Dec. 10, 2009 : Center Stage: Reckless, A Civil War Christmas, and Best of Both Worlds

>> Rooney: WHEN WE CONTINUE,
CENTER STAGE WITH JARED
BOWEN.
>> Rooney: THE HOLIDAYS ARE
UPON US.
AND IN FRONT OF US AT MANY
LOCATION THEATRES.
IN TONIGHT'S CENTER STAGE
JARED BOWEN PROFILES THREE
OF THE BIGGER PRODUCTIONS
OUT THERE, THE NEW MUSICAL
"BEST OF BOTH WORLDS" A
CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS AND THE
DARK COMEDY RECKLESS.
>> THE SPEAK EASY STAGE
COMPANY FINDS A DARKER MORE
DEALTED SIDE TO CHRISTMAS IN
RECKLESS BY PLAYWRIGHT CRAIG
LUCAS.
FOR RACHEL AN IDEALISTIC
WOMAN PRONE TO EUPHORIA
ATTACKS, IS FORCED TO FLEE
HER HOME AFTER HER HUSBAND
ORDERS A CHRISTMAS EVE HIT
ON HER.
THE RESULT IS A RESULTS OF
ZANY ADVENTURES.
>> YOU CAN'T SURVIVE ON
CHAMPAGNE ALONE IS AN OLD
SAYING.
>> NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES
NO.
>> I NEED YOU NOW.
>> NEH.
>> PLEASE.
>> NO.
>> YOU CAN'T LIVE ON WINE.
>> NIEN.
>> ACKER MAUREEN KEELER
TAKES OVER PAULA PLUMB'S
ROLE FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THIS RUN.
SEE RECKLESS AT THE
CALDERWOOD PAVILION ONLY
THROUGH SEPTEMBER DECEMBER
12th.
OVER AT THE HUNTINGTON THE
HOLIDAY RECEIVES A MORE
TRADITIONAL TRIMMING WITH
PAULA VOGEL'S A CIVIL WAR
CHRISTMAS AND AMERICAN
MUSICAL CELEBRATION ß AND
MANY A MERRY CHRISTMAS ß
ß AMONG YOUR FRIENDS AND
KINDRED ß
ß MAY GOODE LEND YOU A HAPPY
NEW YEAR ß
ß.
>> SET ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1864,
A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS WEAVES
TOGETHER STORIES ABOUT
SLAVES, SOLDIERS AND THE
LINCOLN WHITE HOUSE, FOR A
SPALLING PLAY ACCENTED WITH
LOTS OF HOLIDAY MUSIC.
A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS PLAYS
AT THE HUNTINGTON'S BU
THEATRE, ONLY THROUGH SUNDAY
DECEMBER 13th.
AND AT THE AMERICAN REPER
TORY THEATRE, MUSIC IS THE
CENTER PIECE.
>> BEST OF BOTH WORLDS IS
THE LAST IN THE ART'S
SHAKESPEARE EXPLODED
FESTIVAL.
IT'S THE WINTER'S TALE AS
SEEN THROUGH AN R&B AND
GOSPEL PRISM, TO BE CONCISE
IT'S VERY MUCH ABOUT
DESTRUCTION BY POWER AND
REDUMP -- REDEMPTION BY LOVE
ALL MADE FORCEFUL HERE BY
SPECTACULAR TALENT.
ß NOW HOLD ON ß
ß.
>> GIFT YOURSELF, SEE BEST
OF BOTH WORLDS AT THE ART'S
LOEB STAGE THROUGH JULY 3rd.
>> Rooney: JARED BOWEN IS
HERE ALONG WITH THEATRE
CRITIC TERRY BYRNE, WELCOME
TO BOTH YOU.
SO CHRISTMAS IS KIND OF THE
BACKDROP BUT NOT REALLY,
ESPECIALLY ON THAT FIRST ONE,
RECKLESS.
MEANWHILE, IS THAT WOMAN IN
THE NIGHTGOWN THE ENTIRE
PLAY.
>> SHE IS SHE IS ACTUALLY
ONE OF BOSTON'S MORE
TALENTED ACTRESSS.
SHE IS VERY GOOD IN THIS
ROLE.
THEY BROUGHT A TERRIFIC CAST
TOGETHER IT IS VERY STRANGE,
HONESTLY I DON'T LOVE THE
PLAY ITSELF BUT IT IS A
GREAT CAST.
AND IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT
SORT OF WAY TO EXPERIENCE A
CHRISTMAS THEATRE SCENE.
>> I WAS HOPING YOU WERE
GOING TO GIVE THE SYNOPSIS
OF THE PLAY.
>> PLEASE DO.
>> WHAT IS THE MORAL OF THE
STORY.
THE HUSBAND WANTS TO TAKE A
HIT SO SHE RUNS INTO THESE
ZANY.
>> THE WORLD IS NOT WHAT IT
SEEMSMENT AND WHAT I LOVE
ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION IS
THAT THE FIRST THING YOU SEE
IS ALL THESE CHRISTMAS TREES
UPSTAGE AND SOME OF THEM ARE
UPSIDE DOWN AND SOME OF THEM
ARE NOT.
SO YOU KNOW RIGHT AWAY THIS
IS TO THE THE REAL WORLD.
THINGS ARE CRAZY HERE.
SO YOU GO WITH THE STORY,
WHATEVER THE STORY IS, MORE
THAN YOU WOULD OTHERWISE.
>> NOT TO GIVE AWAY THE END.
>> Rooney: I WAS ABOUT TO
DID YOU WHAT HAPPENS.
>> IN THE END, YOU REALIZE
WHAT ONE RECKLESS PIECE OF
BEHAVIOR CAN DO IN ONE LIFE
AND HOW IT SORT OF RICOCHETS
THROUGHOUT.
SO IT DOES COME TOGETHER IN
THE END.
I HAVE TO SAY IT IS VERY
WELL DIRECTED IT IS VERY
CLEVER.
>> IT REALLY BRILLIANTLY
DIRECTED.
THE PRODUCTION IS GORGEOUS
RSES IT IS NOT A MUSICAL.
>> NO.
>> Rooney: ALL RIGHT, OKAY.
THE SECOND ONE CIVIL WAR
CHRISTMAS THAT LOOKS
INTERESTING.
>> I WAS KIND OF
DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS.
IT STARTED OUT LIKE A
PAGEANT AND I THOUGHT OH
THIS IS GREAT T IS A HOLIDAY
PAGEANT.
AND THEN JUST STARTED TO
COME APART AT THE SEEMS.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF
SCATTERED, INTERESTING
STORIES THAT JUST NEVER CAME
TOGETHER FOR ME.
>> Rooney: WHAT IS THE
STORY.
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND THEY
GO OUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.
>> THAT THEIR STORY,Y TODD
LINCOLN IS TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT TO GIVE ABRAHAM
LINCOLN.
>> Rooney: SOMETHINGE VERY
LONG.
>> EXACTLY.
BUT THERE IS ALSO A STORY OF
A WOMAN WHO SENDS HER
DAUGHTER INTO WASHINGTON TO
GO SEE THE PRESIDENT SO SHE
IS TRYING TO RECONNECT WITH
HER DAUGHTER.
THEN THERE IS FORESTORY
ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH
THE TROOPS AND I THINK I
HAVE FORGOTTEN A STORY.
>> SOME WOUNDED SOLDIERS IN
A HOSPITAL.
>> IT VERY SPRALING, VERY
DENSE, BUT AGAIN IT A
DIFFERENT WAY TO EXPERIENCE
THE HOLIDAYS AND THEY ARE
DOING A NICE THING AT THE
HUNTINGTON BY BRINGING
CAROLERS BEFORE EACH
PERFORMANCE.
>> THAT NICE.
>> Rooney: IS THE WHOLE
SLAVERY ISSUE, IS IT A
BACKDROP TO IT OR JUST
TOUCHED ON.
>> TO SOME DEGREE.
THE WOMAN WHO SENT HER YOUNG
DAUGHTER OFF ALONE THINKS
THAT SLAVERY IS STILL
HAPPENING.
AND SHE IS AFRAID OF SLAVE
CATCHERS.
IT'S JUST A COMPLICATION
THAT CONFUSES THE WHOLE
THING.
>> Rooney: I'M CURIOUS ABOUT
THE LAST ONE, THE BEST OF
BOTH WORLDS BECAUSE IS THE
THIRD OF THE DIANNE ARBUS
PIECES, THE ODD ADAPTATIONS
OF SHAKESPEARE WHICH IS
QUITE REMOTE.
I SAW THE DONKEY SHOW WITH
YOU, AS YOU KNOW.
I DIDN'T REALLY CATCH THE --
THE SHAKESPEAREIAN THEME TOO
MUCH THERE I LOVED IT BUT
THIS ONE --
>> IN THIS GROURJ THIS IS
THE ONE MOST CLOSELY FOLLOWS
A WINTER'S TALE.
AND EVEN INTRODUCING A LOT
OF LANGUAGE.
THAT WOULD BE NOWHERE NEAR
SHAKESPEARE BUT IT REALLY
FOLLOWS THE STORY PRETTY
CLOSELY AND REMARKABLY WELL
GIVEN THE SETING WHERE THE
KING IS A MUSIC SOUL KING IN
THE INDUSTRY.
>> Rooney: DID YOU LIKE THAT
ONE?
>> I DID.
AND I WAS NOT A BIG FAN OF
THE OTHER TWO OF HER PIECES.
BUT WHEN I SAW THIS ONE I
THOUGHT OKAY, NOW I GET IT
IT'S KIND OF COMING TOGETHER
AND I MUST SAY THE TALENT ON
THIS STAGE JUST BLEW ME
AWAY.
THESE ARE NEW YORK, BROADWAY
PERFORMERS.
AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT
THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE IT
THERE.
>> Rooney: ALL THESE THROUGH
THIS WEEK THAT IS IF FOR
"GREATER BOSTON."
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MUSICAL CHAIRS AT ABC PLUS A
MAINE REPORTER FIRED FOR
TALKING BACK TO A READER.
THAT AND MORE TOMORROW AN 9
O COLLAB.
I'M EMILY ROONEY.
GOOD NIGHT.