Hale Centre Theatre » Reviews

Last Chance to See Forever Plaid!

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:00:35 +0000

Recently, Jessica Van Zalen of the Arizona Republic interviewed Forever Plaid Director Michael Bryce. Below is the article that followed. We still have great seats available for this final and closing weekend. Call the Box Office today at (480) 497-1181 or visit www.haletheatrearizona.com to buy now. You’ll be “Plaid” you did!

(link to the entire article is at the bottom)

Throw on your saddle shoes and catch one of the remaining performances of the do-wopping ’50s musical hit “Forever Plaid” at the Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert.

The production has been at the Hale since May, but it has been playing nationally to rave reviews since the early ’90s, telling the story of four ambitious young singers who die in a car crash in the 1950s and come back from the dead to put on their final performance.Though the storyline may sound grim, the play uses humor, director Michael Bryce said.

The four singers are played by DeVal Johnson, Devon Johnson, Stephen Erek and Nathan Turley.

The characters’ personalities and quirks, including one character’s obsessive compulsions and another’s nerves, keep the show light and fun for the audience and the actors. The show features 28 songs from singers such as Perry Como and Frank Sinatra with songs such as “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” and “Heart and Soul.”

One of Bryce’s favorite moments is during the song “Lady of Spain,” when the characters perform about 25 “Ed Sullivan Show”-style gags.

There are twirlers, jugglers, impersonations and even Topo Gigio in the three-minute song.

But the real magic is in the music. The four “Plaids” join in close harmonies with delightfully intricate choreography to accompany the classic do-wop hits, Bryce said. To capture the authenticity of the retro performances, Bryce transformed the Hale’s theater-in-the-round into a traditional stage so the actors could sing facing the audience. Also new for the Hale, this show features a band with a piano, bass and drums, instead of an orchestral track typically used in Hale productions.

Bryce, whose background is in music and who is musical director, says he enjoys that the production is all about feeling good and the music.

“When I sit in the audience, I watch the crowd,” he says. “I see people smiling and women smiling at their husbands or people saying to each other, ‘Do you remember this?’ “

Princess & The Pea Video

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:13:05 +0000

Here is a little sneak peak into the Hale Theatre Children’s Theatre production of The Princess & The Pea. Each week we have families and children of all ages who enjoy a high energy, fun filled fairytale right here on our stage. We thought you might like a sneak peak into Saturday Mornings at Hale. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Special thanks to John Janezic for putting this video together.

Princess & The Pea- Review

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:20:37 +0000

Recently, Julie from the Phoenix New Times had the opportunity to review Princess & The Pea. Her comments are below and you can read the entire article here Enjoy!

The plays are for young audiences, but experienced adult actors play adult characters, so you can rely on the solid production values you’ll generally find in a Hale show. The current Children’s Theatre offering, The Princess & the Pea, has been running for about a month, and it continues into June, because these shows are presented just once a week, at a Saturday morning matinee. It’s kind of a nifty system that leaves both the venue and the performers available for more complex, time-consuming projects during the rest of the week.

One of the nice, homey things about Hale that’s even cooler with a young audience is that the performers come out to the lobby in costume to say hello, sign autographs, and pose for photos when the play’s over. Everyone is popular, but as Tabitha, the Queen’s cat, Ashley Letizia was definitely a favorite, and her performance was quite good, too, incorporating an adorable costume by Pam Oborn, the physical control of a dancer, and the cute grouchiness of, well, a cat.

I enjoyed the other performances, too, including Tyler Pounds’ portrayal of young Prince Valiant. Pounds plays naive and good-hearted in an earnest, believable fashion. Even if that’s not a stretch for the baby-faced MCC student, he rounded out the character and won the audience over.

In his quest for a bride, Valiant and his squire, Donald Dunce (Kevin Whitaker, goofy and charming) meet several princesses with whom the prince doesn’t quite click. These actresses do quite a bit of doubling, and they ably adjusted more than just their wigs and dresses to play multiple characters.

The script does make some positive statements about romantic compatibility, incorporates just enough slapstick, gives the kids in the audience opportunities to participate, and stretches what is really a very short story into two brief acts that nearly make sense.

The Princess & the Pea continues through Saturday, June 26, at Hale Centre Theatre, 50 West Page Avenue in downtown Gilbert. Tickets are $10 and $12; order here or call 480-497-1181. Girls in the audience are encouraged to dress up all princessy, but when I attended I saw a diverse mix of wardrobe choices, from super-cute sundresses to the smallest, most fully outfitted Cinderella I’ve ever seen, and everyone looked comfortable.

Review of Born Yesterday

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:38:56 +0000

Below is a recent review of Born Yesterday by Gilbert Theatre Examiner, Joseph Gordon. We will be posting show photos from the performances soon. Until then, Enjoy!

Garson Kanin’s classic comedy Born Yesterday is more than a half century old but time has done nothing to wither its topical bite or delightful charm. Last night the Hale Centre Theatre opened its new production of Born Yesterday. There has never been a better time to revisit and marvel at this play’s enduring wisdom. Born Yesterday will continue, happily educating its audiences in civics and civility through May 22.

Born Yesterday opened on Broadway on February 4, 1946 at the Lyceum Theatre. The Kanin comedy starred Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn, the deceptively not so “dumb blonde,” Paul Douglas as junk merchant Harry Brock and Gary Merrill as reporter Paul Verrall. Holliday famously replaced the deserting, original star Jean Arthur with only a few days rehearsal. Of course, the rest is history. Holliday became an “overnight” sensation and Born Yesterday settled down for a highly successful four year, 1,642 performance run.

The Hale Centre Theatre’s Born Yesterday stars many of it’s audience’s favorite performers. Returning are Alaina Beauloye as Billie, Eric Thompson as Paul and Don Crosby as Harry.

The production is staged by another audience favorite, award winning director Allan Dietlein. Mr. Dietlein has staged the production with his seasoned, knowing eye, illuminating the play’s amazing, up-to-date political commentary, never missing the opportunity to highlight its delicious satire and comedy.

Alaina Beauloye is simply superb as Billie. She is as fresh and delightful as Holliday must have been on that opening night so long ago. Even if she just sashays silently across the stage, Beauloye commands the audience’s attention. When she speaks, Kanin’s words become comic poetry. Beauloye makes Billie’s apparent boredom with the Washington scene a pleasure to watch. What a chameleon! Beauloye can do it all, sing, act, dance. Hale Theatre audiences have been continuously charmed by the many roles she has created there. To play the stern Anna in The King and I, the shy Amalia in She Loves Me and now the radiant Billie in Born Yesterday is proof positive that she can do anything. And do it to perfection!

Eric Thompson’s Paul is all nerdy nerves and earnest sincerity. He easily erases William Holden’s less than stellar performance in the play’s classic film version. Thompson and Beauloye have a most believable and lovely compatibility. Their mutual affection is neither forced nor insincere.

Paul plays Pygmalion to Billie’s Galatea. Through his patient tutelage Billie blossoms touchingly into her own woman. Paul’s initial goal in accepting the role as her tutor may have first been motivated by his desire to get closer to Harry, a man he despises, but, like Pygmalion, he ultimately can not resist any of Billie’s charms, his Galatea.

Billie initially tries in vain to seduce Paul. She tells him that she feels the way to his heart is through his head. When Paul finally breaks down and asks Billie to marry him, she amusingly teases him saying that he only loves her for her brain.

Don Crosby’s Harry would be very comfortable as a member of the Soprano family. Crosby makes Brock’s buffoonish evil fun to watch. He never misses a beat, perfectly illustrating Harry’s oozing, vicious, mean spirited demeanor. You can’t help loving/hating his character, especially when he tells Billie, “I don’t own anything cheap but you.” Harry knows he has to marry Billie to protect himself from the law. When he tells her she has to marry him, Billie refuses saying that he is just too dumb for her now.

Director Allan Dietlein does double duty designing the beautifully appointed set. Sandy Dietlein has as done a superb job costuming the actors. Her designs for Billie are perfection right down to the black seams on her nylons.

Born Yesterday may have been born yesterday but Kanin’s play is gloriously alive and well and firmly living in the present.

Tickets are on sale now, so call the Box Office today at (480) 497-1181 or visit www.haletheatrearizona.com You won’t want to miss this one!

5 Reasons to see “The Princess & The Pea”

admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:41:33 +0000

1. The Story

Prince Valiant is having difficulty finding a partner, as he must marry a princess. When a young woman seeks shelter in the castle and claims to be a princess, his mother decides to test the guest by placing a pea in the bed the young woman is offered for the night. In the morning, the guest, Princess Olivia, tells her hosts that she had a sleepless night, kept awake by something hard in the bed. The prince rejoices. Only a real princess would have the sensitivity to feel a pea through such a quantity of bedding.

2. Creativity

Apart from Princess Olivia, Prince Valiant & Tabitha the Cat, who brings humor to the play, meet Stella Strong (smartly clad in a white Olympia gown with gold trim), Dianna Ding-a-ling (Silly with an awful singing voice), Minerva the Marvelous (the brainy princess in cap and gown), and Bealah theBeautiful (carries her cosmetics in a gold bag).

3. Relevance

There’s a universal lesson to be learned here. Prince Valiant isn’t dazzled by the good looks or impressed by the brains of the princesses. He seeks a princess with whom he can share something in common for a long-lasting marriage.

4. Introduction to Children’s Theatre

Hale Theatre offers children’s theatre in the spring & summer. The productions, characterized by action, drama, emotion, colorful costuming and appealing story lines, are a good way to introduce a child to live theatre. Plus, it’s a positive alternative to watching cartoons on TV!

5. Celebrate or Have a Picnic

The show starts at 11 am on Saturdays. The water park across the street has tables and grassy places for a picnic or birthday party after the show. If you’re celebrating a birthday, the theater will keep your cake refrigerated until the party. Birthday children are introduced on stage and given a small gift. In addition, the audience sings the birthday song.

(Text courtesy of Srianthi Perera of the Arizona Republic)

Princess & The Pea Opened to RAVE Reviews!

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:36:50 +0000

This last Saturday, our children’s theater production opened with The Princess & The Pea. Kids & Adults of all ages enjoyed this lively production, especially the meet and greet with the cast afterward. There wasn’t a child who didn’t leave smiling from ear to ear after interacting with Princess Olivia, Prince Valiant or Tabitha the Cat. There were even some lucky birthday children here to celebrate with friends and family for their special day. Families agree there’s no better place than Hale to bring everyone together!

New Review for She Loves Me

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:50:33 +0000

This is a review posted on September 16, 1:01 PMPhoenix Theater ExaminerMaile Hernandez

She Loves Me, Gilbert’s Hale Centre Theatre’s current offering, is a sweet, simple story. It is not a glittering, dazzling amalgamation of vocal pyrotechnics or gimmicky special effects. No one flies up into the air, no helicopters land onstage. It is a classic tale of two people falling in love, told through dialogue and music, in the style of a clean, old-school, classic musical.

Based on a Hungarian play by Miklos Laszlo, She Loves Me is the story of coworkers who loathe each other while unknowingly falling in love as pen pals. The familiar tale has been told and retold with variations, most recently in the movie You’ve Got Mail.

In She Loves Me, perfume shop employees Georg and Amalia share intimate anonymous letters after meeting through a “lonely hearts” advertisement. On the job, they bicker and compete with one another incessantly.

There isn’t much suspense here. The audience knows what’s coming. But the show is beautifully written. The clever dialogue is at turns tender and humorous. The songs are short, but their melodies are lovely and memorable (music and lyrics are by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, best known for Fiddler on the Roof). The musical numbers here are not an excuse to insert a showstopping dance routine; rather, they serve the definite purpose of advancing the plot, and do so very effectively.

Alaina Beauloye is a petite spitfire as Amalia, with a sweet and pitch-perfect soprano. In particular, she impresses with her exuberant “Vanilla Ice Cream” and plaintive “Will He Like Me?”. Eric Thompson is very likable as the sharp-edged but lovelorn Georg, and there is true chemistry between the two leads.

The cast is rather small, giving the show an intimate feel, and they carry the show very well on their collective shoulders. Dorman Smith is excellent as the overwrought perfume store owner, Mr. Maraczek. As coworker Ilona Ritter, also looking for love, Laura Safsten is attractive and poised, and brings down the house with her Act 2 showstopper “A Trip to the Library.” It is a pleasure to see Safsten stretch her wings here - as an ensemble member in Blackbeard last year at the Herberger Theater delivering such one-line solos as “Bad boys are a girlie’s playtoys,” she didn’t really have a chance to show the true extent of her ample talents. And speaking of ample talent, Thomas Brower, last seen as “Lumiere” in Hale’s Beauty and the Beast, demonstrates his as a hysterically funny, anxiety-riddled waiter in one pivotal scene – his “A Romantic Atmosphere” is another highlight of the show.

She Loves Medemonstrates that an audience can truly be entertained, and indeed delighted, with just the basics – a well-written story, solid music and good acting. After all, while a showy garnish is wonderful, you can’t have a satisfying meal without the actual meat and potatoes.

It is safe to say that audiences will leave She Loves Me smiling – and sated.

She Loves Me runs Thursday – Saturday through October 10, 2009.