer to my own) against that of today's generation (Millennials). It was moving in so many ways, and while I cherish my childhood memories, I don't think younger generations are all that different from any preceding generation. Every generation is different...it'd be naive to think otherwise. But nostalgia can be great fun.

Tess Malis Kincaid (Masha) was by far the most transformed personality in the play. She left home to pursue an acting career and returns with Spike, and a totally self-centered plan for a costume party! But as they say, things change. Then there's Masha's nemesis Cassandra, performed by Denise Arribas, who is definitely the more animated personalities on stage...you're going to laugh so hard!

The icing on the cake on this particular visit to Aurora Theatre was getting to meet so many of the cast after the show. We thoroughly enjoyed talking with Lala Cochran (Sonia) and Edward McCreary (Spike). 

LaLa is just as hilarious in real life as she is on stage. We enjoyed quite a few laughs and she was anxious to hear what we thought about the performance...we raved, of course. When we told Edward that that evening was the third time we've seen him perform (Memphis), he was cheerful and grateful. I love it when stars make time to enthusiastically speak with true fans.

Five of the six actors also performed in the Horizon Theatre show. In the Aurora Theatre production, India Sada Tyree performed the role of Nina, the visiting from out-of-town neighbor who catches Spike's eye. It turns out that Barry, my best friend who went with me, and India are both from Virginia and both went to Old Dominion University! India is an apprentice with Aurora and I wish her great success!

If you think this sounds like an awesome play, and it is, then start to ponder the drive to Lawrenceville, consider this...     

Atlanta Magazine recently published an interview with restaurateur Ryan Pernice, who owns and operates two restaurants in Roswell, just outside of Atlanta. While he's speaking to Metro Atlanta's dining experiences, I'm in full agreement with him as it applies to being a tourist, local or visiting: "you’re missing out if you stay in your zip code."

I spend a lot of time ITP (inside the perimeter, the perimeter being Interstate 285), but I love that I've had so many wonderful experiences by venturing OTP. Yes, yes...we Atlantans have too long made the "gotta get my passport stamped" joke about going OTP. I say it's time to give it a rest and go experience ALL that Metro Atlanta has to offer, which is a LOT, including one of my new favorite theatres, Aurora Theatre.

Aurora Theatre, Gwinnett County's only professional theater, is two shows into its 31st season, and from personal experience they know what they're doing...they know how to make theater-going a wonderful experience, and their 2015-2016 season lineup is spectacular, too.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike | Aurora Theatre

When you get your tickets, if you have time to explore Lawrenceville, Aurora Theatre has some excellent recommendations. We had dinner before the last two shows we've seen at Aurora. The first time we went to Dominick's Italian and on this past visit we dined at La Cazeula where I had some of the BEST Mexican food I've had in ages! I recommend the Alambre! And a margarita, of course.

Get your tickets now to see Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Aurora Theatre before it's gone! This 2013 Broadway hit promises to delight, but it finishes Sunday, October 25. 


BONUS: You'll find a "Working Out With Spike" video series on Aurora Theatre's You Tube channel. Click the below to start watching...

Hockadoo! MEMPHIS is in Georgia!

"Hockadoo!"

That was Huey Calhoun's calling card, invented during his debut as a radio disc jockey. Refusing to listen to society's, "That can't be done!", Huey enthusiastically brings 'Rock-n-Roll of the South' to white listening audiences, and eventually television. And he falls in love.

MEMPHIS: The Musical | Aurora Theatre

MEMPHIS: The Musical is on stage at Aurora Theatre now through August 30, 2015. I'd been wanting to experience Aurora Theatre for a few years and what a magnificent performance for my debut in their audience. If you've not been, make time to see MEMPHIS and enjoy the fantastic Aurora, celebrating their 20th season!

MEMPHIS: The Musical | Aurora Theatre

The wonderfulness of this performance, of a show that's a four Tony Award-winning musical, is exponential from curtain to close that a singular writing cannot express. It's without doubt a must-see, must-experience show.

I will share, with enthusiastic applause, that Suzi Bass Award-nominee Naima Carter Russell (Felicia) is magnificent! Her performance transports you to another time, to another place, on a melody that will float your soul. This is her fourth show at Aurora Theatre and I hope she's back for many, many more!

There are so many incredible actors/singers in this show whose performance I thoroughly enjoyed. They collectively bring to the stage a Broadway-caliber performance. Allow me to name a few: Eric Moore (Bobby) has perhaps the most electrifying voice on stage—beyond brilliant, as an actor and singer! Cecile E. Washington, Jr. (Delray Jones) was incredibly convincing as his character—highly impressed! Eugene H. Russell IV, I feel like I've seen him perform before, yet this was the most delightfully surprising character—what a voice! Megan McFarland, (Gladys) who also I feel like I've seen perform before, is brilliant—so convincing that you don't like her character until the end! Xylina Stamper was my favorite (they're all magnificent) in the ensemble...enthusiastic and believable. Oh, and Edward McCreary, who I recently saw in another play not long ago, is also awesome.

MEMPHIS: The Musical | Aurora Theatre

Have you ever known an egosurfer? Someone who Google's themselves...Google's their name to see if they're on the Internet? Perhaps that was an early Internet term, but yes, I've been guilty of it myself. The results are much more rewarding when I couple my name with "wanderlust ATLANTA". Ego-surfing can be great fun! Just sayin'.

But the reason I mention this is because—and this was after I already had tickets—I learned just before the show that the leading man's name is Travis! Travis Smith. What I didn't expect was that the character, DJ Huey Calhoun, felt like one of your most endeared friends even before intermission. I was so caught up in everyone's performance, I didn't want an intermission. Don't you love it when brilliant acting and hip-swaying singing wholly engulfs your attention?

MEMPHIS: The Musical | Aurora Theatre

A co-production with Theatrical Outfit, the Tony Award-winning (2010, Best Musical) MEMPHIS: The Musical is running at Aurora Theatre through August 30, 2015. There will be a one-week break between performances, but do visit Aurora Theatre!

Here's another great reason to see it at Aurora. I went with my best friend Barry and we met in Lawrenceville before the show. It was the first time in downtown Lawrenceville for both of us. What a quaint and charming town! We'd planned on grabbing a bite before the show and did we ever pick the right place!

Barry was texting local friends for restaurant recommendations and I was checking out the storefronts (I totally want to go back to visit the comic book store Galactic Quest) with a grumbling belly. We went in one place that we quickly decided was too loud for catching-up conversation and went instead to Dominick's. Their tagline—Little Italy. Lotta Food.—is an absolute truth! I wholeheartedly recommend them for your dinner-and-a-show excursion!

Quickly, speaking of food, when I was in Memphis, Tennessee, many years ago, another friend and I went to the legendary Charles Vergos' Rendezvous Charcoal Ribs for some of the best BBQ I've ever had. We ordered a few slabs via mail-order not too long after we returned home. Yes...it was that good! I wish I'd experience the contemporary music scene in Memphis, but alas, that's something to look forward to. In the meantime, there's MEMPHIS: The Musical!

So that you see what an amazing treat you're in store for, here's a clip of the Broadway cast of MEMPHIS: The Musical at the 2010 Tony Awards:




I want to offer a heartfelt "Thank you" to BRAVE Public Relations for the tickets (Chelsea is awesome!) and to Aurora Theatre for the incredible hospitality (especially Jennifer, who looks remarkably like Jeri Ryan), even though they didn't know I would be writing about the experience. You guys rock!
Go see MEMPHIS: The Musical at Aurora Theatre by August 30...you're going to love it!
Keeping it real: While the complimentary tickets are greatly appreciated, all opinions are my own...I will not write about anything I don't enjoy. THIS show I wholeheartedly enjoyed!

Finding "home", but first...a reverse striptease!

The Tony Award-winning VANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE is a heartwarming story, with a generous amount of humor, of realizing how precious family is, and it's a story about finding the comfort and security of "home". 

But before the characters relax into this realization, there's a reverse striptease!

VANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE, Horizon Theatre

VANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE, now playing at Horizon Theatre, a co-production with Aurora Theatre, is somewhat based on the themes and characters written by the great Russian humorist Anton Chekhov. To be honest here, I'm not all that familiar with Chekhov, but I totally connected with the story on stage, particularly recognizing what I've read of Chekhov's sense of the ridiculous.

This is a story of two middle-aged siblings—Vanya (who remarkably reminds me of my brother who lives in Miami) and Sonia—living in their Pennsylvanian family home, and their estranged sister Masha who travels the world as a rather disconnected flamboyant movie star. The story gets twistingly hilarious when Masha returns home with boy toy Spike, who spends a fair amount of time on stage bare-chested.

VANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE, Horizon Theatre

When reunited, the siblings butt heads and, later on, come face-to-face with some tough decisions. With a costume party thrown into the mix, this laugh-out-loud comedy explores love, relationships, friendship, sibling rivalry and a little of the supernatural, but perhaps that's just brilliant insight of the family housekeeper...I'll leave that to you to discern.

We first learn of Vanya (portrayed by William S. Murphey) and Sonia's (portrayed by Lala Chocran) isolated, and rather complicated, existence and are then quickly introduced to the uproariously animated clairvoyant Cassandra (wonderfully portrayed by Denise Arribas). Her foreshadowing channeling isn't immediately nor abundantly exact, but contributes brilliantly and colorfully to the story.  

VANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE, Horizon Theatre

We're later introduced to Spike (portrayed by Edward McCreary), who can't seem keep his shirt on—not that anyone was complaining—who shortly introduces us to an out-of-town, aspiring actress Nina (portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler), who makes Masha (portrayed by Tess Malis Kincaid) insanely—almost literally—jealous.

The reverse striptease is as much a surprise to the other characters as it is to the audience, and received with puzzling looks and laughter, respectively. That's all I'm going to tell you about that...you'll just have to see it for yourself. I find myself laughing as I write this...there's a lot of "clever" weaved into this play. 

If you can, imagine the drama of family, jealousy, sibling rivalry, and a totally ripped boyfriend, all coupled with Snow White, a couple of dwarfs and a princess...you too are going to love and laugh with this show! And, not to spoil the ending, but there's a twist that some will consider a happy ending. Again, you decide.

VANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE, Horizon Theatre

Typically when I see a show, an actor or two will stand out as a personal favorites, but this cast performs so incredibly well together that I really can't identify a "favorite". 

Denise—Cassandra the clairvoyant—made me laugh-out-loud the most...she's truly brilliant! Edward—Spike the shirtless boy toy—was incredibly convincing as a naive, life-loving jock, but having the opportunity to meet the actors after the show (love that!), you realize just how brilliant these actors are, and that they're totally acting their characters.




Recently the most-produced play in America, VANYA and SONIA and MASHA and SPIKE is a must-see. You have through June 28, 2015, to get to Horizon Theatre in Little Five Points to see this remarkable, humorous, heart-touching play. Don't miss it!