Crippled Critic Theatre Review: It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues @ Portland Center Stage

The title of the show is interesting. When I read it, I thought the creators were being playfully nonchalant.. I imagined someone uninitiated to the blues being blown-away by this new sound, and when the musician is asked, "What IS that?" he would respond, "It ain't nothin' but the Blues," and this interpretation would of course imply a focus on that genre. So, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the show's Two Acts would trace the evolution of the  genre, from slave-songs to an unexpected trace of Country, and therefore enlighten us to its roots which would in-turn inform other styles of music that came after it, and in that way, nearly everything is nothing more than altered Blues....

The show is narrated by Sugaray Rayford. What struck me most about him, beyond the power of his voice, was the sheer amount of sweat that poured from him during the show. That man puts everything he has into the songs he sings.  The Gospel numbers were my favorite, particularly "Catch on Fire," which was the Act I finale. The highlight of Act II was a song called "Crawlin' King Snake." The actor who sings that song looks positively reptilian, it's actually a little unnerving.....

"It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues" has a few things in common with "Black Pearl Sings!" the show still running in the basement Studio, they both trace musical history, they even share "Goodnight Irene," (although the two versions are radically different), but most importantly, they both make the walls quake.....

Crippled Critic Theatre Review: "Next to Normal" @ Artists Rep 5-8-12

It's really almost cruel, the trick that "Next to Normal" perpetrates on its audience-- the fact that it seems so innocuous at first glance... We know going in that it's about mental illness, but we are led to believe for awhile that we're talking about depression and anxiety... Even when Diana, (Sussanah Mars) makes sandwiches on the floor, she pulls-off the "oh silly me" response so well, that we allow ourselves to think that her brain must play little games with her--there's probably enough story there to sustain a musical; a family dealing with one member who isn't in full control of herself, and we all learn we are not as normal as we think we are.......

"Next to Normal" is not that musical, and sometimes things get so intense that you may wish it were....

My first exposure to Susannah Mars was one of her holiday cabarets at Artists Rep, my second was her performance as Becca in "Rabbit Hole." Seeing her in two wildly different roles made me wonder what it might be like if she combined her amazing vocal talents with the nearly palpable grief she exhibited in "Rabbit Hole". "Next to Normal" is the answer.

Diana has very vivid delusions, and she slowly sinks deeper and deeper into them. If you are not prepared to see a woman almost audibly crack in front of you, do not see this show. However, if you do possess the stamina to withstand such an emotionally exhausting experience, you are in for an exhilarating, enlightening ride.

The music assists in transporting you into raw and real madness. It's loud, sometimes blaring and you feel as though it might mirror what it feels like inside Diana's mind.

Willam Wadhams does a wonderful job as Diana's lost, flailing husband Dan, and the couple's neglected daughter Natalie is portrayed by supremely talented high school senior Meghan McCandless.

Everything is still tattered and frayed after the somewhat upbeat finale, you will likely be drained from the experience, but it is one that is worthwhile.....

Crippled Critic Theatre Review: "Anna Karenina" Portland Center Stage, 5/4/12

I approached "Anna Karenina nervously, because I have not read Leo Tolstoy's gigantic tome. But, I needn't have worried, Portland Center Stage's production was very accessible, with an informative playbill and the unusual and clever structure of a "Book-It" play, (local examples include "Owen Meaney's Christmas Pageant," and "Snow Falling on Cedars"), I did fine.

The first thing you''ll notice about "Anna Karenina" is just how well it fills the stage. Everything is big, there are ice-skating scenes and grand ballroom dances, with elaborate and striking costumes. And the set! Oh, the set! Not only was it fittingly large, to match the production's epic scope, but it also had an abundance of little touches that were so cool, like twinkling lights in the houses in twilight.

There is also a smattering of humor which I enjoyed for its unexpectedness, given the sometimes crushing sadness of the story.

"Anna Karenina" is among Portland Center Stage's most ambitious productions, the climatic scene at the end was so impressive and effective that I had to resist the urge to cover my face due to the oncoming train.

On a brief personal note, I went with my grandmother who loved the show, and I had the privilege of honoring a broken promise to see a production of "Anna Karenina" made by my grandfather sixty-four years ago. During intermission, we talked about how much she identified with the female-oppression themes. This really enhanced the experience for me, and so I suggest you too attend with an elderly loved-one, you might be surprised how much you learn ....