May 13, 2010: Center Stage: Hot Mikado and The Emancipation of Mandy and Miz Ellie

>> IT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE
END AS LOCAL THEATRE
COMPANIES WIND UP THEIR
OFFICIAL THEATRE SEASONS.
AND TONIGHT'S CENTER STAGE
JARED BOWEN LOOKS AT COMPANY
ONE'S THE EMANCIPATION OF
MANDY AND MIZ ELLIE.
AND HOT MIKADO.

>> IT'S GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
HE VOLUME OFED.
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>> HOT MIKADO AT NEW REPER
TORY THEATRE IS THE LATEST
ADAPTATION OF GILBERT AND
SULLIVAN'S 1885 MASTERPIECE
THE MIKADO.
THIS 1986 VERSION DELIVERS
THE OPERA A CONTEMPORARY
SWING AND JAZZ INFUSION.
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>> IN SHORT, HOT MIKADO
FINDS LOVERS DESPERATE TO BE
TOGETHER DESPITE A RULING BY
THE MIKADO THAT RENDERS
FLIRTING A CAPITAL OFFENSE.
BUT PUNISHMENT CARRIED OUT
BY A RELUCTANT EXECUTIONARY.

>> HIT MIKADO PLAYS AT NEW
REPER TORY THEATRE THROUGH
MAY 22nd MEANWHILE COMPANY
ONE REACHES BACK TO A MUCH
MORE SOBERING HISTORY WITH
THE EMANCIPATION OF MANDY
AND MIZ ELLIE.
DANCE IS USED POWERFULLY
HERE TO OPEN THE SHOW AND TO
TRANSITION IN THE STORY OF
TWO WOMEN SUBJECT TO
PATRIARCHEE OVER THE COURSE
OF THE CIVIL WAR.
THERE IS MANDY WHO WE FIRST
MEET AS A FIVE-YEAR-OLD
SLAVE OPINIONS I WIFE WAS
HAVING TOO MANY COLOURED
WOMEN AROUND AND EVERYBODY
KNEW --

>> AND THERE IS MIZ ELLIE A
YOUNG SOUTHERN WOMAN MARRIED
OFF TO A MUCH OLDER AND
WEALTHIER MAN.

>> AND ALTHOUGH MR. WILSON
STOOD A CLEAR FOOT TALLER,
WAS ABOUT 20 YEARS OR MORE
OLDER.
PAPA ASSURED HIM I WILL BE A
FINE WIFE, PROPER.

>> BOUND TO MEN THE TWO ARE
ESSENTIALLY BOUND TO EACH
OTHER AS WELL.
THE EMANCIPATION OF MANDY
AND MIZ ELLIE PLAYS AT THE
BOSTON CENTER OF THE ARTS
THROUGH MAY 22nd.

>> AND JARED BOWSEN HERE
ALONG WITH THEATRE CRITIC
TERRY BYRNE, WELCOME TO BOTH
OF YOU.
THE MIKADO, I CAN REMEMBER
BEING IN THE MIKADO IN 3rd
GRADE.
I THINK I PLAYED THE DRAGON
OR SOMETHING.
SO IS IT TRUE TO THE GILBERT
AND SULLIVAN?

>> IT'S SORT OF, IT
DEFINITELY DEPARTS AND THERE
ARE ELEMENTS OF THE STORY.
WHAT I SORT OF LIKE IS IT
GETS THE ABSURDITY OF
BUREAUCRACY BECAUSE THE
ACTUAL MIKADO IS WRITTEN NOT
ABOUT JAPAN BUT GILBERT AND
SULLIVAN'S LONDON AND YOU
HAVE ONE CHARACTER PLAYING
ALL THE BUREAUCRATIC ROLES
AT ONCE.
FRANKLY WHAT I REALLY LOVED
ABOUT THIS SHOW IS YOU JUST
WALK IN AND I LOVE THE SET.
YOU JUST KNOW WHAT ARE IN
FOR RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE IT IS
COLOURFUL AND BEAUTIFUL AND
THE ACTORS HAVE SUCH GREAT
COSTUMES IT.
IT'S JUST FUN AND
LOVELY-- LIVELY AND BRIGHT.

>> FOR A LONG TIME DOYLEY
CART DID THE GILBERT AND
SULLIVAN.

>> Rooney: WHO IS THAT NOW.

>> THE COMPANY THAT OWNED
THE RIGHTS TO GILBERT AND
SULLIVAN MUSS SOIK THEY WERE
DONE IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY.
SO IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE HOW
FLEXIBLE THE MUSIC REALLY
IS.

>> Rooney: HOW DO THEY GET
TO DO THIS.

>> IT IS IN PUBLIC DOMAIN.
THEY HAVE BEEN DEAD A LONG
TIME.

>> Rooney: BUT STILL YOU
WOULD THINK THAT SHALL
DID --.

>> YEAH T HAS BEEN, I GUESS
82 THEY WENT OUT-- DOYLEY
CART WENT OUT OF BUSINESS SO
IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE HOW
FLEXIBLE THIS MUSIC IS IT'S
SUCH A SIMPLE STORY.
IT COULD GIVE YOU A LOT OF
OPPORTUNITY FOR MUGGING AND
BEING COMPLETELY SILLY AND
BROAD COMEDY.
BUT THE MUSIC IS REALLY
COMPLICATED AND MAGNIFICENT.

>> IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A
HUGELY DIVERSE CAST THERE
TOO.

>> SHE DID THAT
INTENTIONALLY TO TAKE YOU
OUT OF THE STORY AND SHOW IT
COULD BE ANYTHING.
AND FRANKLY T WAS REALLY,
REALLY NICE TO SEE.
BECAUSE IF I HAVE ONE MAJOR
CRITICISM IN BOSTON THEATRE
IS JUST THAT, THAT WE ARE
CONSTANTLY, I FEEL LIKE WE
ARE CONSTANTLY SEEING WHITE
FACES ALL OVER THE STAGE SO
THIS WAS NICE THAT THE
DIRECTOR PUT THAT KIND OF
EFFORT INTO IT.
IT IS FRESH.

>> IT IS ALSO THE DEFINITELY
OF AT THAT TIME IND WAS
STUPENDOUS, REALLY GREAT TO
SEE.

>> Rooney: ALTHOUGH
OBVIOUSLY IN THE
EMANCIPATION OF MANDY AND
MIZ ELLIE YOU HAD DIVERSITY.
WHO WAS THAT YOUNG BLACK
ACTOR.

>> SHE WAS FANTASTIC.
I WOULD SAY SHE WAS THE BEST
PART OF THE PLAY.
SHE STARTS AT A
FIVE-YEAR-OLD AND THEN MOVES
IN.

>> Rooney: DO YOU SEE HER AS
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD.

>> YEAH.

>> Rooney: YOU HEAR HER
VOICE.

>> SHE HAS GOT THIS AMAZING
WONDERMENT.
WHAT SHE DOES WITH HER FACE.
YOU REALLY FEEL IT IS LIKE A
MASTER CLASS IN ACTING
BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE ARE
YOU LOOKING AT A
FIVE-YEAR-OLD JUST THE WAY
SHE LOOKS AROUND AND THE WAY
SHE HOLDS HERSELF.

>> I FELT LIKE EVEN FROM
THAT 30 SECOND CLIP I KNEW
EXACTLY WHERE THIS WAS
GOING.
AM I WRONG.

>> I THINK THAT SAY LITTLE
BIT OF THE WEAKNESS OF THE
PLAY.
THE CHARACTERS ARE REALLY,
REALLY STRONG.
AND THE DANCE AND THE
PERCUSSION ELEMENTS IN THIS
REALLY BRING NEW IN A WAY I
DIDN'T EXPECT.

>> THAT IS WHAT I REALLY
LIKED TOO.
THE DANCE WAS DONE BY A
WOMAN FROM ORIGINATION WHICH
THEY DO THIS WITH INSTITUTES
AND WHAT NOT IT IS
INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.
BUT I FELT WITH THIS SORT OF
STORY, WE'VE SEEN SO MANY
SLAFERERY STORY YOU HAVE TO
COME UP WITH SOMETHING
REALLY ORIGINAL BECAUSE
HISTORY ITSELF IS SO
COMPELLING AND I DIDN'T FEEL
IT HERE.

>> THERE WAS A LOT OF
CHANGES IN THE TONE.
SO THEY WOULD BE TALKING
ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS, AND
THEN THEY WOULD GO INTO
DIALOGUE SO IT WAS A LITTLE
DISCONCERTING TO WATCH.

>> AND THAT ONE IS PLAYING.

>> THAT IS PLAYING THROUGH
MAY 22.
WE JUST WANT TO MAKE QUICK
MENTION THE ELLIOTT NORTON
AWARDS ARE COMING UP ON
MONDAY.
I'M THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE
COMMITTEE.

>> Rooney: DO YOU KNOW WHO
WON.

>> WE DO.

>> Rooney: YOU CAN GIVE US A
SNEAK PREVIEW.

>> NO, WE TELL UCAR
ENMcDONALD HAS BEEN NAMED
THE WINNER OF THE ELLIOTT
NORTON PRICE FOR SUSTAINED
EXCELLENCE FOR HER CAREER
OVER 20 YEARS.

>> AND TONY SCHLUBE AND HIS
WIFE ARE GUESTS OF HONOR.
TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE.

>> Rooney: JARED BOWEN,
TERRY BYRNE, THANKS, THAT IS
IT FOR GREATER BOSTON.
A REMIND TORE CHECK OUT THE
NEW 89.7 FOR MY RADIO SHOW
AT NOON FOLLOWED BY CALLIE
CROSSLEY AT 1:00.
TOMORROW IT IS BEAT THE
PRESS, THE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
ON ONE ANGLE OF SUPREME
COURT NOMINEE ELENA KAGAN
AND HOW THE PRESS IS
REPORTING THE GULF OIL SPILL
TONIGHT AT 78 O CLOCK.
NOW STAY TUNED TO A LIVE
EDITION OF BASIC BLACK.
I'M EMILY ROONEY, GOOD
NIGHT.