Diva worthy Master Class

True greatness, the uncontested and monumental kind, is hard to come by. The Classic Theatre takes on Terrence McNally’s Master Class, now playing through October 4, and the unparalleled life of opera diva Maria Callas.

Anna Gangai as Maria Callas in The Classic Theatre's Master Class.
Photo by Siggi Ragnar.

McNally’s Callas is not only a raw version of the woman, but also a vessel by which to remind audiences the depth of emotion and sacrifice that envelops such iconic artists. It is their dedication and courage making a lasting impression of their careers, not just the performances and accomplishments. As Callas repeats over and over throughout the script, they give everything — yet, especially in today’s over-saturated limelight, truly great performers are too often taken for granted and left to compete with flash rather than substance.

The Classic Theatre production of Master Class exhibits exceptional talent rarely seen on San Antonio stages. Anna Gangai, once again, proves her own diva stature in her portrayal of the incomparable Maria Callas. Opening with a softer demeanor than expected, Gangai manages to endear audiences to an otherwise polarizing and intimidating legend. Every one of the vocalists in the cast were phenomenal singers with soaring voices much larger than the Classic’s space. Of course, the nature of the script brings the acting ability of singers under scrutiny and audience members can judge for themselves if they felt the expectation Callas lays out in the play is met. Amanda Golden as Sophie DePalma took Callas’ direction to heart, giving a much improved performance to culminate her time on stage. Jerry Cordova’s Tony Candolino seemed ingenuine, but made up for it with his moving vocality. Jacquelyn Matava provided a powerhouse voice to Sharon Graham, yet did not seem to reap as noticeable benefits of Callas’ criticism as the others. Regardless of the characters’ individual arcs, the singers each have amazing vocal talent and range, only accentuated by Josh Pepper’s accompaniment musical direction. Not to be forgotten, Pam Slocum was an appropriately dry stagehand, giving a short glimpse into the stark difference between the diva and the crew.

Diane Malone directed an unrivaled production with Master Class. Tim Francis’ lighting and Rick Malone's video designs were simple yet poignant, matching the bare stage set and allowing the performers and the music to take center stage. Rick Malone’s sound design blended perfectly with the live music, giving Gangai the ability to transport herself across time and space seamlessly.

What Master Class accomplishes above all, even more than depicting the life of Maria Callas, is reiterating the standard that must be met in order to rise to the level of greatness. Being memorable is not the same as being revered and fame doesn’t equal legend. Perhaps McNally is asking actors and audiences alike to demand a higher level of artistry and not settle for a nice voice, but reserve ovations for the most deserving. Master Class resurrects the ghosts of talents lost too soon and begs for a rededication to experiencing the magnified truth in art instead of investing in manufactured reality. After all, in order to elevate art, it is  necessary to be uncompromising, strive for perfection and often succumb to the exhausting addiction it feeds, just as Callas did and taught.

The Classic Theatre’s Master Class delivers the same high caliber performances it commands with an obscene amount of local talent. Master Class should not only leave audiences with an appreciation for opera and the career of Callas, but also a desire to experience excellence in art, especially local theatre. Let this production set the tone for this theatre season.


Master Class will run at the Classic Theatre through October 4, 2015 with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit classictheatre.org.

Love to hate & hate to love Chekhov

by Jenni Morin

As the most produced play this season according to American Theatre magazine, Christopher Durang's 2013 Tony winner for best play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, is a ridiculous mélange of Chekhov's characters and themes brilliantly mashed with his unique brand of culture criticism. The Classic Theatre production, now showing through May 17, pays homage to both Durang and Chekhov in a hilarious and perfectly cast tonic.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is set at the estate of middle aged siblings, Vanya and Sonia, who have come to accept their pointless existence, not without complaining, after spending their youth caring for their ailing aging parents. Professors and community theatre enthusiasts, their parents named all their children after Chekhov characters. Masha, their sister, is an actress who pays for the estate and comes home to disrupt their depressingly mundane lives to attend a costume party. In an attempt to desperately cling to her fame, youth and beauty, she bullies everyone, including a neighbor girl Nina,  into being the supporting cast to her Snow White costume for the party. Sonia refuses to be one of Masha's dwarfs and insists on being Maggie Smith as the evil queen, upstaging Masha's costume and boosting her confidence in possibly meeting someone at the party. Meanwhile, Cassandra the housekeeper, who has premonitions just like her Greek namesake, warns against several threats, which everyone ignores until they come true. Masha's visit has brought out the charm of Sonia as she receives an invitation for a date and the confidence of Vanya who decides to share a reading of his play, inspired by Konstantin's symbolist play in The Seagull. Spike rudely answers a text during the reading, which sets off Vanya into a tirade about how things used to be in the 50s. Masha discovers Spike is involved with her assistant and send him packing. Employing a voodoo doll, Cassandra convinces Masha not to sell the house and the three siblings end with a tableau of contentment in their house by the cherry orchard.

Durang quickly explains most of the Chekhov references throughout the play as they come up, making it just as humorous for those unfamiliar with the Russian master. Beyond the obvious similarities in character names and preoccupations, themes of selling the family estate and Konstantin's play within a play, Durang, like Chekhov, introduces a wide range of well developed characters. This makes it easy to relate to the melodramatic tantrums and empathetically and emphatically experience the ups and downs of their tumultuous relationships. Durang may in fact be tapping into some of the humor Chekhov intended, which never seems to come across through the dark clouds hanging over his subtext-laden works. However, some of the deeper Chekhovian themes are embodied by Vanya then poured out in his monologue, which feels like a reflection of personal frustrations of the playwright. From lusting after an unattainable young mate to the younger generation's materialism to environmental sustainability, Durang offers a rich script that is as meta theatrical as it is entertaining, yet exceedingly difficult to execute well.

The Classic Theatre production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is exceptionally well executed. Under the skillful direction of Diane Malone, each technical element highlighted, without overpowering, an incredibly talented ensemble. Both lighting by Steven Starr and sound by Rick Malone were respectfully well balanced, unobtrusive and restrained, pairing nicely with Karen Arredondo's functional set. While Kitty Williams' costumes, especially Sonia's party outfit, provided their own subtext, a special mention must go to Jan O'Neill for smashable mugs and the best teapot.

From Anna Gangai's (Sonia) impeccable comedic timing to Emily Spicer's (Masha) icy facial expressions, this cast flawlessly delivered every bipolar moment. Gangai's Sonia is undeniably endearing as the audience is on the edge of their seats during the entire one-sided phone conversation with a potential suitor. John O'Neill (Vanya) and Gangai are perfect compliments, marching to the sounds of their own piccolo, as he so gently steers his adopted sister back to a sunny disposition. O'Neill's lengthy monologue about the past is animated and charged with frustrations of society's audacious improvements that have left the simplicity and communal experience of the past behind. Danielle King as Cassandra energizes the Russian melancholy with a flourish of comedy uniquely her own. Spicer gives Masha an extra touch of humanity and hilarity in her uncomfortable interactions with Nina and suggestive moments with Spike. John Stillwaggon performs an entertaining audition scene, but like McKenna Liesman (Nina) has been given little to work with from Durang.

Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is the answer to updating Chekhov and bringing his works to a new audience, while simultaneously allowing Chekhov fans to laugh at the undeniably depressing works. The production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at The Classic Theatre is rousing and entertaining, offering an accessible and approachable script for all.



Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will run at the Classic Theatre through May 17, 2015 with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit classictheatre.org.

Gypsy and her mother Rose

by Jenni Morin

From vaudeville to toddler pageants, Gypsy details the humor and horror of the queen of stage moms as she pushed her daughter to become a star. Gypsy, now playing at The Playhouse’s Russell Hill Rogers Theater through March 8, is considered the penultimate book musical, encapsulating the essence of the mid-century American stage.

Anna Gangai as Rose, Paige Berry as Louise
and David Blazer as Herbie in Gypsy at The
Playhouse. Photo by Siggi Ragnar.

Gypsy is inspired by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, a burlesque star who began headlining in the 1930s. With a book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Jule Styne and Lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim, the musical offers a classic blend of story, song and a roller coaster of emotion. Rose pushes her young daughters, June and Louise, into show business, making Baby June the star and Baby Louise dress as a boy in the ensemble. Their vaudeville act gains mild success, but as the genre’s popularity begins to dwindle and Rose crushes June’s only chance at becoming an actress under her mother’s regime, June and the boys pack up and leave. Left with poor talentless Louise, Rose vows to now make her a star and tries desperately to shove her into June’s role. Louise is pushed into a burlesque act as Rose desperately clings to show business and this launches the illustrious career of Gypsy Rose Lee.

Gypsy is an early predecessor to today’s reality shows exploiting children for their parent’s gain, such as Dance Moms, Toddlers & Tiaras, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and even Friday Night Tykes. Audiences are drawn to these parenting train wrecks because they feel at least someone is doing a worse job. From the raging internet comments of the mommy wars to the need to declare and defend a parenting style, society is left to wonder what end the means justify. Just as Rose is left at the end of the show to finally face the question of who it was all for, it’s obvious that any parent, despite their original intentions, can become obsessed with a goal or regimen and forget the child’s best interests. Despite her flaws, Rose was a career mother, making mothering into a career that is, but she was left with no retirement plan, a resume not her own and very resentful children. In a world of helicopter parents, tiger moms and overindulgence, it’s anyone’s guess if today’s children will grow up to be anywhere near as successful and independent as June and Louise and if the parents will finally empathize with Rose instead of judge her.

The show really is all about Rose — her tenacity, her drive, her vision, herself — and Anna Gangai as Rose embodies that force. David Blazer as Herbie manages to stand his ground and share the stage with her as an equal. Louise, played by Paige Berry, initially has a quiet presence about her, but eventually comes to command the stage, as expected, and tops her mother’s performance. As burlesque dancers, Nicole Erwin (Electra), Corina Zars (Mazeppa) and Sherry Gibbs Houston (Tessie Tura) missed the mark and were more bawdy parody than burlesque talents. The ensemble provided a great backdrop and Kyle Dvorak’s Tulsa was sweet and talented. Madison Calderon as Baby June really set the stage for Alison Hinojosa’s June, who, rightfully so, lacked the sparkle of her youthful counterpart.

The Playhouse’s production of Gypsy opens with a stunning drop featuring a marquee collage. As it rises, it reveals the flats and wheels of backstage, which felt like an odd choice of scenery, not quite complete or thoughtfully composed. The signs placed on easels on either side of the stage to mark the scene felt like an afterthought and did not match the grandiosity the show deserves. The set pieces, however, were detailed and complimentary, thanks to Scenic Designer Ryan DeRoos and Scenic Artist Stephen Montalvo. While the singers had trouble catching the rhythm at times, it was the musical direction of Jane Haas that kept the show moving. There also seemed to be some technical difficulties with the lights, including flickering spotlights, which bled onto the proscenium, and very noticeable dark spots where the actors were often in the shadows while saying their lines. Costumes (Laura Briseno and Rose Kennedy) and wigs (Fabian Diaz and Christina Casella) were suitable enhancements, but some not so flattering choices landed on the burlesque ensemble. All in all, Lizel Sandoval’s choreography was entertaining and Tim Hedgepeth directed an engrossing rendition of a theatre classic.

As is the case with most reality shows involving children, it’s the mothers who steal the show and Gypsy is no exception. Anna Gangai and Paige Berry as Rose and Gypsy are captivating in The Playhouse’s production of Gypsy. These two alone are worth the ticket, but it’s the story, so relatable, yet cautionary and inspiring, that has made this show a staple in musical theatre.


Gypsy runs at The Playhouse through March 8 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 3 p.m. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit theplayhousesa.org.

Private Lives: Resurgence of Wit

by Jenni Morin

If done well, Noel Coward’s Private Lives is so much more than a 1930s British comedy of stereotypical verbose stiffs. Classic Theatre’s production of Private Lives, showing now through May 25, is a wonderful tribute to Coward’s work, showcasing the depths of the script and what a good company can do with it.

Private Lives runs through May 25.

When Elyot Chase and Amanda Prynne are honeymooning with their new spouses, Sybil and Victor, they least expect to see their exes of five years. After three years of marriage, they couldn’t take the verbal and physical abuse from one another, but as they reunite, Elyot and Amanda can’t help but feel that familiar passion. They run away together, leaving their new spouses behind, only to find fighting to be as inevitable and alluring as their love for one another.

Anna Gangai is truly the star of this production. Not only does she own the character of Amanda Prynne, she brings out the best in her castmates. She is a force with precise comedic timing and contagious unceasing energy, carrying the play with vigor through the final scene. Wade Young truly becomes Elyot Chase when he’s joined onstage by Gangai, which makes sense given Elyot’s unconscious uneasiness with his new wife. Young and Gangai are paired perfectly as they’ve mastered the art of insults and unrelenting passion. Christina Casella takes on the wistful Sybil Chase with grace and soft fluid movements and delightful facial expressions and reactions not to be missed. Like Casella, Guy Schaafs embodies the expected masculine, reserved Victor Prynne. They make another couple a joy to watch bicker and slap each other silly. As Louise the maid, Linda Ford brings comedic relief to tense awkward scenes between the couples.

On the surface, Private Lives is simply a comedy of manners satirizing the lives of wealthy British aristocrats in the early 20th century. But it’s also a tragedy of sorts—where two people so desperately in love bring out the worst in one another, creating a world where they can neither live with or without the other. Part of what makes the script an enduring classic lies in the references to expectations of gender roles, marriage and morality. As the new spouses voice their preferences of what suites a woman or a man, they also dig up marital roles and a rigid morality unbefitting Amanda and Elyot.

Director Tim Hedgepeth does an amazing job bringing out the subtle sadness Coward buried in the script. Amanda and Elyot’s love/hate relationship makes for wild mood swings and few serious moments as the characters bounce from giddiness to hatred, which could be difficult to present if not fully invested in the brazen repartee. Relying entirely on the dialogue for humor can make the characters seem stiff, but Hedgepeth infused the production with movement. Playing with over dramatic gestures to accompany the outrageous quips allowed the characters to rise above any haughtiness that usually bogs down British comedies.

The Classic’s production value seems to be rising as Rick Malone continues to masterfully mix sound and Tim Francis sprinkles subdued colors and textures to set the scene with his lighting. Allan S. Ross designed a spectacle of a set with a grand transition at intermission and exquisite attention to detail and decoration. His ode to art deco with arches, metallics and bold colors brings home the 1930s setting. As usual, Diane Malone’s costumes add to the considerable detailing of the production.

In this day and age of soaring divorce rates, disconnectedness, questionable social etiquette and abbreviated phrases, Coward’s comedy is a celebration of language and a seemingly dying wit associated with intelligent insult. This production shows great respect for setting and detail, subtlety and keenly executed ludicrous banter. Classic Theatre reintroduces Coward’s Private Lives to San Antonio audiences with an impeccably talented cast and much appreciated tenacity.


Private Lives will run at Classic Theatre’s through May 25, 2014 with performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.theclassictheatre.org.