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REVIEW: For The Love Of (Or, The Roller Derby Play)

May 7, 2025May 9, 2025 musicalsoup Leave a comment

April 20 | 2pm | The Arthur Miller Theater

“Its called the pack, all of us together like that.” a cocky skater bellows, painted in tattoos and a hint of aggression. “It’s crazy how we get so caught up in it…How it becomes everything…The chase and the game.” Roller derby is no joke to Lizzie Lightning.

The air of the 2010s is crisp from the moment you step into the Arthur Miller Theater—I was nearly sent back to clutching my iPod Touch in my parents’ house while watching reruns of Victorious. Rude Mechanicals presents For The Love of (Or, The Roller Derby Play), a 2018 play by Gina Femia. Director Natalie Tell transports us into a Roller Derby locker room in 2015, the humble home of the Brooklyn Scallywags.

Misfit newcomer Joy Ride (Grace Wilson) is new to the Scallywags, a passionate women’s Roller Derby team. When Joy meets the star player, Lizzie Lightning (a forceful Sofia Santos-Ufkes), she and her partner Michelle (Alexandra Berryman) tackle new challenges from Joy’s split devotion to the Scallywags and her long-term relationship.

The team is led by their overlooked coach, Andrea the Vagiant (Sarah Josephina Hartmus) and: Anna-Stecia, a reliable nurse (Oummu Kabba), Hot Flash, a brash Brooklynite mother (Cammie Golba), the adorable Squeaky Mouse (Maya Kusalovic), the dedicated Prosecute-Her (Ariela Alperstein), and the tough, no-shit-taking Diaz de los Muertos (Naomi Rodriguez).

The show weaves small vignettes of each skater’s life outside the rink with the team’s present lives on the track. The derby surrounds them, why, it makes up the entire set (an exquisite design by Ellie Vice). Though they work jobs, have children, partners, the team is their true community: “Roller Derby is not just a sport—it’s a movement on eight wheels, a high-speed collision of athleticism, spectacle and subculture”, thoughtfully stated by dramaturgs Sam Aupperlee and Nova Brown.

The choreography (by Marcus Byers Jr.) was sassy and energetic, just the right spunk to match bright pink and purple jerseys (costumes by Katy Dawson). Though indulging in long scene transitions, the actors brought out the natural charm of their friendship, especially in intimate moments. Wilson and Berryman found a natural chemistry between each other, devastating as the two flounder, craving different realities.

Andrea initially seems uptight and standoffish, but when a past relationship with Lizzie is uncovered, the mood thickens, and she softens respectfully. Hartmus is effortless onstage, funny, and sensitive. With Santos-Ufkes, the two create sentimental and dynamic interplay between the past lovers.

The range of roles in this production is intriguing, but some of the writing feels reductive to stereotype. Prosecute-her and Squeaky Mouse, women with brief vignettes during the show, maintained a pretty central shtick (the law student and the ditzy girl), which left me craving more from them.

For The Love Of spends the least time exploring the sport of roller derby, and more of it sinking into the lives of those who play it. And the inherent queerness without any thematic overtness was refreshing. So was watching the team learn to love the game, themselves, and each other. It never was about Roller Derby anyway.

Photos thanks to Rude Mechanicals & Ellie Vice.

REVIEW: Beyond The Rainbow

May 7, 2025May 7, 2025 musicalsoup Leave a comment

April 27th | 4:00pm | Kerrytown Concert House

You’ve heard of Somewhere Over The Rainbow (or, you better have…), but do you remember any other songs from The Wizard of Oz?

Paul Keller and Cary Kocher present: Beyond The Rainbow, a celebration of the classic 1939 MGM film and Miss Judy Garland’s musical legacy. A band of five was all that could fit on the intimate Kerrytown Concert House (KTCH) stage: Paul Keller (bass), Cary Kocher (vibraphone/vocals), Sarah D’Angelo (clarinet/vocals), Adam Mosley (piano), and Ralph Tope (guitar).

Keller returns to the stage with his signature quirky repour and undeniably devoted and unshakable musicality. A self-described “Michigan jazz hero”, Keller has been a staple of the Detroit jazz scene as a sideman, composer, and educator. He also leads the 27-year-old Paul Keller Orchestra at Zal Gaz Grotto every Monday evening. This quaint Sunday afternoon brought a small but mighty audience you might be able to count on both hands, but dedicated listeners nonetheless.

The band started with the titular number, the undeniable anthem of the film, “Over The Rainbow”. D’Angelo sang; her sunny demeanor and sensitive phrasing were not a mock-up of Ms. Garland’s, it was her own. Keller subsequently made a thoughtful dedication to the legacy of Harold Arlen, the composer of The Wizard of Oz’s musical selections.

Down the Yellow Brick Road they went, performing the “Witch Song” (unsure of its proper title) and “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead”. “The Lollipop Guild” and “Follow The Yellow Brick Road” respectively ensued as a hypothetical Dorothy continued on her journey. Mosely and Tope made a fine rhythm section, taking short solos throughout the show.

Lest they forget the Lion and Tin Man, of which Cary Kocher sang “If I Only Had A Brain” and “If I Were King of The Forest”. Kocher’s voice is as smooth as his vibraphone playing, accompanying his subtle charm. Keller next included a song cut from the Wizard of Oz, entitled “Jitterbug.”A vibrant tune, one of the first written for the film, but was ultimately removed to shorten the final run time.

“Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz and the ever-relevant Defying Gravity made unexpected appearances later in the set. I wondered how D’Angelo’s gentle vocal approach would change with the Schwartz—and to my surprise, her signature silky phrasing transcended into a belt that soared through the room.

The Judy Garland classics “I Don’t Care” and “Easter Parade” served as proper tributes to the heroine from D’Angelo. I was surprised that Garland’s atrocious experience working on The Wizard of Oz was not mentioned, an unfortunate reality of young women working in 1940s Hollywood. The film is an indisputably influential piece of American media. As a reflection of national ideals, its themes of individualism, self-reliance, and the pursuit of dreams are constant. The first of many devastating experiences for Garland, the film perhaps also represents how we mask the harsh realities of what it took to get there.

Image thanks to Kerrytown Concert House.

REVIEW: The Turn Of The Screw

May 6, 2025May 6, 2025 musicalsoup Leave a comment

March 28 | 7:30 | The Lydia Mendelssohn Theater

Slightly haunted, challenging and contemplative— The Turn Of The Screw is a properly spooky ghost story. The novella by 19th-century writer Henry James is a piece of gothic fantasy best known for its adaptation into the opera by English composer Benjamin Britten and librettist Myfanwy Piper.

The eerie disposition felt akin to Sweeney Todd’s dreary Fleet Street or last season’s Elizabeth Cree at SMTD. Britten’s work features just 6 voices from the Department of Voice and Opera and 13 instruments in the orchestra.

We arrive at a remote country house in East England at the turn of the previous century. A young governess (Christina Parson) is hired to care for two children, Miles and Flora (the lively Haley Hunt and Francesca Herrera), alongside Mrs. Grose (Danielle Casós), the housekeeper. As time passes, the Governess becomes convinced that the house is haunted by malevolent spirits of a former servant, Peter Quint, and governess, Miss Jessel (played respectively by Alexander Nick and Jennie Rupp, an earth-shattering soprano). Her obsession with protecting the children intensifies as the line between reality and delusion blurs, leaving the true nature of the threat ambiguous.

Christina Parson (the Governess) sparkles musically and dramatically, as if the score was written for her. She seldom leaves the stage during the performance, proving a role made for a seasoned soprano with stamina. Her journey is emotional, as she challenges paranoia amid her deep compassion. Parson crafts a beautiful arc for this character, especially as the erratic feelings intensify.

The ambiguity feeds into the tense storytelling, sonically and dramatically, making it the true enchantment of the piece. This opera succeeds on its intellect and the brilliance of the performers. The cast of six performs with a vocal maturity far beyond their years as well as cultivates the most dramatically satisfying opera I’ve seen at the University: the chemistry of Herrera and Hunt was joyful, and Rupp and Nick were a chilling duo onstage. Ms. Casós has enjoyed many fantastic performances in University Operas over the years, and her elegant Mrs. Grose was no less enchanting.

This score is unlike that of Mozart or Puccini—Britton’s score feels more like a soundscape than a dramatic statement. It houses some evocative nostalgia but doesn’t give the audience a memorable tune to carry out of the theater. Though Myfanwy Piper’s libretto is full of vitality, young Miles’ deathly call, “Malo,” still echoes in my head.

Image thanks to Univ. of Michigan SMTD.

REVIEW: Pops en Pointe

May 5, 2025May 5, 2025 musicalsoup Leave a comment

April 19 | 7pm | The Michigan Theater

The Michigan Pops is one of the most beloved student organizations on campus—and don’t ask me. Ask any one of the hundreds of attendees at the Michigan Theater on April 19.

Founded in 1995, the Michigan Pops brings talented musicians from across the University Campus to perform a concert each academic semester. The orchestra is led by music director Luca Antonucci, and associates Nicholas Bromilow and Francisco Fernandez, three fierce Doctoral Conducting students from the School of Music.

“Pops En Pointe” discovered a selection of repertoire surrounding dance (if that wasn’t completely obvious from the title). The first pieces were the non-negotiables in the dance-related classical canon, including Brahms’s “Hungarian Dance No. 5” and Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite”, in which a touching “Waltz of the Flowers” warmed my heart. Auruto Marquez’s fiery “Danzón no. 2” featured striking solos across the ensemble.

If you know Pops, they aren’t without their fun. Instrumentalists introduce pieces in mouse hats or bird costumes. They accompany full-length selections with silly videos made by members of the ensemble. And host a mini game show onstage with members of the audience mid-concert. Quirky, engaging bits (that are often too long) are always a memorable part of the Michigan Pops experience.

The slightly underwhelming but charming DJ’s A Cappella group performed selections from ABBA’s “Mamma Mia” after intermission. This is not the first time I’ve heard the Michigan Theater’s sound system being unsatisfactory for vocalists. With boomy mics and offset balance, this performance was no different, washing the voices. Some solos remained intact, but were delivered somewhat unexuberantly, perhaps inhibited by the sound constraints.

The Michigan Pops hosts an annual concerto competition for high school students. This year, stunning young cellist Trevor Nelson from Huron High School was the recipient. He performed a cut from Camille Saine-Saëns’ “Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor”, a beautifully dramatic and declamatory piece. A gifted and humble performer, he plays for the Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra and has brought his musicianship around the world to Spain and Toronto.

Pavani Anand, the Executive Director of the Michigan Pops, closed the concert with a heartfelt speech about her relationship to the cello and her mother, who encouraged her throughout her youth. Equally, her speech emphasized the defunding of arts organizations across America. Her call to support live music comes at a crucial time as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recinds hundreds of grants to major arts organizations across America.

Music gives us the facility to dance and bring communities together, and without it, who are we?

Photos thanks to The Michigan Pops.

REVIEW: Sense and Sensibility: The Musical

March 28, 2025March 28, 2025 musicalsoup Leave a comment

March 13 | 7:30pm | The Encore Musical Theater Company

Wondering if Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility would be a good musical was not a burning question on my mind. Yet it was answered at the Encore Theater last week to the sound of a four-piece orchestra and a starry cast from Broadway’s favorite shows.

The 1811 novel was adapted by Jefferey Haddow (Book & Lyrics) and Neal Hampton (Music) for the stage, and it’s been in production since 2009, almost 16 years—which is subsequently how long it felt to sit through the show.

(As it goes) In the 19th century, the two daughters of Mr. Henry Dashwood are left with no permanent income after his death. So, marriage to a wealthy man of status will cure all ailments. The girls desire stability, but more pressing is love. The pragmatic Elinor Dashwood (Chelsea Packard) struggles with unrequited feelings for Edward Ferrars (Adam Woolsey), while her passionate sister Marianne (Jessica Grové) falls deeply for the winsome but unreliable John Willoughby (Chad Marge).

With nineteen songs in Act I and a whopping twenty-one in Act II, the show lingered, with few musical ideas to latch onto. The piece felt dense, and not every moment that segued into songs felt convincing dramatically. Some numbers functioned akin to opera, honing in on a character’s feelings in place of advancing the plot. Which makes for a host of details but leaves much exposition to the scenes.

Ms. Packard’s voice is as silky and sophisticated as the five or six pastel dresses she wears, finding herself distant from Elphaba’s belting in Wicked. Her 11 o’clock number, “Not Even You,” explored her wildly flexible voice but fell flat from lackluster lyrics. Ms. Grové was a spunky Marianne on stage, and aside from nearly dying from falling in the rain, was convincing and vocally stunning.

In Act I, the Colonel becomes infatuated with Marianne after only one encounter (reminding him of a past love named Lydia), but Marianne runs off with the charming Willoughby for most of the show. The climax of the story felt grazed over: when we find out that Willoughby has been the abuser of countless women, including our beloved Marianne. The reveal lasted a mere moment on stage, so quick that I almost didn’t catch it. This prompted a swiftly smitten marriage between the Colonel and Marianne, which felt like a tardy continuation of their love story. I’m glad Marianne found a sensible husband, but I craved a depth to their romance throughout the musical for a cleaner payoff in the end.

I wonder about the impetus of telling this story now. The characters have troubles far away from modern strife, but at least they remind us to trust our hearts. Perhaps the true issues of these noble girls could be better solved in a rewrite.

Images thanks to The Encore Musical Theater Company.

REVIEW: Jazzmeia Horn at the Blue Llama

March 28, 2025March 28, 2025 musicalsoup Leave a comment

March 16 | 8:30 pm | Blue Llama Jazz Club

Creative, conscious, commanding—Jazzmeia Horn packs it all into every note. The vocalist, composer, and educator brought a fierce trio to The Blue Llama last Sunday, featuring a set of (almost entirely) original compositions.

Ms. Horn is a decorated jazz vocalist based in New York City (originally from Dallas, TX). She won the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition in 2015 and the International Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition in 2013, as well as accumulated three Grammy nominations for her records “Love and Liberation” and “A Social Call”. She lives with her two daughters in the Bronx, which prompted intimate and animated stories about motherhood.

Her music is focused and refreshingly genuine. She finds deep harmonic exploration in her songs amidst lots of unique vocal qualities throughout her (multiple-octave) range. She mentioned church being a large part of life growing up, with clear inspiration from gospel music, accompanied by healthy doses of pop and R&B.

Most of the set included tunes from her 2024 album “Messages“, including “Tip” and “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me,” the only jazz standard of the evening. Each tune was dense and impressive, with numbers “Destiny” and “Free Your Mind” being my favorites for their contemporary feel and expansive vocals (in range and rhythm).

The room seemed to stop when Ms. Horn took a solo. There’s an air of fearlessness behind Ms. Horn’s improvisations. When she started an idea, she took the time to finish it, creating beautifully satisfying lines. Some of her improvisational tendencies give a nod to the great Betty Carter, one of the most rhythmically inventive jazz singers.

A sweet anecdote was tacked onto her second tune, “Happy Living”; she recalled memories of her grandfather’s story about the “man with two bags.” One of which has a hole, where he puts negative comments and thoughts. The other is held close to his heart with words special to him. She sings: “I don’t feel bad when others make me mad, I keep a hole in my bag on my shoulders, and I sing my own songs and just keep along on my journey.” Her performance, even more so than “Messages” through my headphones, felt beautifully intimate and personal.

Image thanks to BIMHUIS.