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18 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com ----------------------------------------------------------- February 27, 2014
Now PlayingGint — IPFW Department of Theatre’s
adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s poetic drama Peer Gynt, 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Feb. 27-28; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 1; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2 (sign language performance), Williams Theatre, IPFW, ages 6 and up, $5-$15 thru IPFW box office 481-6555
Hair — Broadway at the Embassy pro-duction of the Tony Award-winning musical about a group of young Americans searching for peace and love in a turbulent time; con-tains some mature content, most suitable for ages 13 and up, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne, $23-$53 thru Ticketmaster or Embassy box office, 424-5665
Monty PytHon’s sPaMalot — Fort Wayne Civic Theatre presents a musical version of the comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 1; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, March 7-8; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 9, Arts United Center, Fort Wayne, $17-$29 (includes ArtsTix fees), 424-5220
Moulin rouGe, tHe Ballet — Touring production by Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne, $35-$65 thru Ticketmaster or Embassy box office, 424-5665
WHose sHakesPeare is it, anyWay? — Shakespeare From the Heart impro-visational comedy involving some of the bard’s most complex char-acters, 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 1 and March 7-8, Emmanual Lutheran Church, free (freewill offering to benefit Matthew 25), 409-2068
AsidesAUDITIONSBlitHe sPirit (May 2-17) — Roles
for comedy play where a séance scheme backfires and a man is left haunted by the ghost of his annoying first wife, 7 p.m. Sunday-Monday, March 16-17, Arena Rehearsal Studio, Arena Dinner Theatre, Fort Wayne, 424-5622
CoMPany (June 13-28) — Roles for concept musical comedy composed of short vignettes about a single man, his three girlfriends and the five married couples who are his best friends, rated PG13 for mature subject matter, 7 p.m. Sunday-Monday, April 13-14, Arena Rehearsal Studio, Arena Dinner Theatre, Fort Wayne, 424-5622
snoW WHite and tHe seven dWarfs (May 16-17) — Various roles for play of the classic fairy tale, 4-6 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, April 15-16, Arts United Center, Fort Wayne, 422-6900
Upcoming ProductionsMARCHtHe snail and tHe WHale — Page-
to-Stage matinee based on the children’s book, 10 a.m. & 12 p.m. Thursday, March 6, Honeywell Center, Wabash, $5-$8, 563-1102
-------------------- Calendar • Stage & Dance -------------------
2 6 0 .424.5220 fwcivic.org
Sponsored in part bySeason Sponsors
A new musical lovingly ripped off from the motion
picture Monty Python
& the Holy Grail
Show Sponsors
February 22 - March 9
ipfw
de
pt
of
the
atr
e
Feb. 21 – March 2, 2014Sign Language Interpreted: Sunday, March 2
Williams Theatre
Determined to become “something great, grand and glorious,” Gint, who cannot overcome the obstacles in his adventure begins his long journey home.
Directed by Jeff Casazza
IPFW Box Office260-481-6555www.ipfw.edu/tickets www.ipfw.edu/theatre
Admission:$5 IPFW students/H.S. students/ Children under 18All Others $15 and under
IPFW is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access University.
If you are not dead yet and always look on the bright side of life, as I do, you will be glad to clip-clop your coconuts over to the Arts United Center as Civic Theatre opens a long-awaited can of Monty Python’s Spamalot. Be prepared to think yourself a silly Sir Laugha-lot as bawdy knights, quar-relsome sentries, peasants, fish-schalpping Finns, insult-hurling Frenchmen, flirty Laker Girls and that diva, the Lady of the Lake, all assemble to fling about music hall humor of the crudest sort, full of fart jokes and pant-soiling, bad puns and appearances by God, or at least his feet and hand. In other words, it is a jolly good time. The show is more of a story than the original movie was. The author (or should that be Python assembler-in-chief?) Eric Idle and composer John Du Prez have stitched together as coherent a show as one is ever likely to find from many classic Monty Python bits mashed together (which is a bit appropriate ,given that the show is named after a pro-cessed meat product: Spam). Idle mixes in not only Python prizes like the charming song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from the other Python movie, Life of Brian, but also enough winking nods to Broadway conventions that one begins to realize that Idle and Mel Brooks are kin-dred spirits. It’s like The Producers became knights and quested in search of Tevye’s Holy Milk Dish. It was fun to hear audience members say, as they nudged each other, “Oh, I love this part” or “Nie!” or “I fart at you!” But even for those not in the Python embrace, it’s a funny show. Whether it was the sentry’s debating the aerodynamic capacities of coconut-carrying swallows or the poof-spoofing Lancelot-and-Herbert wedding (“will still be controversial 1,000 years from now”), there was something for someone to be laughing about at all times. In the able care of guest director Doug King – who in the past has shepherded some Josephs, captured the charms of Suessical, and given Civic a Cinderella that just fit – this Spamalot is full of raucous, silly, naughty fun. Director King is ably supported by Civic’s team of Rob-ert Shoquist and Rob Pelance designing the scenery and lights, Louise Heckaman’s costumes, stage manager Emma Ashmawi and the estimable Eunice Wadewitz as music director. King’s choreography particularly shines, and Wadewitz’s pit orchestra and the singing are terrific. Jessica Butler as the Lady throws her whole self into the part and is splendid. One can’t really say she steals the show, since that is how the part was conceived, but heck, she does anyway. Whether it’s her duet with Ethan Bair for “The Song That Goes Like This” or Vegas-style scatsing-ing with Scott Rumage’s Arthur of “Knights of the Round Table,” Butler claims her diva title and shines with it. Rumage’s Arthur is a bit of a stiff, as he should be, as well as classy and good company. He’s the designated straight man which allows ev-eryone else to get (there’s that word again) silly! His singing could some-times be a bit soft of voice on opening night, but he is steady and noble, and by the end of the evening he comes into his own, ably bantering with the orchestra and audience. He had grown from fellow in clean armor to charming king. Aaron Mann as the long-suffering Patsy is a delight, especially in the “I’m All Alone” number, but from the start, he’s the man with the coco-nuts and can gallop with the best of them. Knights Michael Pugh, Ethan Bair, and Gary Lanier are each standouts at various times, along with Nathan Garner, Reuben Albaugh, and Kerry Yingling in several roles. Rounding out the cast are Isaac Becker, Ken Low, Matthew Craig, Ennis Brown, Jr., Mason Hunter, Momo Lamping, Stephanie Longbrake, Elyse Losen, Melanie Lubs, Morgan Spencer and Dawn Yingling. So, If your dreary winter days have been short on tales of blondes in ponds, shrubbery-seeking killer rabbits, tap-dancing knights and ladies and rescues of princes in distress, then claim your purpose, count to three (and no more than three) and hie thee to the theatre where they shall put on a show which will help you find the Grail you seek. And don’t forget, what happens in Camelot, stays in Camelot!
A Cure for the DreariesCurtain CallSUSAN BURNS
monty python’sspamalot
8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-Mar. 1 & Mar. 7-8
2 p.m. Sunday, Mar. 2 & Mar. 9Arts United Center
303 E. Main St. • Fort WayneTix.: $17-$29 thru box office,
260-424-5220
Iago, Shakespeare’s portrait of evil incar-nate, destroys Othello with insinuations, half-truths, innuendo, equivocation and lies. Although jealousy is the particular poison with which Iago injects Othello, the play reveals how a voice one mistak-enly believes to be trustworthy can cor-rupt society. The sense of shock, terror, and grief for an audience is overwhelm-ing in this classic as the vise tightens around Othello, Desdemona and every-one Iago’s web ensnares.
March 6-22for tickets
260-422-6329www.firstpresbyteriantheater.com
300 West Wayne StreetFort Wayne, IN 46802
