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by Don Church & Tony Schillaci, Critics On the Aisle™

(l-r) Ronn Carroll and Brian Sears sing "GRAND OLD IVY" from Goodspeed's "HOW TO SUCCEED....."

Humming and dancing our way out of the Goodspeed Opera House after “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying,” we overheard enthusiastic theatergoers saying “it’s the best thing we have ever seen at Goodspeed!”

We would agree this Goodspeed Musical comedy is one of its most exuberant and well-produced shows that we’ve seen over the years.

With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser (“Guys and Dolls”), a well-structured and witty book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert this satire of American business is as relevant today as when we saw the original 48 years ago!

Opening the show is an impish character, J.Pierpont Finch, a manipulative and ambitious window-washer who uses his considerable charm and unconscionable guile to climb the ladder of success from the mail room to the top rung in no time at all.

He silently absorbs the advice in the pages of a little self-help book “How To Succeed….” The text is delivered by an exceptionally fine voice-over narration – the playbill credited a major Connecticut politician! (Maybe a new career is in bloom.) The narrator describes the various ways to deviously undermine colleagues to get ahead – highlighting the similarities between corporate and government political machinations.

"PARIS ORIGINAL" NUMBER - Cast of Goodspeed's "HOW TO SUCCEED......"

Brian Sears plays Finch, and he’s perfectly described by those lyrics from the song “I Believe in You” as having, “an upturned chin, and the grin of impetuous youth,” The cunning character’s reprehensible behavior in the corporate world is nonetheless devilishly winsome in Brian’s charismatic portrayal on stage.

Finch’s love interest, Rosemary, who is somewhat affectionately ignored by him in the first act, is beautifully sung by Natalie Bradshaw, whose character dreams of marrying the rising executive so that she can move to New Rochelle and be “Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm.”  A not uncommon hope and dream of moms and daughters in those pre-lib days, and we occasionally still hear it today.

As head of ‘World Wide Wickets,’ talented Ronn Carroll bombastically bellows and blusters through his role as J.B. Bigley, and his “Grand Old Ivy” duet with Finch is an encore-inspiring showstopper – a given with this magnificent performer. (Pellinore in last season’s “Camelot.”)

Va-va-voom,  red-headed bimbo, secretarial hopeful Hedy La Rue, is performed superbly, in the great tradition of broad comedy, by sexy Nicolette Hart. She’s at her very best when she belts out “Love From A Heart Of Gold.”  Hedy causes the inevitable downfall of many executives who lust to secretly ‘meet her around the corner,’ another highlight, among many, in this satirical romp.

Erin McGuire’s ‘Smitty’ sings “Been A Long Day” and “Paris Original” with a clear and true Mermanesque voice. Miss Jones, as portrayed by Jennifer Smith, breaks out of her middle-age staid demeanor when flirting with Finch, and in her contribution to the rousing hand-clapping-gospel-style number “Brotherhood of Man.”

Fourteen fine singer-dancer-actors accompany the featured male executives led by Tom Deckman as Bigley’s nephew Bud Frump, a mamas-boy who at first attempts to quietly undermine Finch’s secret ambitions but steadily builds his venomous jealousy into a hilarious crescendo of whiny, hysterical frustration.

The dual roles of Mr. Twimble and Mr. Romper are played with gusto by Richard Vida. It’s another memorable performance in this skilled actor’s long Broadway-based career.

Aaron Serotsky, James Beaman, and Jerry Christakos, as Bratt, Gatch and Ovington, round out this great production with their glorious voices and solid characterizations of 60’s-style corporate yes-men.

Director Greg Ganakas, a Connecticut Critics Circle Award winner, is most likely too young to have seen the original Broadway production.  Yet he infuses this revival with all the elements that made it a huge hit in the early 60s. It moves along as briskly as Finch’s climb to the top.

PHOTO I: Brian Sears as J. Pierpont Finch reads from the book "HOW TO SUCCEED........."

Perhaps the only downside in this incarnation is that a couple obvious laugh lines in the libretto were surprisingly missed by the director and his actors. For instance the timing in a line about a haddock sandwich being delicious early in the week was thrown away during the singing of “The Company Way.”

The towering office set, by Adrian W. Jones, is mid-20^th-century moderne and modular, enabling the scenic changes to be quick and flawless. Paul Miller’s lighting adds to this quickness each time he cleverly spotlights only Finch who knowingly shares with the audience each manipulative office coup. It makes these split-second moments a complete scene.

Gregory Gale’s costumes perfectly capture the Madison-Avenue style of the times, and his gowns in the celebratory party scene are flowing, elegant fabrics and colors. There’s a wonderful sight gag in the design of a pink frock.

Choreographer Kelli Barclay moves the cast around the tiny stage with fluidity and gusto. Her considerable talent is at its best with “Brotherhood Of Man.”

Every lyric and spoken word is heard clearly via Jay Hilton’s sound design, and Dan DeLange’s orchestrations and Michael O’Flaherty conducting add their renowned talents to the overall success of the production, especially by not drowning out the voices in the musical scenes.

This is bubbly, bouncy Broadway at its best. See it before it leaves Goodspeed on November 28^th. For tickets call 860.873.8668 or go to www.goodspeed.org.

Copyright © 2010. Critics On The Aisle™. All rights reserved.

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by Don Church & Tony Schillaci, Critics On the Aisle™

Saint Monica (Elizabeth McKnight) comforts Judas Iscariot (Aaron Lloyd) in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot playing in the Studio Theatre Oct. 28 – Nov. 7. Tickets are available by calling 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu. Photo by Gerry Goodstein.

This is the stuff of powerful court-room dramas, but it’s definitely not formulaic Law & Order writing.  It’s the kind of from-the-gut-and-brain creativity, by one of today’s most promising playwrights, Stephen Adly Guirgis, who is attracting the all-important-younger audience to keep the theater alive into the immediate future.

The play takes place at an imaginary trial, in a corner of Purgatory called Hope. Cunningham, a defense counselor (Brittany Green), is attempting to prove that Judas (Arron Lloyd), who is currently residing in a near coma in Hell, should be exonerated because he recanted his betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

Brittany is an actor to watch; her performance is as electrifying as her stage presence.  Prosecuting the case is shifty lawyer El-Fayoumy, brought to life with a dazzling, comedic performance by Jack Fellows that too many ‘star’ performers of today couldn’t do if they were on trial for own lives.  Zane Roberts is powerfully strong as the judge, and Desmond Thorne cringes and cowers appropriately as the bailiff.

These are two more superb performances by actors who, as do the others, convincingly play many parts in this no-holds-barred play.

Elizabeth McKnight as Saint Monica bitches and snaps like she ain’t no lady, and an irreverently wild caricature of Mother Theresa, Laura Zabbo sends-up another saint.

Lucifer Satan, a smarmy fast-talking club kid who rules the underworld, is given a human form by the deliciously devilish acting of James Turner – destined to be a major performer. In a luscious white-winged gown, Gloria (Tiffany Vinters) struts her stuff lovingly as she tells us about visiting her ‘baby girl’ back on Earth.

Although, to extremely devout religious folk and those who don’t keep up with (read as ‘approve’) how young people think and communicate, the language, comedy, and street slang might be considered rude, but these elements are actually the best and most honest scenes in the play – they ring of  truth – like it or not.

Judas Iscariot’s defense attorney El Fayoumy (Jack Fellows) interrogates Sigmund Freud (Harrison Greene) before the Judge (Zane Roberts) in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot playing in the Studio Theatre Oct. 28 – Nov. 7. Tickets are available by calling 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu. Photo by Gerry Goodstein.

By the middle of the second act the expertly placed humor that brings the necessary and relevant pauses to the compelling dramatic scenes abruptly ends – and the writing deteriorates into preachy sermons. These tirades and admonishments seem to have been written by an  another playwright.  The promise of the first act and the first part of the second act quickly disappears in the last scenes of the play leaving the audience unfulfilled by the play’s climax.

This Connecticut Repertory Theater production has a company of undergraduate BFA students and MFA candidates – designers and actors – whose work not only demonstrates the successful selection of people with a decided aptitude for the theater arts, but have now shown the polish of high-quality, personalized training. It’s present in every CRT show we’ve seen at University of Connecticut at Storrs.

As the audience waits for the play in the Studio Theater to begin, it sees the simple but powerful stage design by Allison McGrath, and equally bold lighting by Greg Purnell, and soon discovers, as the play unfolds, these two essential crafts fully support the themes in the play and provides the actors with a workable setting for their respective characters and their movements.  These elements were well utilized by director Kristin Wold in the fine blocking of the show.

Hearing every sound effect and what the actors are saying in this electronic age is something that doesn’t always work as well as it should, but in this case Courtney Smith’s sound design deserved applause, too.

What an actor wears, including shoes, as trained and experienced performers will tell you, makes an invaluable contribution to help define character for the performer and the audience.  In this production, Elicia Lord, demonstrated her considerable skill and unmistakable talent for creating and selecting the many items that go into effective, professional costuming.  She helped to clearly and theatrically define the personalities of twenty-seven characters in this play: especially dazzling were the costumes of Caiaphas, Saint Monica, and Gloria.

The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot plays through Nov.7 in the Studio Theatre on the Storrs campus. For tickets, information, including directions, call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu

Evening performances start at 7:30 p. m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and matinees at 2:00 p. m.

The CRT seasons continues on the UCONN campus at Storrs with A Flea In Her Ear, Dec. 2 – 11, 2010,

Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre. Pride & Prejudice, Feb. 24 – Mar. 6, 2011, Nafe Katter Theatre, and Urinetown April 14 – 17 and the 27 – 30, 2011, Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre. Season tickets are still available for these productions at popular prices.

© Copyright 2010. Critics on The Aisle™. All rights reserved.

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Level: Intermediate
Yield: 8 servings

Times:

Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep: 4 hr 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Total: 6 hr 35 min

Ingredients:

Toasted Coconut:

• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Coconut Simple Syrup:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Coconut Custard:

• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons coconut rum (recommended: Malibu)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coconut Filling:

• 3/4 cup coconut custard (recipe above), cold
• 3/4 cup very cold heavy cream

Coconut Buttercream:

• 3 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut custard (recipe above) (cold)
• Pinch fine sea salt

Cake:

• 2 tablespoons softened butter, for pans
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour, plus more for pans
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, slightly cold

Directions

For the toasted coconut:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Spread the coconut evenly onto a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden brown, stirring once, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the coconut sit in the oven until very dry and crunchy, about 15 minutes longer.

For the simple syrup:

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir in the coconut, remove from the heat and let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Strain the liquid into a clean saucepan, bring to a boil and let cook until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
For the custard:

Combine the milks and vanilla bean and seeds in a medium nonreactive saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Whisk together the yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the egg mixture then return the mixture to the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until thickened. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the rum and vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.
For the filling:

Combine the custard and cream in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form.

For the buttercream:

Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the coconut custard and salt and beat until combined and smooth.

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9 by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.

Whisk together the milk, egg whites, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With mixer running at low speed, add the butter, one piece at a time and continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs. Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add remaining 1/2 cup of the milk mixture, increase speed to medium and beat 30 seconds more. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for 20 seconds longer. Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pan and smooth the tops using a rubber spatula.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pan on baking rack for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the side of the pan and invert cakes onto the baking rack, removing parchment paper, and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.

To Assemble:

Using a long serrated knife, slice each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Reserve 1 of the flat bottom layers for the top of the cake. Place another layer on a cardboard round cut side up and brush with some of the coconut simple syrup. Spoon 1/3 of the coconut filling onto the cake and using a small offset metal spatula, spread it into an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the cake. Repeat with 2 more layers. Brush the cut side of the reserved cake layer with the remaining syrup. Place the layer cut side down on top of the cake.

Frost the sides and top of the cake with the buttercream. Pat the coconut onto the sides of the cake and sprinkle the remaining coconut on the top of the cake.

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Click on lower corners of pages to flip through
the digital edition of the Resident.

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