Wednesday, February 11, 2004
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Wednesday, February 11, 2004 |
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Family favorites grace the Alliance’s stages this month By LINDSAY BIANCHI The Alliance Theatre is bringing a famous Cockney flower girl and a famous flower loving bull to life this month in anticipation of spring. “My Fair Lady” which opened on the Alliance Stage Feb. 4 and “Ferdinand the Bull,” which started at the Alliance Children’s Theatre Feb. 7 are both fun, lighthearted musicals that have become classics the whole family can enjoy. Lerner and Loewe’s musical adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw play, “Pygmalion” is being performed in its original two-piano arrangement with a multi-talented cast of ten actors. Susan V. Booth, recently named ‘Best New Visionary’ by “Atlanta Magazine”, directs this co-production along with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Booth, previously with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre has been with the Alliance since 2001. Her directing credits so far include “Frame 312”, “Crimes of the Heart”, “Proof”, “Woody Guthrie’s American Song” and “Beast on the Moon.” Neal Bernari and Amanda Watkins are the unlikely couple, Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. Bernari is a Broadway veteran whose credits include “Aida”, “Victor/Victoria”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Chess.” Watkins, a Georgia native making her debut at the Alliance has been in such Broadway shows as “Cabaret”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Cats”, “Grease” and “Urinetown.” Rounding out the main cast are Russel Leib as Colonel Pickering and Peter Van Wagner as Alfred P Doolittle. Leib has been in Broadway productions “Whose Life is it Anyway?”, “Amadeus”, “Beethoven’s Tenth”, “The Devils’ Disciple”, and “Big River.” Van Wagner credits include “The Notebook”, “Letters From Cuba” and “A Thousand Clowns.” Before the play Feb. 17 and 24 at 7 p.m. take advantage of a unique opportunity to get the inside story of the play, sets, costumes and playwright on the Alliance stage. An afterwards discussion following the Friday evening performance on Feb. 13 and saturday matinees on Feb. 7,14,21 and 28 will give theatre lovers a chance to talk with other patrons about the production. In addition, a special performance audio described for the visually impaired takes place Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. Across the street at the 14th Street Playhouse the Alliance Children’s Theatre moves the action from jolly old England to the Spanish countryside. “Ferdinand the Bull” by Munro Leaf has been a beloved children’s book for years and was made into a charming short feature by Disney, so it should be familiar to most young theatre goers. Bart Hansard plays the lovable bull performing songs by Deborah Wicks La Puma. Hansard has also appeared in “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse”, “James and the Giant Peach” and “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.” Michael Schneider who takes on the role of Duque Dodo has appeared in several local productions including “and Now Miguel”, “Bat Boy: The Musical” and “Burning Patience.” Clifton Guterman and Denise Arribas both make their Alliance debut as Duquito Danilo and Cochina. Guterman has appeared in plays at Actor’s Express and Dad’s Garage and Arribas at the Theatre Arts Guild and Aurora Theatre. Tickets for “My Fair Lady” are between $18 and $48, $12.50 (youth) and $15 (adult) for “Ferdinand the Bull” at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office 404-733-5000 or online at www.alliancetheatre.org. Discounted rates are available for groups of 10 or more by calling 404-733-4690.
My Fair Lady and Ferdinand The Bull • WHAT: Musical Theatre •WHERE: “My Fair Lady”, Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center, “Ferdinand the Bull”, 14th Street Playhouse •WHEN: “My Fair Lady”, Tues. - Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 pm. “Ferdinand the Bull”, Sat. and Sun. 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. • HOW MUCH: “My Fair Lady” $18 - $48, “Ferdinand the Bull” $12.50 (youth) - $15.00 (adult)
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