#Tim Creavin

[bargarraninc]

a lengthy recap; visit 14, october 18th.

A Few Short Notes: - This is ridiculously long, chalking up to 3000 words. I am by habit a rambler and with so much going on during this show, I let myself just really put pen to infinite paper. All of it is under the 'Keep Reading' - The 1-1s discussed are Malcolm, Boy Witch and then Porter (in that order) in case you would like to avoid spoilers. - I am a very emotional person and this show really gets my feelings going so.... beware. This is not a guide to these 1-1s or a more detached overlook on this visit, it is me telling a story.

TLDR; Will Malcolm, Noah Boy Witch and Evik Porter all make me feel slightly insane in a three hour space. I also burst into tears at one point like a silly goose.

Visit 14 — A Recap of the 18th November, 2023 Matinee show. On the 18th, I was clearly beyond excited to be at the show and turned up incredibly early to the McKittrick (a whole hour and forty before) after severely overestimating the time my commute would take.

Probably in line with this ridiculous arrival time, I bumped very randomly (and unfortunately quite headfirst) into Evik while getting an egg and cheese at the deli nearby (my usual in-line lunch), so quite randomly, I had a head start on possible cast in the building. At the time, this was my last show booked, and I was beyond thrilled that Evik would be in the show as they are one of my favourite residents at the show. When we reached a more socially acceptable time to be in line, I got there and met some lovely people from the server outside, which is always a highlight!

Despite Oz being entirely sold out, I was lucky enough to snag an Ace as first in line, so the visit started smoothly. Tim J in the Manderley and Bret as Taxi solidified in my head that this would be an Evik Malcolm show — which, as the self-proclaimed #1 Malcolm fan, is always a treat. I got let out on the 3rd, saw the very last moments of Brandon in the cemetery (a scene I have never actually adequately watched), and then followed down to the ballroom.

The first ballroom is one of my favourite scenes in the show. It is so inherently joyous — nothing has gone wrong, yet we have just fallen into this beautiful room with happy dancing couples. Took my regular post by Malcolm's trench and was immediately left confused by the lack of Evik's presence as Malcolm or Duncan. Assuming then that they were probably going to be Sixth (like the night before), I quickly and relatively easily became distracted by the Malcolm actually present — Will!

Will Malcolm and Noah Boy form one of my favourite ballroom couples because they are so ridiculously tall — the graceful movement of their long long limbs is always so enchanting. They are also just two of my other favourite residents (though... this list is constantly expanding) so a loop with them is always fun.

On my usual Malcolm 1st loop bullshit, I followed Will straight out of the ballroom and up the familiar insane rumble up the stairs. They really killed this trip upstairs, throwing themselves against the walls and violently retching all the way. We got into the office, and the usual Agnes scene took place. Mio was on as Agnes, and the height difference between them throughout made me chuckle despite the sheer tension in the room. Will is an incredibly intense Malcolm — they portray his deep anxiety in a much sharper manner than other actors I have seen in the role. Unlike than the rather breathlessly anxious Malcolm of Tim Creavin, Will’s Malcolm is like a taut string, holding everything including their sanity together only through maximum effort. It consistently felt like even the smallest of wayward action would lead to a complete, angry collapse.

The audience watching Malcolm seemed very aware of when the 1-1 pull happens, but I was planning a loop with Will at this point, so I didn't necessarily perch myself in the ideal spot. This did NOT deter Will from going straight for me, and I was not going to say no.

MALCOLM 1-1 START

The walk to the room was relatively slow (as compared to the sheer panic of a Tim C pull), but as soon as we were in there, the tension dialled up from 100 to 10000. There was eerily intense eye contact throughout the walk-in and picking of the egg. When it was in my hand, Will rolled it down to the grivet of my arm and then back up (vaguely ticklish) and violently cracked it into my hand. They blew the ash off, there was a silent second with my hand under the light, and then I was rather firmly pinned to the wall with Will's arm right above my chest. The pain was intense enough to hurt a little when I exhaled, but Will's Malcolm is deliriously hard to take your eyes off. The line delivery felt like that taut string from before had snapped entirely; their eyes were wild and wide.

I have always admired how expressive Will's eyes are, but this was another level. The questioning and the retching were both, for lack of another word, violent — it was actually rather scary. The feather came out, and I instinctively murmured "" It will be okay", as Malcolm talked of Duncan and then collapsed into a proper hug as the lights dimmed. There was a moment of Will shaking during this hug, as if Malcolm was overwhelmed by anger and led into tears, and then, like a flash, with the bells, Will was gone.

MALCOLM 1-1 END

It took a minute for me to recuperate and collect myself as I left the interrogation room, and Malcolm was far away. The plan was to catch up to Will and complete their loop, but Noah Boy Witch made for an incredible rave, and I couldn't keep myself from getting distracted as always. Stood by the pillar and, just as always, found myself entranced by the rave. There is something about Brandon Macbeth amid this coven — Noah, Junyla, Sienna — that makes the whole thing feel like a hallucinatory experience. It is well and genuinely out-of-body. As the rave ended, I followed Noah into the shower scene and was soon put to work with the trousers and shirt. There was a brief moment where Noah's Boy Witch looked straight down at me, whispered a very quiet Thank You and then patted the top of my head before shooting downstairs, stumbling and 'breathless' down the stairs. My heart was set on a Noah loop, as I could never escape them while they were in the hotel. I followed them down to the ballroom for the banquet. On the way there, Boy, unsurprisingly, amassed quite a crowd on the stairs, and I decided to take a 'shortcut' to the banquet through the lobby instead.

Rather momentously, this led me into the lobby just as the deranged Macbeths stumbled downstairs, their masses following right behind them. Overtaken by a curiosity about who Porter was tonight and expecting Jeff to emerge from the booth, I stuck around. As Evik emerged instead, my mouth fell straight open. Quite literally think I gasped in their face as they quietly came out.

Just days prior (the 16th, I think!), I had had a whole conversation on the server about Evik Porter being one of the top roles on my wishlist. Ariel had advised quite severely that when one comes across Evik's Porter, you "do not get distracted, do not pass go, do not collect $200". I followed that immediately — mentally apologising to Noah Boy because clearly my allegiances had changed.

Entrenching myself in that lobby for the next hour and a half (in an attempt to catch every scene in the loop) was a beyond stellar if incredibly emotionally disastrous, choice. Evik's Porter is an undeniable sweetheart — silly, endearing and crushingly innocent, a porter you watch lose their light and hope through the loops.

A testament to 'Macduff's Lost Child is the Porter' theory; this Porter, named Sheldon, I am told, represented (to me) a struggling adult looking to escape from the trauma of their current situation in images and activities of a softer past. There is an undeniable, undying hope of receiving acceptance (of somehow this loop of horror breaking this time) in every interaction with the Boy Witch and even with the White Mask pulled into the 1-1. The character's innocence is reflected in moments of joy and deep despair. Sheldon makes shadow puppets during the happy reset and floats their little boats (of which there are many!) along shadow waves. They play around with the chairs during the clean-up, with one becoming a toy horse and constantly fixing their hair with a little comb in their jacket. It is impossible to be on the side of Boy, no matter how deep your affection for him runs, when Sheldon is around, people.

The Noah Boy-Evik Porter combination is absolutely fatal. Noah's Boy is beyond graceful but deeply cruel within the lobby's walls. Every time he made an entrance on the floor, the mood with Evik's Porter became immediately more tense and, god, sad. Sheldon is irreparably in love, and it is very obvious to the Boy and the audience. When Boy stalked over first, and the Vicks were applied, there was a tender moment — this locking of eyes between the two characters was quickly broken by Boy dragging someone away for ITATI. It was the pacing of it, I think, which made it so devastating — there was a silent lull in the tension, a second of peace, before Noah harshly pulled away, this quick recession from sweetness back into the witchy demeanour.

Noah's ITATI is my absolute favourite. When I think of the show, the first image is this cinematic shot of standing by Porter, watching as Noah just twinkles magically. But. In this show, there was no escaping watching Sheldon instead. Vik's Porter, during ITATI, transforms the room into a breathless vacuum, their emotions feeling like we are all looking into an inescapable black hole of despair. The alcohol bottle and the little paper boats (one of which they made of a playing card), these symbols of innocence and glee just moments prior, become props of distraction. Their hands shake and fidget, tears quietly falling down their face as they mouth along to the song in the lover verse and do their utmost to hold it together by trying to distract themselves with shadow-floating little boats in the reflection of the water from the bottle on the desk. To say with no shame, I could feel myself tearing up, my throat closing up as I saw reflections of my own moments in this obviously queer and yearning individual.

Noah's ITATI (like usual) ends with them in tears, and due to their copious commitment to eyeliner in this role, these tears permanently stain their cheeks with dark black — a choice that always moves me. That day, though, I could not stop looking at Vik Porter, who was desperately drying their own tears in the moments before, trying to somehow seem strong. Noah had picked their ITATI pull from the other side, and I nestled into the corner where Porter sat, was confident I was out of their eyeliner entirely. This was NOT the case. Turning straight to me, they picked me to wipe their tears, and I followed their lead out of instinct, even as I kept looking at Vik Porter. My lord, the LOOK in Vik Porter's eyes during this scene is beyond haunting — the sheer betrayal and distress floating within. I could not stop looking at them as Noah took my hand in theirs and thus, rather brattily, got tutted at, a clicking sound from Boy, demanding my attention shift immediately.

BOY WITCH 1-1 START

The tut worked; I looked at Boy, and quickly, they tightened their grip on my hand, and we were off to the phonebooths. Usually, this 1-1 is one of my favourites with Noah — there is this inherent physical comedy to me being stuck in there with them because they are so tall. But I was still stuck in this grey headspace and looked at them quietly as we began the interaction. Noah KILLS this 1-1 as Boy — for they are tall, and I am not; the entire thing feels as if you are enveloped into another world with the Boy Witch, and the line delivery is goosebump-raising. When they pull back after we make eye contact post-delivery, it is always with a startle, their hand on their chest before they are gone, again like a bullet.

BOY WITCH 1-1 END

Stumbling back to Evik's Porter (now amid the Agnes scene), I quietly watched their fun interaction with Mio's Agnes. They raised the money high enough that Mio had to jump up and drag their arm down to get it off them — which did make me smile. The scenes progressed, and I got back in rhythm following the Porter as they slipped back into a pattern of finishing their mundane tasks. BBoy's return again takes that quiet peace and flips it on his head. This second of them both looked into their respective mirrors, spotting the other in the reflections that felt weighty. Then, it was time for the ultimatum of the phonebooths. This dance was beyond gorgeous — Noah's Boy is lithe, clever and knows exactly what he wants, while Vik's Porter is desperate, leaning in close to kiss even as there is a consistent pull away. The throw-down is mean as fuck, and Vik cowers on the floor — Noah Boy looks up at the audience; there is a moment of hustle, and then almost no one who was in the lobby before his arrival leaves with him, a testament to again the emotional hold of Vik Porter.

Vik didn't ask for help, mainly because there were many people Waiting for it, and ran off towards their office. I shot off right behind them, and we made eye contact as we reached our lost luggage. The hand went out, and quickly, we were in the room for the 1-1 I have embarrassingly cried the most during.

PORTER 1-1 START

The Vik Porter 1-1 (which I will not spoil entirely, for it is a genuinely unique experience I hope everyone gets to have) is devastating. I had already shed tears outside in the lobby, but as soon as I sat and the scene began earnestly, the waterworks returned. VVik's Porter is so scared, so wary of any brief notion of acceptance and as a primarily closeted, non-binary, queer person, the reflection of my own story in this just absolutely hit me like a truck. Their hands shook as they put on the wig, and with the lipstick, they looked to be on the verge of tears throughout. And as we made eye contact in the mirror, I quite obviously cried, their face crumpled into a sob. The putting on of the ring, during which I was doing my very best to stifle a loud sob, was so gentle and quickly followed by a kiss on top. They held my hands tightly, and as we hugged, I was reminded of hugging my younger sibling (which is insane because that is NOT the age gap here) by the tightness and the softening of their sniffling along with mine.

There are a special few lines with Vik exchanged at this point of the 1-1, and mine leaned entirely into this kind sibling-like exchange of understanding, this unbelievably absolute desperation on my end to make the Porter understand it was okay to be who they are. There is always distance in immersive theatre for me, but at that moment, I was genuinely left clutching my heart and their hand, entirely emotionally involved. There was another short hug before the mask went on, and I was out again, still crying. In the minute it took me to try and quieten my crying (to not interrupt the scene outside in the lobby), Vik was out as well. In another incredibly kind act, they took my hand and walked me slowly through the hallway, both sniffling.

PORTER 1-1 END

As a professional, they were very good at controlling their sniffles. Still, I was moments away from another sob, so I squeezed their hand in thanks and shot out of the lobby upstairs where I could calm down in peace in the apothecary or something. I stayed majorly on 4th for the rest of the show (which was just the third loop now), watching Ja'Moon Fulton do their thing and skirt around Bret's as-always incredibly frightening Taxi. The loop was much less emotional (which is what I was hoping for), and after watching Gabe Speaks play a card game with a White Mask, I made it to High Street to be pulled in for the Interrogation Room scene with two sweet old ladies.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Will's interrogation room scene and paired with DLP Macduff, it was a powerful showing. I watched it in sheer amazement, as always enchanted by the fluidity of movement, and followed the two straight into the plotting scene. There was no one in the office and no one following them, which was first for me, but it granted me a special moment with Malcolm and Macduff that I don't think I will forget. With the three of us alone, I stood in the middle, staring at the castle, waiting for the trees to be put in. Sensing eyes on me, I looked up to Will, offering me a tree to put in myself, and I nodded, taking up the role of plotter with a hidden glee. Plotting done, Will and DLP shook hands with each other (as usual) and then turned to me, shaking hands with me as well. Macduff saluted Malcolm, so I followed his lead, which led to a pat on the back of both of us. Will Malcolm was out first, then it was me, then DLP Macduff and again, the two of them garnered nearly no attention as we moved downstairs for the final banquet.

A large, undetaching group escaping 3rd soon swarmed around Malcolm and Macduff, so I took the cut into 2nd again, where I finally caught the scene of Danvers/ Porter cleaning up for the first time. Vik Porter made themselves a piece of jam toast as Marija Danvers drank tea, and then we were all instructed to follow down to the banquet. I stood mainly at the back between them during the hanging, beyond amused by Vik Porter quietly nomming down on jam toast as a man hangs. There were no walkouts this visit, which, with all the blessings I had had, showed I was entirely okay with it, and soon enough, I was back in the Manderley. I got to say hello to Will afterwards, and Noah said hello. This beautiful, wondrous show ended with a lovely set from Karen.

Unbelievable magic is in the very veins of this show, man. Every visit leaves me gasping in wonder. Can't wait for the next visit already.

[elderflowerchampagne]

158

My first visit in two months, and first since the cast change. A lot to take in, and I still can't tell the men apart.

The first new person to get the stamp of approval is Stephanie Troyak, with her brilliant matron. The first performer I've seen who can cry on cue like that since Mallory. Also, I really like that the red piping on the new nurse and matron costumes ties them to the taxidermist downstairs. A+.

The matron's hut is now filled with pictures of women being tended to in hospitals. I don't know what that means but it's probably not anything good.

I also like Tim Creavin (I think it was him!). Whoever plays Theo in the bar. Nicely done.

My first time getting the porter 1:1 since reopening, and maybe like my fifth time overall. I like Will Boyajian a lot - he's a very gentle porter, as opposed to the others who just slam you against the door and squeeze the life out of you.

Thank God and everything holy that Jenna stayed and that we will continue to bear witness to the tiny, genius inventions she's always able to come up with. I will never forget watching her as nurse drag a scalpel across the top of her hand while muttering, "Cut, cut, cut, cut."

She was Sexy last night, and when she came up from dunking her head in the bucket she spit a stream of water onto the bar. Scary shit.

Because I like Nate and am generally slow to warm up to new people, I spent a lot of time with the taxidermist. I love watching him construct the skull sculpture - it also strikes me that even though we've got two other medical characters on the floor just above him, he's the only one we ever see doing anything resembling surgery. Or Fulton too I guess. I'm a medical humanities person now if you couldn't tell.

Highlight of my night was watching Nate/Taxi pull the red thread out of the jacket of his sleeve and fUCKING EAT IT.

Danvers got a new sink - good for her.

I thought for sure the cast change would be the time Lady Macduff and Danvers got their 1:1s back, BUT NO. Bullshit.

I don't post in the Discord but I lurk, which is how I knew to look for the tiny shrine Fulton has constructed to Agnes.

Jessica Smith is a great Lady Macduff and the Macduff infants got fancier clothes, so good for them.

I just came back from New Orleans, and in one of the beignet restaurants I saw a card from a child who had written "I love you place." I think they probably meant "I love your place," but it's fun to think it was supposed to be "I love you, place." My dear McK - I love you, place.

K

[larryland]

by Macey Levin

There was woman, born to a Jewish father and Catholic mother in Warsaw, Poland, in 1898.  In Petrograd Russia, she married a wealthy Polish lawyer who was arrested in the midst of the Russian Revolution in 1917.  After he was freed they journeyed with their infant daughter to Paris where she became a celebrated artist who led a hedonistic life style typical of the French artistic community in the 1920’s.  Her controversial yet popular work was identified only by her last name.  She is the central character in the world premiere musical Lempicka at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

This production has the same driving music and narrative as the larger-than-life style of Evita, Les Miserables and others of the 1970’s and 80’s.   Lempicka’s life story is as dramatic as Eva Peron’s and as dark as Jean Valjean’s and, perhaps, more touching.

After Tamara de Lempicka (Eden Espinosa) extricates her husband, Tadeusz Lempicki (Andrew Samonsky,) from prison, their life in Paris is hard.  Since he does not want a menial job, which he believes is below him, she works as a waitress.  She finds herself becoming fascinated by painting and takes lessons until she develops a form that complements her personality. Her interpretation of art deco utilizes bold, clashing colors in dynamic, highly stylized portraits and nudes. She paints a series using her daughter Kizette (Alexandra Templer) for her model.  As her fame increases and she becomes more involved in the unconventional side of the art world, she has numerous affairs with both men and women, some of whom are subjects of her work.  In particular, Lempicka has a lengthy affair with a street prostitute, Rafaela, played by Carmen Cusack.  Divorced by Tadeusz, she marries, her lover, Baron Kuffner (Nathaniel Stampley.) In 1939, with the growing power of the Nazis they emigrate to America.  Her life covers the 20th century and historical moments become an integral part of the plot.  The show is not totally factual, while it follows the outline of her life.

Ms. Espinosa is the core of the production and she makes it pulsate.  Her energy drives the show and her voice is strong.  In addition to her vocal responsibilities, her acting is nuanced and intelligent.  Her growth from a young bride to a tough, self-protective woman who revels in international fame is convincing.  Cusack’s Rafaela is hard, fearing to let her guard down as she falls in love with Lempicka.  Hers is also a layered performance and her voice is a match for Espinosa‘s, especially in a touching duet –  “Stillness.”

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The rest of the cast fulfill their roles with well-rounded characterizations, though the book by Carson Kreitzer doesn’t fill in their backgrounds as specifically as she does with Espinosa and Cusack.  Worth noting are Samonsky as Lempicka. Nathaniel Stampley (The Baron) Rachel Tucker (The Baroness) who sings a heartfelt “The End of Time,” Natalie Joy Johnson who has a rousing number as lesbian bistro owner Suzy Solidor, and Steven Rattazzi as a self-proclaimed art expert who reviles classic art.

Director Rachel Chavkin’s (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) staging and the choreography by Raja Feather Kelly are virtually inseparable with one form flowing into the other.  There is a great deal of movement lending energy to the various scenes.  The cast sets props, furniture, and rovers (spotlights on rollers) within dance numbers and dialogue scenes.  The choreography is very stylized, certainly not what is seen in a conventional musical.  Matt Gould’s music is redolent of the blockbuster musicals of the 70’s and 80’s and there is a lot of it.  Kreitzer’s book is over-stuffed and her lyrics are occasionally repetitive.

In designing the set Riccardo Hernandez opens up the entire stage, including the wings, to create a larger world for Lempicka’s journey.  The set is minimalist with no permanent structures; everything is moved on–and offstage by cast members.  The immense number of Monica Levi Blanco’s costumes are evocative of the various eras depicted… many, especially the women’s clothes, are colorful.

Bradley King’s lighting highlights the dramatic qualities of the myriad scenes.  The strip lights in back of the upstage cyclorama change the emotional tones in a flash.  The rovers, which are moved freely around the stage, focus attention on the actors.

This is probably a show that people will love or spend their time nit-picking and there is a lot to pick at considering it runs for three hours.  It needs a lot of cutting cutting cutting.  Despite this, Lempicka is an exciting theatrical experience.

Lempicka; Book and Lyrics by Carson Kreitzer; Music by Matt Gould; Directed by Rachel Chavkin; Choreographer: Raja Feather Kelly; Music director: Charity Wicks; Music Supervisor and Vocal Arranger: Remy Kurs; Cast:  Eden Espinosa (Tamara de Lempicka) Andrew Samonsky (Tadeusz Lempicki) Carmen Cusack (Rafaela) Nathaniel Stampley (The Baron) Rachel Tucker (The Baroness) Steven Rattazzi )Marinetti) Natalie Joy Johnson (Suzy Solidor) Alexandra Templer (Kizette) Ensemble: Justin Gregory Lopez, Azudi Onyejekwe, Michael McCorry Rose, Tim Creavin, Grace Porter, Sav Souza, Kay Trinidad; Scenic Design: Riccardo Hernandez; Costume Design: Montana Levi Blanco; Lighting Design: Bradley King; Sound Design: Nevin Steinberg; Hair and Wig Design: Leah Loukas; Production Stage manager: Cody Renard Richard; Running time: 3 hours, one intermission;Williamstown Theatre Festival Main Stage; Opening: 8/20/2018; Closing: 8/1/2018

REVIEW: “Lempicka” at the Williamstown Theatre Festival by Macey Levin There was woman, born to a Jewish father and Catholic mother in Warsaw, Poland, in 1898. 

[bargarraninc]

teddy bear waltz; visit 16, dec 3rd, 2023

THE INFAMOUS BIRTHDAY DOUBLE; Turning 20 at the McKittrick. PART II: THE EVENING

QUICK NOTES: - Long recap, we know the drill. Yes, I continue to spew analytical nonsense about Malcolm in this one too — love that silly detective. - The 1-1s discussed in this post are Malcolm and the Taxidermist. Spoiler portions are clearly marked by red headings!

TL;DR: Holy shit Tim Creavin.

Thanks to a momentous birthday gift of a spoiler from Mr. Tim Creavin himself, I stand in line for the evening show, with my Ovest arancini in hand, visibly trembling with adrenaline, excitement and a little bit of the cold despite having just spent three hours running around the hotel. A shoutout must be made to the lovely folks in line with me who I tried to convince (for the better part of 30 minutes) to dedicate themselves to a loop with Malcolm. It brought me immense joy watching their familiar silhouettes rushing behind Malcolm later on in the show.

Entry is quick and we make it into bar alongside the Oz’s, greeted by the lovely Katie and Audrey. I have brought a friend with me to this show, so we get water and loiter in the correct spot to be on the first elevator up. We talk about our small game plan — ballroom, up with Malcolm (where I was hoping she would get the 1-1) and then through the floors for a quick walkthrough before we split. Aces are called and we all shuffle in.

Spoiler in mind, I am already giggling as I put the mask on — excited for what I was (rightly) sure would be an incredibly entertaining show. The elevator door opens as Karen finishes her spiel and it is Mr. Tim Creavin as good ol’ James Bargarran. Tim’s Taxi is a drawler. He lazily gestures us in and leans against the lift-wall during his usual spiel, in which he points at me and my friend holding hands and asks for us to ‘detach’. The body language, the characterisation is so different from his sweet (if nervy) Malcolm countenance that I am immediately floored. From moment one, I know this is going to be a very Taxi-heavy visit to the Hotel.

We are all let out onto 3rd with a sardonic wave and I guide my guest to move down to ballroom through the Macbeth’s apartment for those stairwells are emptier. Not realising just how quickly we’d been let in, we almost rush past Nate Carter’s Macbeth doing the graveyard solo. Thankfully, I catch movement out of the side of my eye, so me and her stand there entirely alone watching Nate gracefully twirl, entangled in a fight seemingly with himself. It is gorgeous and I am reminded that Nate is truly a star — what a beautiful Macbeth. We descend with Macbeth to the ballroom and I take up my usual post by Malcolm’s trench on instinct.

As all the dancing kicks off, I am made giddy by the night’s cast — Will is on as Malcolm and the coven is Mio! Sexy, Michaela! Bald (a personal favourite) and Aaron! Boy. My friend latches onto the Banquo and Sexy duo as her favourites but I am centred in on Will’s Malcolm and his little shimmying dance with Aaron, both of them not letting the other take lead in the dance, raring up against rather competitively.

This happy, beautiful scene comes to an end and Will, as always, absolutely books it out of ballroom, first stumbling up from crypt and then seemingly running. We break after him, only a crowd of 4-5, my friend lagging behind already as I try my best to keep pace with Will and his ridiculously long legs. Despite the pain of being reminded of how short I am, Will’s scramble up from ballroom is my favourite out of all the Malcolms. It is so violently physical, the groaning and the sounds of Will hitting the wall on his way up, making the whole thing seem so much more urgent. We run into the back room, Will has his antidote and Agnes enters.

Taylor Ann Massa is on as Agnes and she is a treat — so fluid and quick, flitting away from Malcolm with ease. With Taylor on, Agnes feels a little bit more in control of this situation, her movements more calculatingly flirtatious. Will picks her up a little as they kiss and the lighting makes the whole scene look dreamy — my friend adores it, she returns to watch it in the next loop as well. Agnes rushes away, this show not taking anyone with her, and Will (along with the now amassed crowd) runs back to the backroom, egg in hand. I position my friend in front of me, hoping her still catching breath would indicate her loyalty to Will enough to get her the 1-1. This does not work and for the second time on the 3rd of December, I am dragged by a Malcolm into the room of ash and eggs.

MALCOLM 1-1 STARTS HERE

WILL WILL WILL — I am such a huge fan. I have said this many a time before but Will’s Malcolm is a scary, scary bitch and I eat up every second of it like a starved woman at her last supper. Every moment of this 1-1 feels tonally different to the exact same one I had earlier in the day — drenched in pure, hostile suspicion rather than the more naïve seeming near-curiosity of Tim. Will’s walk to the curtain is a proper hold, keeping me in line, instead of a gentle side-hug of sorts and when we are in the room, there is no softness in the querying look Malcolm implores you with. The egg pick is rapid but the breaking is slower, perfectly synced to the soundscape in a way where the tension of knowing what is going to happen but not when makes your heart quicken. Will searches through the ash, less desperate and more sure — as if he knows I know something that he doesn’t.

I am pinned to the wall tightly, eyes widening on instinct. Will does the dialogue — again, things are different and I am beyond thrilled to see these two conflicting versions of this beloved character so close together. I adore Will’s vocal choice in this scene — the gruffness, the difficult tone. For some reason, I am reminded of a Good Cop-Bad Cop shtick except Tim is Anxious Cop and Will is Angry Cop. I refuse to break eye contact, enthralled by Will’s ability to communicate sheerly through body language. There is no stumbling or clawing (as if tortured and asking for help) like with Tim, Will’s choking up of the feather is frenzied and vicious. Shit is pure daunting. The lights go off, there is a tight grasp around my shoulders (rather than a damning hug) as the last lines are delivered and then I’ve lost Will, who moves at insane speeds and is gone before I squeeze my eyes open.

MALCOLM 1-1 ENDS HERE

I make it down to Duncan discovery right as Malcolm discovers the feather and despite all of my times seeing this scene, the goosebumps return as if on cue. There is something about the gravity of this scene with an older Malcolm — this beautifully soul-crushing world weariness attached to it. It is not the heartbroken crumbling of a young son but the disparaged understanding of an older one — well-aware of his father’s mortality from the start, but beyond angry at the manner of death. I watch Will! Malcolm, Elias! Macduff and Omri! Banquo bring Andrew P’s Duncan down to the crypt, enjoying the sheer height at which Andrew P was hoisted due to how tall the Boys™ are. The suspicious look at Banquo in the crypt is beyond perfect — a clear sign of Malcolm’s growing distrust in everyone around him. I loved the glance first falling to Macduff and only slowly following the line to Banquo and the choice from Will to be the first to remove his hand — something I have never seen the younger Malcolms do.

I follow Malcolm up to Hammertime but am distracted by the reappearance of my friend. We don’t make it in to watch Hammertime as a consequence but I position us by Malcolm’s office window on High Street just as Natebeth comes screeching down the hall from Rep Bar. She clutches onto my hand, Macbeth and Macduff come running down the street and without much issue, we make it into the room. Again, I am blown away by Will’s physicality as Malcolm — every movement is sharp and gruff, in character and scary. The sound of both Malcolm and Macduff’s feet hitting the ground and them moving around the room is chillingly good — Will and Elias are perfectly synchronised. There is a moment where Malcolm stands facing this small audience and me and Will make eye contact. It is fleeting but it feels like I have been vetted and approved as innocent, as a potential co-conspirator and I am exhilarated. We dutifully follow the Boys into the office to watch them conspire the moving of the trees and then they are gone. My friend holds me in the office and tells me about watching Fulton inspect Sexy in the mortuary while I was away and as she tells me more, we walk quietly to Paisley’s.

Armed with candy (no gumdrops </3), we hang out with Bret’s Fulton — a sweet cowardly Fulton if I have ever seen one. He rushes off to pick for the 1-1, which neither of us get, and I move both me and my friend into Agnes’ apartment (which was relatively empty, expected when she is asleep) so we can see him creepily emerge. He emerges, we continue following (chowing down on sour balls) and watch him tidy up, endeared. As loop two begins (indicated to me by Malcolm moving down High Street in his fun little trench), she stays with Bret and I abandon ship to go check if Tim’s Taxi has made an appearance. He has not so again, by habit, I wander over to Malcolm’s office where Will is busy typing away on the typewriter. He has a crowd now so I don’t bother trying to squeeze in, opting to watch from the doorway. The razor scene starts (which is decidedly not my favourite) so I slip away again, going into the Taxidermist’s to say hello to our favourite stuffed animal friends.

My friend notices me on my way back and joins me so I spend a few quite minutes showing her the different strange taxidermy and the office in the back, all of which are some of my favourite set details. She is less interested in petting the moose than I am so a few pets later, we look around the apothecary (which she loves). I am distracted again by the need to pet the moose and as I do so, a stomping blur cuts past me — who else could it be other than our local nutjob, Mr. Bargarran. The noise is frightening and draws out my friend, we follow out into the office to see Tim rampaging towards Fulton, angry as all hell and my god… scary ??

Bret’s Fulton sees him coming and steps back, fear palpable and as Tim! Taxi literally kicks the door open to the shop, he disappears speedily. This Taxi is insane and I am literally paralysed into a constant gasp by the sheer manic, freakish energy of this performance. As he watches Taxi rush off, Taxi groans/ growls in frustration and rushes into High Street, body posed like a predator ready to pounce and to rip the other into shreds. Fulton appears, there is a small fight where Bret scurries away from Tim as fast as possible, disappearing with a White Mask into the funeral parlour. At this point, I am holding onto my friend’s arm in a tight grasp, gagged by this display, and I proceed to only be more stunned as Tim begins to genuinely punch the windows and doors of the parlour. I can’t help but break out into disbelieving, quiet laughter as he punches the right window hard enough that the entire panel comes clean off. I don’t think Tim could believe it either — he stepped right back, glanced at it, at the genuinely terrified crowd (in which I was trying so hard to keep it together) and then scoffed. It was beyond glorious.

I had spent the whole first hour of this show thinking about Tim C’s Malcolm, deliciously different as it is to Will’s, and about how much I loved his characterisation. Previous to this show, I had seen and for the most part, looped Tim on as Malcolm 10 times. As I told him mid-him spoiling the Taxi surprise, I had never had the luck of seeing him on as anything else so in my mind, I had formulated his Taxi to be very similar to Vik’s in energy — mildly threatening (for obviously taxidermy) but mostly goofy fun. THIS was not what I was expecting at all and the confidence with which Tim carried the character of this feverishly riotous nutjob blew me allllll the way away. The aggression in the body language — the slight hunch in his walk, the constant clenching of his fingers, the crazy eyes — was otherworldly. My commitment to two-looping this Taxi only grew every second I saw of this performance, my entire being incensed by the need to watch this wacko do all the strange shit I knew was coming. I was not disappointed at all. AT ALL.

From my own rampant chicken-scrawl notes from the day of, here are a list of highlights from Mr. Creavin’s Taxidermist in the first full loop he was out.

The bone-themed art piece he made by sticking all the dead leaves and flowers from the tray into a skeleton to create a Taxidermist’s bouquet.

The little square made out of all his tools that he kept watching me try to fix and continuing to mess its symmetry up on purpose.

When he grabbed the sharpest looking bone he could find and kept circling it around his skin, before holding it like a dagger and moving towards the door of the shop, pointing it at Fulton threateningly (long enough my friend thought we were about to witness a with-bone murder)

His insistence on straightening the little dinosaur and then running past it and wacking it.

PUNCHING THE VIRGIN MARY STATUE????

Stomping around exclusively — this man did not walk anywhere.

When Bret Fulton was in his 1-1, Tim swivelled around into the Fulton Tailor Shop, slammed all of the little crosses off the wall, threw drawers everywhere, played concerningly too long with the scissors and put the only red string in Fulton's box in his mouth. When Bret came back to fix the coat, he rifled through the box and Tim drooled the spool of thread (needle and all) out onto the table. BRET'S FACE...

Fondling the hammer while sitting in the office before taking it off the wall, holding it for some time and then putting it back.

Kicking the cemetery dirt instead of digging through it, leading to it being all over the audience (who were all fucking petrified of him).

Pulling out many many things from the inside-shop moose’s nose — including the blood will have blood note.

The smug little look he shot people when he very smoothly pulled his first 1-1 pull into the room, smoothly enough that even they seemed shocked.

While Tim C Taxi was in the 1-1, I slipped down to 2, wanting to check on our dear pal Porter and to see who was on. I had spent the majority of my show in the stairwells with Malcolm and then on 4 with Taxi and didn’t want to be left unawares for writing the cast list after. I amble down and who do I see? VIK. Most shows, this discovery would end any other plans but I had committed myself to the nutjob upstairs so I let myself stay for only long enough to watch the phonebooth dance. Aaron and Vik make for an amazing BW-Porter pair and Vik came across as much bolder, leaning in actively, with Aaron’s relatively kinder Boy than with Noah’s mean one (the only other combination I have seen). The 1-1 pull took place by Lost Luggage and while Vik looked at me, they (excitingly!!!!) took the loveliest older guest (who I had been talking to in line outside) in instead.

Taking this as my sign for a natural transition back upstairs, I returned to Four to watch Tim (as mentioned in the bullet points) cleaning his tools and pissing me off by messing up their symmetry. During the cleaning sequence, he had about 2-3 people in the shop including me but as Lady Macduff made her entrance, this number quickly grew to 15-20. Only a few who arrived with her left as she did, waiting around to see Tim C do something interesting. Having moved away for Lady Duff’s scene, I stood at the corner of the shop counter, arms resting on top and Tim moved outwards, gesturing for me to remove my arms. I follow instructions and as he rests the door down, letting it go with a thud, he takes my hand. There is a short pause, I nod as we lock eyes and then again with a quiet, smug smirk, we disappear into the Boy shower room.

TAXIDERMIST 1-1 STARTS HERE

The second we are in this room, the threatening vibe of this Taxi is more potent. I had only ever had this 1-1 once before with Vik, who again (in my mind) is an incredibly non-threatening Taxi. Tim’s Taxi was quieter, it felt like I was someone who was being inspected, scientifically broken down into benefits and weaknesses. For a minute, I feel strangely foreign in this situation, slightly overwhelmed by the intensity of this dim room. Tim takes my mask off, and in what I believe is a habit of his, ducks his head slightly to see my face before its entirely off. The familiarity of this (especially just from that morning) is centring and I break into a nervous smile — this is a theatrical performance, there is no need to be afraid.

He nods and I feel the air relax a little — now that I am less tense, I am able to enjoy the scene a whole lot more. Taxi moves my arms up and down, inspecting still but I don’t feel stiff and it is easy for me to follow the dramatic flow. He, very gently, leads me into the dark cubicle and sits me down, telling me to stay still as he leaves to wash his hands. The sound of water rushing starts and like in my previous instance in this room, I peek through the gap to see what Taxi is up to. While Vik had been by the sink, possibly actually washing their hands, Tim was just standing around which made me unconsciously chuckle. Tim moves back into the cubicle seamlessly in the dark and as the light comes on, I jump a little.

The injection comes out and for a second, I am convinced by the way that he looks at the needle and by his prior, well-established fascination with sharp things, that he is going to prick himself on it or inject it or something insane. Instead, he brings it down, squirting the dark green onto my beloved beloved gumdrops. Both are covered entirely in the green, eliminating choice, so I grab the one nearer to me, give a cursory nod at Taxi and begin to chew. The green stains are all over my hands and as I look up expecting Taxi to eat the other, he simply pushes the tray away and smiles wickedly. I gasp and suddenly we are standing up, the cubicle door is pushed open and we are facing the moose inside. Dialogue is delivered that I cannot fully recall but in a rough, manic manner that makes my body shudder. I am commanded — “Come with me” — and I take Tim’s hands, pulled out of the shower-room and through into the rave. The pull is powerful but I am relatively used to being dragged by Tim C as Malcolm so I find my footing quickly.

TAXIDERMIST 1-1 ENDS HERE

At the rave, Tim! Taxi quite literally shoves unwilling guests out of the way, pushing us mostly to the front. The crowd is incredibly pushy but thanks to Tim’s death grip on my shoulder, I survive to watch the raise up of Sexy by the rest of the coven. I feel the grip lighten as the scream starts and I follow Taxi straight out — I have seen the rave in the morning twice and Hour Six in the hotel no longer have the capacity for it. PLUS, he is making his way down to my favourite Taxi scene: the Teddy Bear. There is absolutely no one around as we go down the stairs to 3rd and I witness my friend loitering around in Macduff’s office on pure chance as me and Taxi skate by to the children’s bedroom. I grab her and rush over, watching Tim’s green-stained hands deftly stitch the bone into the poor bear.

Taxi finishes up and stomps over (as is key) to the front of the apartment fixing his own tie as well as the bear’s bow in the mirror. There is a quiet moment where me and my friend stand behind him, all visible in the mirror and he looks up, makes eye contact and then fixes his hair. Once he’s satisfied, Taxi picks up the bear perfectly on cue to the soundscape beginning to play a sweet waltz number and WALTZES THE LITTLE BEAR. Adorable, even if the bear has a bone in it and he is a psycho. We watch relatively endeared and leave with Tim after he places the bear upside down on the sofa.

As we get up to fourth, there is a waiting crowd of curious folk in the shop but Taxi slips straight into the office instead, opting not to clean up his messy bouquet and instead…. take a nap. Legs up on the desk, dead squirrel over his eyes like a mask, there are about twenty of us who stand around watching the man doze before he is up again. The dead squirrel, quite unfortunately for Elspeth-the-fox-lovers like me, goes over the her snout and Taxi stumbles over to the much beloved moose. We all watch, genuinely petrified and personally concerned for Tim’s lack of germ awareness, as he smooches for quite some time the Moose. A white mask turns around and leaves — it lasts long enough for that. Again, Tim C Taxi has left me completely gagged.

He turns around as the makeout… finally ends and we lock eyes. The hand goes out and I am being walked down for the second show in a row. I struggle down the stairs with my skirt because the people behind us seem to not understand personal space, which leads to Tim turning around to level glares and to grip my hand tighter so I don’t faceplant down the stairs. We get to the hanging and much like at the rave, Tim flings people out of the way until we are right up front. The normal removing unwitting White Masks from the Banquo spot process takes place and then Tim’s Taxi is right behind me, again death gripping my shoulder as Natebeth is hung.

The walkout is quick and relatively giggly. We slip away from the crowd very very quickly and as we climb up the crypt stairs, I look up at Tim, still struggling with this damn skirt, and we both stifle a laugh. We go up the stairs with him slowing down for my struggles and as we reach the Manderley, he finally laughs gleefully. I am pinned to a wall and my mask comes off before I am chuckling. We hug and I am given a little souvenir — the Blood will have Blood note. I tell Tim his Taxi is a complete nutjob and my now favourite take on the character before he slips off saying Happy Birthday.

The performance in bar by Karen was wonderful and I spent some time chuckling away with other fans from the server and with my friend (who had her own expectedly wondrous time following Vik! Porter after slipping away from Tim post-first-1-1), ending what is surely one of the best birthdays I have ever had. What a ride!

[larryland]

Williamstown, MA (July 23, 2018) – Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) announces the second Main Stage production of the 2018 season, the world premiere musical Lempicka, which opened Saturday, July 21st and runs through Wednesday, August 1st.

Featuring Tony nominee Carmen Cusack and Eden Espinosa, this world premiere musical is directed by Tony nominee Rachel Chavkin, with book and lyrics by Carson Kreitzer and music by Matt Gould. Fleeing the Russian revolution and leaving behind a world of opulence and wealth, aristocrat Tamara de Lempicka (Espinosa) and her beloved husband Tadeusz (Andrew Samonsky) are forced to make a new life.  In the rising tide of fascism, Tamara takes to painting to survive, and when she meets the free-spirited Rafaela (Cusack), a prostitute on the fringes of Parisian society, she’s torn between the life she cherishes with her husband and the passion, ambition, and possibility awoken in her by her new muse.  Inspired by the life of the artist who transformed herself from penniless refugee to star of the art world when the world itself teetered on chaos, Lempicka looks at the beauty and danger of one painter pursuing it all.

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The cast also includes Tim Creavin, Natalie Joy Johnson, Justin Gregory Lopez, Azudi Onyejekwe, Grace Porter, Steven Rattazzi, Michael McCorry Rose, Sav Souza, Nathaniel Stampley, Alexandra Templer, Kay Trinidad and Rachel Tucker. Lempicka is choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly.  The design team includes Riccardo Hernandez (Scenic Design), Montana Levi Blanco (Costume Design), Bradley King (Lighting Design), and Nevin Steinberg (Sound Design).  The music team includes Remy Kurs (Music Supervisor), Charity Wicks (Music Director), and Cian McCarthy (Orchestrations).

Post-show Talkbacks are scheduled for Tuesday, July 24 and Tuesday, July 31.

Lempicka was developed by Williamstown Theatre Festival, under the artistic direction of Mandy Greenfield, and is a recipient of a 2018 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.  The production is sponsored by James & Virginia Giddens, Andrew Martin-Weber, and one anonymous donor. Williamstown Theatre Festival’s 2018 Season Partners include Herbert A. Allen, James & Virginia Giddens, Jessica & Matt Harris, Andrew Martin-Weber, and two anonymous donors. The 2018 Festival season is supported by grants from The Shubert Foundation, the Tiger Baron Foundation, the Edgerton Foundation, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Lempicka is presented by special arrangement with Seaview Productions, Marathon Live Entertainment, and Jenny Niederhoffer Productions.

TICKETS AND SCHEDULE                                                                                

Tickets may be purchased online, by phone, or in person at the Box Office located at the ‘62 Center for Theatre and Dance at 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 01267, 413.458.3253, wtfestival.org.

WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL                                                                    

For over six decades, Williamstown Theatre Festival, recipient of the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and the Commonwealth Award for Achievement, has brought emerging and professional theatre artists together to create a thrilling summer festival of premiere work alongside fresh, new productions of the western canon, and offers a rich array of accompanying cultural events including COMMUNITY WORKS, Late-Night Cabarets, along with readings and workshops of new plays. Under Artistic Director Mandy Greenfield, the Festival launched a New Play and Musical Commissioning Program through which theatre artists including Jocelyn Bioh, Nathan Alan Davis, Halley Feiffer, Justin Levine, Matthew Lopez, Marsha Norman, Jiehae Park, Zoe Sarnak and Benjamin Scheuer, and many others, are creating new work year-round. The Festival runs unmatched training programs for new generations of theatre talent, and artists and productions shaped at the Festival fill theatres in New York, London, and around the country each season. Williamstown Theatre Festival’s productions of The Bridges of Madison County, The Elephant Man, Fool for Love, Living on Love, and The Visit enjoyed critically acclaimed runs on Broadway, with The Elephant Man and The Visit receiving Tony Award nominations for Best Revival of a Play and Best Revival of a Musical, respectively. In addition, the Festival’s world premiere productions of Cost of Living (winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama) and Actually played acclaimed Off-Broadway runs at Manhattan Theatre Club, and Paradise Blue had an extended run at Signature Theatre in New York.

New Musical “Lempicka” Opens at Williamstown Theatre Festival Williamstown, MA (July 23, 2018) – Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) announces the second Main Stage production of the 2018 season, the world premiere musical