The musical is based on the aftermath of 9/11 in Newfoundland. (Photo: Halo)
When I decided to attend Playhouse on the Square’s opening night performance of Come From Away, I had to look up the show —I had never heard of it. Upon a search, I was skeptical — I had never heard of the event it was retelling. The whole thing seemed like a bizarre concept for a musical. I had no idea what to expect. Within the first 15 minutes, I got it. This might be a bizarre concept, but it’s also a perfect one.
I was 10 years old on September 11th, 2001, and had only the vaguest notion of what all the adults were freaking out about. My father had worked at Memphis International Airport my entire life at that point, so you would think it might have occurred to me to wonder about what all the other airborne planes in the world had done that day, but I can honestly say it never crossed my mind until I watched this musical. (Like I said, I was only 10.) I’m guessing most people are a bit more informed than I was and will therefore be at least somewhat familiar with the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, and how more than 7,000 displaced air travel passengers were forced to land there in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. This musical follows a wide array of characters from the local townsfolk to one of the plane’s captains and tells the story of those few days from multiple cultural perspectives.
Watching this play is like watching the inside of a working clock. There are dozens of intricate moving parts in almost continuous interwoven movement. Most actors played multiple parts throughout the performance, and the musicians even joined the ensemble at certain points. The staging and choreography are masterful, with many cast members seamlessly changing from character to character with the simple addition of a hat or removal of a jacket. It feels like at least half the cast was always onstage, something that could have been chaotic but was instead like a well-oiled machine working at prime efficiency.
As soon as the show begins, we understand that these are everyday people. They’re dressed casually and simply; this is just another day for them until suddenly everything changes. The playwrights of Come From Away, Irene Sankoff and David Hein, traveled to Gander and interviewed local residents as part of their research for developing the script, and the authenticity certainly comes through. Many musicals are otherworldly, but this one lives solidly in our own, and thankfully, is so much richer for it. These characters feel like real-life people, which makes it all the more special when they rise to what seem like superhuman feats of kindness.
One of my favorite things about Come From Away is that it doesn’t shy away from darker themes by any means. Perhaps because it was written by Canadians, it lacks the almost ethnocentric lore that some Americans attach to the events of 9/11. This story shows us the raw reaction to the tragedy as well as the Islamophobia that followed. It shows us the fortitude and resilience of hope as well as the knee-jerk bitterness of fear. The characters of Gander are not portrayed as some sort of unrealistic angelic hosts, which lends their work and kindness and strength so much more gravitas. They are scared and irritated and exhausted, but they show up for their fellow humans anyway.
While I ended up loving the concept of turning this particular historical event into a musical, really the core message of the show could have been delivered in any number of other circumstances where, through community and kindness, everyday people became true heroes. The message can be summed up in one of the play’s lines, when one of the stranded passengers attempts to give payment to the local who took him in and is simply but resolutely refused with, “You’d a done the same.” This show manages to gently ask its audience “would you do the same?” while simultaneously reminding us that anyone can help a stranger in need.
Come From Away runs at Playhouse on the Square through September 14th.
The people in this play are messy and are all the more realistic for their complications. (Photos: @itsjusthalo)
The regional premiere of A Bronx Tale at Playhouse on the Square delivers on one of the show’s key messages: There’s nothing worse than wasted talent. No talent was wasted here, as the seamless performance left nothing to be desired. This musical feels like a mash-up of Goodfellas and West Side Story, although I’d make a case that it also proves one of my own favorite maxims: patriarchal society really screws up everyone involved. Look up the lyrics to “Hurt Someone” and you might see my point.
A Bronx Tale experienced quite a journey before being brought to the stage in the musical format. First performed as an autobiographical one-man show by playwright Chazz Palminteri in 1989, the story then appeared on the silver screen in 1993 as the directorial debut of Robert De Niro. It finally came to Broadway as a musical in 2016. I note its many successful formats because its adaptability supports my opinion that the truly special thing about this show wasn’t the music or choreography — enjoyable though they both were — but rather the thematic elements and emotional depth of the story.
The musical follows the early life of Calogero Anello, who witnesses a shooting at a young age and, when he makes the decision not to rat on the shooter, gets taken under the wing of Sunny LoSpecchio, a mob boss. It doesn’t take long before Calogero is completely embroiled in the dealings of the underbelly of his neighborhood, an involvement that his father, a local bus driver, is vehemently against. Thus we have some major elements of the play laid out immediately. The weight of decisions, the mistakes our choices can lead us to, the push and pull of conscience, and the influence our heroes can have on who we become.
The characters in A Bronx Tale are wonderfully three-dimensional, with almost every person making at least one horrible decision, a theme that comes up again and again in the show, right along with the choice to forgive and the choice to try to do better.
Choice seems to be a major part of what drives the musical, and the actors all brought an honesty to their characters that made their emotional turmoil feel all the more urgent and compelling. Aden Pettet was captivating in his Playhouse debut as Calogero, managing as if by magic to evoke charm without appearing arrogant and earnestness without appearing saccharine. The audience roots for Calogero, when we could just as easily wish for his comeuppance.
Kent Fleshman as the manipulative but charismatic Sunny was so believable I can’t begin to conceive of what the actor’s personality could be off the stage, as he so utterly became Sunny on it. Stephen Garrett’s quieter presentation of Lorenzo, Colgero’s father, was a perfect foil for Sunny, representing a much sweeter father/son relationship than one would expect for a show set in the 1960s. It makes the moment when Lorenzo shows his prejudice all the more devastating.
What makes this show so engrossing is the continual set up for the audience to hope that the characters will grow. The way the framework of optimism is constructed throughout this musical is genius, and honestly, in June of 2025, it’s a message we all need to see and hear as much as possible.
In this play, as in life, no one is perfect. The people in this play are messy and are all the more realistic for their complications. These characters are confronted with classism, sexism, and racism, among other complex social issues, and while I sincerely wish those themes weren’t acutely relevant 60 years after this story takes place, the fact is that they are more pertinent now than ever.
Art is a mirror, and this play reflects so many of the biases and struggles we grapple with today. Hopefully, what will ring true is the message that there are those who are willing to spearhead the changes they want to see in the world. This musical is entertainment, of course, but it is also a reminder to be true to your heart and make room there for all people, no matter their background.
A Bronx Tale runs at Playhouse on the Square through July 13th.
Surely, you’ve heard of Joseph Stalin, the controversial leader of the Soviet Union, but have you ever heard of Alexei Dikiy or Felix Dadaev? These are the two characters, based on real people, in Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin, a play following the lives of the two actors who are preparing for the riskiest roles of their careers: Stalin’s body doubles.
“Dianne Nora, who’s the playwright, has taken very interesting historical facts, which is the fact of Joseph Stalin’s body doubles during World War II, and created this entire world of what could have been — the training that one of those body doubles ended up experiencing,” says Savannah Miller, director of Playhouse on the Square’s NewWorks@TheWorks Playwriting Competition that Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin won. The NewWorks competition allows six plays to be entered and examined by judges, but only two can be selected as the winners. (The other winner of this season was Coco Queens, which was performed last summer.)
Of Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin, Miller says, “It speaks to our current moment, with a new and old president coming into office. It speaks to critically evaluating our world leaders and what they are asking you to do. In this case, in Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin, they’re asking you to put your life on the line and you need to know exactly what you’re standing up for.”
The play, directed by Tony Isbell, encourages audiences to be more aware of what occurred in the past and how it affected people — not to mention how the past can easily become the present. “I hope that it makes them question a little bit more the world around them. And I hope ultimately that it just starts a dialogue. I think it’s a very, very timely piece,” says Miller.
The production is 90 minutes with no intermission, and it will run from this week until the week of the 26th. For more information about this newest production and Playhouse’s upcoming season as well as where to purchase tickets, visit playhouseonthesquare.org/season-2024—2025.
Robert Petkoff as Harold Zidler and the cast of the North American tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Photo: Matthew Murphy | MurphyMade)
As the temperatures are cooling down, the Memphis arts scene is heating up — with exhibitions, performances, and unique experiences. See for yourself in our Fall Arts Guide.
“Dear Grandmother” Heather Howle explores themes of nostalgia and familial connection. ANF Architects, through Oct. 17
“Troubling the Line: New Dimensions in Drawing” The works of Melissa Dunn, Terri Jones, Paula Kovarik, Mary Reid Kelley, and Patrick Kelley complicate the idea of drawing. Clough-Hanson Gallery, through Nov. 9
“All Rise: Memphis Bar Association at 150” Through arresting objects and powerful images, the exhibition showcases the Memphis Bar Association’s historical significance and continuing relevance. Museum of Science & History, through Nov. 10
“Bracelets, Bangles, & Cuffs” This collection of contemporary bracelets reveals the wide-ranging creativity of artists working in the jewelry form between 1948 and today. Metal Museum, through Nov. 17
“The 6 Points Artists” This exhibition features Sharon Havelka, Mary Jo Karimnia, Paula Kovarik, Carrol McTyre, Jennifer Sargent, and Mary K VanGieson. Bornblum Library, Southwest Tennessee Community College, through Nov. 27
“Andrea Morales: Roll Down Like Water” Andrea Morales’ first solo museum show features 65 photographs spanning her decade of photojournalism in Memphis and the Mid-South. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, through January
“A Hidden Culture” Master Metalsmith Preston Jackson who gives voice to those overlooked in the history books. Metal Museum, through Jan. 26
“ANA•LOG” Lester Merriweather examines the concept of agency over Black visualization within American popular culture. Crosstown Arts, fall
Alex Paulus, “Size Matters” (Photo: Crosstown Arts)
“Size Matters” Alex Paulus’ current series focuses on the juxtaposition of small figures within expansive landscapes. Crosstown Arts, fall
“Still” Michelle Fair’s latest works delve into the process of painting. Crosstown Arts, fall
“Chromatic” This exhibit merges explores the two worlds of sounds and color in a synergistic full-bodied experience. Arrow Creative, October 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
“Two Rivers” Huger Foote captures the moments when day slowly turns to night from Memphis and the Mississippi Delta to the Hudson River Valley. David Lusk Gallery, Oct. 8-Nov. 16
“I Saw the Light in Your Eyes” Ceramic sculptors Renata Cassiano Alvarez and Anthony Sonnenberg work through complex ideas of identity through abstraction. Sheet Cake Gallery, Oct. 12-Nov. 23
“Our Love Is a Shady Garden” Yanira Vissepó studies the ecosystems between her birthplace in Puerto Rico and adopted home in Tennessee. Sheet Cake Gallery, Oct. 12-Nov. 23
MadameFraankie Works by MadameFraankie. Beverly + Sam Ross Gallery, October 21-December 8
“2024 Accessions to the Permanent Collection” This exhibition celebrations the more than 170 pieces added to the Metal Museum’s permanent collection. Metal Museum, November 27-November 2, 2025
ON STAGE
Concerts in the Grove GPAC presents some of the best musicians in the area in a park-like setting. The Grove at Germantown Performing Arts Center, select Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.
Sounds of Memphis Each week, a new Memphis powerhouse presents a unique concert — from the Handorf Company Arts of Opera Memphis to YOBREEZYE. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Thursdays, 6 p.m.
De Aquí y de Allá Accompany the courageous Don Quixote of La Mancha and his trusty sidekick, Sancho Panza, on an adventure full of fun, music, dance, culture and more. Orpheum Theatre, October 4-5
Paradise Blue This dynamic and musically infused drama shines light on the challenges of building a better future on the foundation of what our predecessors have left us. Hattiloo Theatre, through October 6
Girl from the North Country The Tony Award-winning musical reimagines Bob Dylan’s songs into a story about a group of wayward travelers. Orpheum Theatre, Oct.8-13
The Mousetrap Theatre Memphis presents this murder mystery. Theatre Memphis, Oct. 11-27
Lizzie: The Lizzie Borden Musical New Moon Theatre’s Lizzie is American mythology set to a blistering rock score. TheatreWorks@The Square, October 18-November 3
The Smell of the Kill This tantalizing dark comedy has malicious housewives and miserable husbands. Germantown Community Theatre, Oct. 18-Nov. 3
Amadeus: The Music and the Myth Opera Memphis explores Mozart through the lens of music from the award-winning movie Amadeus. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Rumpelstiltskin A young girl is locked away until she spins straw into gold. Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center, Oct. 26, 2 p.m.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life. Orpheum Theatre, Oct. 29-Nov.3
The Three Bs: Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents. Crosstown Theater, Nov. 1, 6:30 p.m. | Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, Nov. 3, 2:30 p.m.
Iris Collective Orchestra: Transformations Memphis-native Randall Goosby and conductor and Iris founder Michael Stern will be joined by the Germantown Youth Symphony. Germantown Performing Arts Center, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.
Taikoproject Taikoproject traces the history and lore of the ancient Japanese drums. Buckman Performing Arts Center, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.
The Orchestra Unplugged: Leonard Bernstein Music director Robert Moody of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra guides audiences through the life and legacy of the American Maestro. Halloran Centre, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder This family-friendly show takes audiences on a humorous journey of growing up with Junie B. Jones. The Circuit Playhouse, Nov. 8-Dec. 22
Parallel Lives Two actresses play men and women struggling through the common rituals of modernity. Theatre Memphis, Nov. 8-23
The Wizard of Oz Dorothy isn’t in Kansas anymore. Playhouse on the Square, Nov. 15-Dec. 22
The Rake’s Progress Opera Memphis presents Igor Stravinsky’s neoclassical opera. Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m. | Nov. 24, 3 p.m.
NutRemix New Ballet Ensemble sets The Nutcracker on Memphis’ iconic Beale Street. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Nov. 23-24
Peter Pan This high-flying musical comes to Memphis. Orpheum Theatre, Nov. 26-Dec. 1
Who’s Holiday Cindy Lou Who returns in this riotously funny and heartwarming adults-only comedy. Circuit Playhouse, Nov. 22-Dec. 22
A Motown Christmas Celebrate the holiday season with this musical of all your favorite Motown tunes. Hattiloo Theatre, Nov. 22-Dec. 22
Twelfth Night Shakespeare’s most charming comedy finds itself on the Tabor Stage. Tennessee Shakespeare Company, Dec. 6-22
A Christmas Carol ’24 Theatre Memphis presents this holiday classic. Theatre Memphis, December 6-23
Bright Star Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s bluegrass musical tells a story of love and redemption in 1920s and ’40s North Carolina. Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center, Dec. 6-8
Tía Pancha Tía Pancha is Cazateatro’s bilingual adaptation of the classic A Christmas Carol but with a Latin and female twist. TheatreWorks@The Evergreen, Dec. 6-14
A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage The whole family can enjoy this adaptation of Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story. Orpheum Theatre, Dec. 7, 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
The Nutcracker Ballet Memphis’ production of this holiday classic returns. Orpheum Theatre, Dec. 13-15
AROUND TOWN
Art Club The Brooks’ Art Club with Mallory Sharp gives participants an in-depth look at a different work of art each month. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, monthly
Appetite for the Arts Enjoy a picnic and/or food truck fare while feasting your eyes on music and dance films. The Grove at Germantown Performing Arts Center, Wednesdays in October, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Super Saturdays Enjoy free drop-in art making workshops for families and free admission to the Brooks. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon
Free Family Day On the second Saturday of the month, the Stax has live music, outdoors, food trucks, games and activities, arts and crafts for children, and free admission to the entire museum. Stax Museum of American Soul Music, second Saturdays of the month, 1-5 p.m.
Artoberfest Off the Walls Arts showcases Memphis artists and musicians for a day of music, vendors, a costume contest, activities, and fun. Off the Walls Arts, Oct. 5, 2-10 p.m.
V&E Greenline Artwalk 2024 Meet and shop from local artists, and enjoy music, entertainment, children’s activities, and artist demonstrations. V&E Greenline, Oct. 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Paint Memphis A hundred or so artists will be painting murals all day long and it’s a spectacle to behold. Willet and Lamar, October 12, noon-7 p.m.
Come as Thou Art Guests will don their most imaginative attire, either inspired by the night’s theme — the world of Tim Burton — or the spirit of a designer. The evening will be capped off with a fashion show by Sonin Lee. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Oct. 18, 8 p.m.
Art on Fire Enjoy tastings from local restaurants, live music, thrilling fire dancers, and a vibrant art sale — all set around a roaring bonfire. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Oct. 19, 7-11 p.m.
Dracula Party Celebrate Ballet Memphis’ reprise of Dracula and help raise critical funds to support its mission with a Halloween party where you can party like a vampire. Mollie Fontaine Lounge, October 19, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Repair Days Bring your metal items to have them restored their former glory at the Metal Museum’s largest fundraiser, which also includes the Dinner + Auction and Family Fun Day, where visitors can participate in hands-on activities, explore the galleries, and watch metalsmith demonstrations. Metal Museum, Oct. 17-20
RiverArtsFest The region’s largest and longest running fine arts festival showcasing works from 200+ participating local and national artists returns with an artist market, artists-at-work demonstration station, hands-on artist station, performances, and plenty of food and beverages. Riverside Drive, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
28th Annual Quilt & Fiber Arts Show and Sale View around 100 antique, vintage, and modern quilts, plus meet with vendors and demonstrators and see a new special exhibit. Davies Manor Historic Site, November 1-3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Orpheum Soiree Enjoy an evening including glittering entertainment, live auction, specialty cocktails, exciting eats, and fun surprises. Orpheum Theatre, November 15, 7 p.m.
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ARTSassist
In August, ARTSmemphis announced the inaugural distribution of ARTSassist grants to 22 individual artists, providing these artists in dance and visual arts an unrestricted $5,000. This makes it the only unrestricted grant program supporting individual artists in Shelby County.
The program comes as an expansion of a pre-pandemic grant program for visual artists, known as ArtsAccelerator. As ARTSmemphis CEO and president Elizabeth Rouse says, “About 10 years ago, thanks to some local artists in the community who asked questions of us, we began a grant program to support visual artists. … We started with visual artists because at the time, they had fewer other networks of support and fewer other opportunities to be hired.
(top) Dorian Rhea; (below) Therrious Davis (Photos: Courtesy ARTSmemphis)
“But that really, thankfully, put us in a position to launch an artist emergency fund for individual artists in 2020 as artists of all different types immediately lost work during the pandemic. And we supported about 800 artists during the pandemic with emergency funding totaling almost a million, right around $900,000. From 2020 through 2023, we focused on emergency and recovery funding, so coming out of 2023 we wanted to reintroduce an unrestricted grant for artists and expand it rather extensively.”
That meant bringing on an artist advisory committee made up of Memphis artists to make sure artists’ needs were met, and out-of-town jurors to select the grantees without local bias. That also meant, in addition to supporting the 22 selected grantees, partnering with Indie Memphis to support a filmmaker through Indie Memphis’ Black Creators Forum and partnering with Music Export Memphis (MEM) to support three musicians through its Ambassador Access program. “It was a way for us to be efficient and not create something new, but to support and complement,” Rouse says. “We hope, long-term, to be supporting even more types of artists. But it makes sense, just based on the makeup of artists in our community, that we start out with visual, dance, music, and film.”
This first cohort will use their grants for a variety of reasons, Rouse says. Therrious Davis, an illustrator, comic book artist, and occasional muralist, has used his grant money to buy a new computer and tablet. “I had this laptop for close to 10 years now,” Davis says. “It was starting to show signs of its age.”
Davis has been developing a comic project called Exodus of Love, premised on the question, ‘What if Cupid didn’t know what love was?’ But not having reliable or capable equipment has been holding him back from making headway. “The goal will be to make more videos following the development of the comic book project and to give people a chance to follow it from the ground up.” (You can follow Davis’ progress on Instagram @therrothekid.)
Meanwhile, choreographer Dorian Rhea plans to use his grant to fund future movement-based programming at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. “It’s going to be jazz. It’s going to be social dance, known as hip-hop styles, accompanied by excerpts and texts to contextualize the history,” Rhea says. The classes will be for young kids and their parents, an experience that Rhea, as a new dad himself, hopes will “sow the seeds for much more later down the road.”
Rhea will also use his grant to attain a technique certification in Giordano dance, a style of jazz that originated in Chicago. “I’m hoping that with bringing that style to Memphis, we elevate the cultural exchange that I think is already taking place [between Chicago and Memphis],” he says. “Knowledge is power. Art is all about telling a story and communicating the narrative, sharing an experience, and so as someone who believes in art activism — using arts as a vehicle for creating change and sparking the catalyst for evolution, growth, progress — the more grounded my work is in the history of those who’ve come before, the richer I can articulate lessons.”
No matter their personal goal, Rouse says, “We know how important it is to have a strong community of artists and to be a city that is a city of choice for artists. They’re just so critical to our culture and our economy, so … we intend for this to be an annual grant.”
On Monday, in alignment with this goal, ARTSmemphis, in partnership with Music Export Memphis, also announced a new, first-ever Artist Emergency Fund for local artists, which will support artists in times of unexpected and catastrophic emergency. For more information on both of these grants, visit artsmemphis.org.
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Andrea Morales: “Roll Down Like Water”
Andrea Morales has been making photographs since she was a child, and yes, “making photographs” is the right phrase here. Not taking photographs, capturing, or shooting. For Morales, these words are too aggressive to describe a process that is about building trust and intimacy between the photographer and the photographed individuals, or, as Morales calls them, her collaborators.
She’s been working in Memphis as a photojournalist for a decade now, making photographs of the community. You probably recognize her name from her work as the visuals director at MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, but she’s also been featured in The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, and TIME Magazine, among many others. Now, to add to her impressive resume, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art has opened an exhibit of 65 of her photographs of Memphis and the surrounding region, titled “Roll Down Like Water.”
Andrea Morales, Southern Heritage, 2017 (Photo: Courtesy Andrea Morales)
Taking its name from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech in Memphis, in which he said, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream,” the exhibit, says its curator Rosamund Garrett, is “a portrait of America through Memphis.”
“There are some tremendously famous photographers from this area,” Garrett says, “but I really feel that Andrea looks at things through a very fresh lens, and she looks at this region very directly, very earnestly, in a way that still allows the magic of this place to come through.”
But in this exhibit, not appearing in a publication with someone else’s byline, a headline she didn’t choose, or quotes she didn’t pull, the photos can stand alone. “It does feel like something’s being restored, I guess,” Morales says. “I’m struggling with identifying exactly what, but it feels like something’s restored. It’s like back to that feeling of the moment [of making the photo] because you have that moment and then you kind of have to tuck it away because this photo has to exist in this one context [of an article]. But this is all existing in the context of me and Memphis right now.”
Binghampton is putting on a play. The actors are young and old, some seasoned and many freshly-minted to the spotlight. Kids at Carpenter Art Garden are building scenic elements, and community members are tuning their instruments for a show their stories helped create.
It all started over a year ago when the Orpheum Theatre Group launched its Neighborhood Play Program. After working with the Refugee Empowerment Program in Binghampton, making original plays out of participants’ stories, Orpheum staff “realized one of their favorite moments in it was when they got to step out of their story and play the characters that were in other people’s stories,” says Taylor St. John, Orpheum’s director of education and engagement. “There’s something powerful about telling your own story, but there’s also something powerful about participating as a community in a fictional story.”
Ann Perry Wallace (Photo: Courtesy Orpheum Theatre)
So came the Neighborhood Play Program, through which the Orpheum partnered with various organizations and formed “story circles” to create a neighborhood play. “For six months or so, we got people in a circle and asked them questions about their community, things that they found beautiful, things that they found challenging,” St. John says.
These stories, in turn, would be the inspiration for the fictional story that playwright Ann Perry Wallace, author of the one-woman play Live Rich Die Poor, would weave. They then presented this fictional story in another round of story circles for feedback.
“I felt like I had a lot of responsibility to deliver something that was representative of what I had heard,” Wallace says. “You are responsible for these stories that have been told, you are responsible for putting out this image of the people, and so that is a weight that I carry with honor and take seriously. There’s nuance. And so I’m having to hold all of that in a way that gives dignity where dignity is due and have to show the complex struggles where they are present. It is a dynamic place, and I hope for people to see the intricacies, or just a snapshot of those intricacies come out.”
As for the plot of the play, titled We All We Got, St. John says, “The story itself centers on two young Black girls living in the neighborhood, one from a generational home and one living in the apartments who’s a refugee, and how they navigate the world and encounter all of the various characters of Binghampton.”
The hope, both St. John and Wallace point out, is to highlight the different experiences within Binghampton. “It’s one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Memphis,” St. John says. “There’s over 20 languages spoken there, and so we really tried to honor the stories that do not otherwise get highlighted.”
With all those differences, St. John adds, “It’s been exciting, in the last couple weeks, to see all those people from all those different groups that do different things and have very different beliefs and sometimes cultures now all be in the same room, and we’re all working on this thing together, and it just feels like a great exercise in community.
“We think it’s so important that the people in Binghampton can hopefully see themselves in this play, or see reflections of their ideas and other stories in this play. But it’s also really important that as a city, we’re able to come together [by seeing the play].”
The play is set to premiere in November, with community members acting both in the scenes and behind the scenes. Already, just watching rehearsals has Wallace “thrilled.” “You are seeing people who have pride in the neighborhood come out to be a part of it and really stretch themselves in creative and artistic ways,” she says. “Not all of them are normally doing this in their day-to-day life, and then we do have some actors who are in it, but particularly the community members, them showing up and performing best, to me, that’s pride, and that’s dedication, and that’s belief in their community.”
All three performances, which will take place at First Baptist Broad Church in Binghampton, will be free to attend, and Backbeat Tours will provide free transportation at designated locations.
The play opens in the kitchen and stays there for almost the entirety of the show. (Photos: Sean Moore)
It’s difficult to imagine a more Memphis-centric theater outing than the opening night of The Circuit Playhouse’s production of The Hot Wing King — written by Memphis native Katori Hall, performed by a cast of six Memphis residents, set in Memphis, and attended by none other than the mayor of Memphis.
If the audience’s response is anything to go by, this show’s success could be described not by a traditional two thumbs-up, but rather by a rapid-fire volley of finger snaps. The Hot Wing King serves up not only an often-hilarious look at the bonds and squabbles of a found family, but also a refreshing, unapologetic depiction of gay Black men comfortably presenting a full range of everything non-toxic masculinity can be.
This play has a bit of a sitcom-like feel to it, right down to Andrew Mannion’s scene design of a slightly upscale lived-in Memphis house. The play opens in the kitchen and we stay there for almost the entirety of the show, but you’ll find no complaints here as the set dressing was beautifully homey.
The Hot Wing King follows Cordell, a St. Louis native who recently relocated to Memphis to move in with his boyfriend, Dwayne. Their cohabitation seems like it’s off to a rocky start despite their obvious affection and deep feeling for one another. Cordell, who is currently looking for a job, seems to be rubbed the wrong way by the idea of being supported by another person. Thus, he pours himself obsessively into his hobby, trying to win the annual Memphis “Hot Wang Festival.” Much of the play’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime is taken up with the intricacies of the cooking, prepping, marinating, etc. of the wings by the couple and their two close friends, but the real meat in this production lies in the struggle of the characters’ internal battles of guilt and accountability, and of the external conflicts that subsequently stem from within.
One such major conflict arises when Dwayne’s nephew EJ and EJ’s father TJ make unexpected appearances in the middle of the festival prep. Sixteen-year-old EJ is in need of a place to stay, and as his mother, Dwayne’s sister, died after being restrained by police (police that Dwayne had called for a welfare check) almost exactly two years ago, it’s understandable why Dwayne wants to take EJ in. At least, it’s understandable to the audience. Cordell, on the other hand, is still struggling with his discordant relationship with his own adult children, who don’t know that he divorced their mother in order to pursue a relationship with Dwayne.
The situation is messy, yet it has an air of familiarity to it that most audience members will probably be able to relate to. Anyone who has been through great loss will understand that though everyday events and emotions are a necessity for navigating daily life, the pain is never too far away. While the dialogue occasionally drifts into somewhat unrealistically poetic expressions of this sort of grief and pain, the cast carries it off well. The jump between comedic hijinks and somber self-reflection doesn’t feel quite as stark as it could, when the actors are performing with such open honesty.
What makes this play truly special and important is the matter-of-fact presentation of queer Black men who are completely at ease with their sexuality. As a straight white woman, I can only imagine what it would mean to see that kind of representation onstage to a person struggling with their own sexual identity. What I especially appreciated was Katori Hall’s method of revealing the characters’ struggles after we had been introduced to their confidence. Again, I have only imagination and empathy to go off of here, but I think seeing these characters being their full authentic selves would be inspiring to young queer people; to see that they, too, overcame struggles to get to that point could only be incredibly validating.
When it comes to serving up quality theater, The Hot Wing King has everything to offer: heart, saucy exchanges, slapstick comedy, and even redemption.
Michael Detroit, executive producer at Playhouse on the Square (Photo: Carla McDonald)
Memphis’ annual Ostrander Awards honor the season’s best local theatrical productions.
Mostly.
But there is one category that gives a standing ovation to someone who has had an ongoing, yearslong impact on the theater scene.
The Eugart Yerian Award for Lifetime Achievement has put the spotlight on these singular people since 1984, and this year, the distinction will go to Michael Detroit, executive producer at Playhouse on the Square, a professional resident theater company.
Detroit started at Playhouse when he came to Memphis in 1989. And he’s done it all: actor (stage, film, television, commercials), director, singer, costumer, choreographer, professor, creator of the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions (UPTA), civic activist, and more.
When Detroit took over at Playhouse from founder Jackie Nichols in 2018, he was more than ready, having been associate producer since 1998. As executive producer, he manages $15 million in capital assets, a $3.3 million annual budget, an endowment of more than $7 million, and 40 full- and part-time employees, including hundreds of contract actors, designers, and directors.
Being ready to take over also helped when the global pandemic hit, forcing arts organizations to rethink how to keep creating — and delivering — art. Detroit and Whitney Jo, managing director at Playhouse, were able to ensure that no staff or company member was laid off because of the pandemic. Further, they devised ways of creating online content to sustain interest and involvement.
Detroit will receive the award at the Ostranders ceremonies on August 26th at the Orpheum.
The Memphis Flyer asked Detroit about the highlights of his 35 years in Memphis.
Memphis Flyer: Tell us about your journey since you came to Memphis in 1989.
Michael Detroit: I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve been able to make a living in the arts, which is hard for anybody that goes into the arts. For me, it was a history of piecemealing things together — doing theater, doing video gigs, doing voiceovers, doing print work, and teaching and all the things you did to make a living as a younger artist. And I’ve been able to stay with it and make a living out of it. With that kind of vision in mind, my goal since I became executive producer was to strengthen our ability to have artists have the ability to make a living in Memphis — things like salaries and working conditions and hourly work weeks and all of those things, which is a challenge in any artistic format for sure.
What are some of the initiatives behind your vision?
It goes back to things like UPTA, where we’ve got 1,100 people coming in over four days with 85-plus companies and 850 actors all looking for work that pays across the country. We’re also very committed to partnering with our friends at the Greater Memphis Chamber. Playhouse belongs to seven different chambers and I wanted to make sure that we were doing that so that we were civically engaged, not just an artistic company, but as a small business in Memphis. And that creates an awareness of employees, but just like the big folks out there, like FedEx and IP and Nike and AutoZone, we want to attract and retain the talent that we have here as actors and designers and technicians and admin folks.
You have to have material that they want to work with and work on, but you’ve got to pay them a salary that’s of value to them. And that’s what UPTA was created for, to help folks find work, and certainly to help Playhouse find talent. Coming out of that too, making sure that what we’re bringing to the table is a lot more newer work, perhaps than we had done in the past, and certainly a greater diversity of work than we have been doing in the last, let’s say, couple of decades. So, we’re getting back to our roots in terms of types of shows we’re doing.
You like to see where there’s a need and then take steps to meet it, right?
Yes, things like the Queer Youth Theater Program. We chose to do it, recognizing that as something that’s important for our community, we’ve been able to do that and do it proudly, do it unabashedly. It’s easy to identify issues. It’s challenging to find the right materials to put in front of folks that help push that needle in one direction or the other that reflects that diversity of our community. So yeah, we’re going to do the family shows because that’s part of our community, but then we’re going to do shows that talk about the politics that we’re dealing with right now.
I’ve also been helping theatrical licensing companies realize that Playhouse on the Square in Memphis is a treasure to be had because we can produce things here in the Mid-South that these licensing companies, quite frankly, can’t really license anywhere else. And they realize quickly when we produce things that perhaps they can be produced in other places.
You were instrumental in organizing last year’s arts-centered mayoral forum. How did that go?
We worked with various other folks through the Memphis Cultural Coalition who had strong contacts into the various mayoral candidates committees. We got four of them here at Playhouse to talk to a full house of people, and it was specifically geared towards the arts. It’s something, as far as I know, that had never happened before, and it was extremely successful. We had four candidates committing to creating something or engaging the arts as a way for Memphis to move forward. We see that now in Mayor Paul Young’s messaging. We had a chamber event at the Memphis Botanic Garden last week, and he talked about it there, and he’s talking about it without being fed a line about it. He’s making it part of his platform. If you feed the arts, you feed business. Without a strong professional arts component, especially in a city, you become a tier-two city. And we want to be a tier-one city. It’s important to keep those organizations vital and thriving.
Playhouse’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is sweet, uplifting, and, most importantly, fun. (Photo: Sean Moore)
Having read Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory many times growing up and having seen both the 1971 and 2005 movie adaptations, I thought I knew exactly what to expect walking into Playhouse on the Square’s opening night of the stage musical. However, I’m happy to say that I was entirely mistaken. The production, directed by Dave Landis, told a familiar story in a way I had never seen before, and the entire show was — appropriately — a sublime display of eye candy.
Though the onstage version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory shares quite a few similarities with the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, such as several of the same musical numbers, there are also a few differences. For one thing, this play takes place in a contemporary setting, with many references of modern relevance — Violet Beauregarde’s Instagram following, as one example. These nods to a present-day timeline help make the humor in the musical more accessible to a 2024 audience, and much of that humor is surprisingly dark, though in my opinion all the more funny for it.
The story of this musical is the same one most people have grown up knowing: Plucky daydreamer Charlie Bucket, played on opening night by McCager Carver, wins one of five golden tickets to gain entry to the Wonka Chocolate factory, a place that’s been operating behind mysteriously closed gates for decades by the reclusive genius Willy Wonka. Carver, in his Playhouse debut, absolutely shone as young Charlie Bucket, bringing a mischievous and carefree energy to the character while maintaining what the audience must know about Charlie from the get-go and never question: He is good.
Photo: Sean Moore
As in the ’70s film version, Mr. Bucket is deceased, meaning Mrs. Bucket is a single mother working alone to maintain a household of five dependents, if we’re including the four immobilized grandparents. Amy Polumbo Nabors’ interpretation of the character was slightly different from what I’ve come to expect from the onscreen versions of Mrs. Bucket, less overtly nurturing and more anxious, which makes perfect sense given her circumstances. Still, one moment that I thought was extremely touching took place once the optimistic Charlie starts to lose hope after failing to find a golden ticket in his annual birthday chocolate bar. It’s his seemingly more cynical mother who makes a wish for his dream to come true — a wish that of course comes to fruition. A mother’s love isn’t really of thematic importance in this show, yet it’s nonetheless a hidden linchpin to the plot if you’re paying attention.
Without question, my favorite section of this musical was the introduction of the golden ticket winners. Each one came with their own musical number, and each one was somehow even funnier than the last. A surprising standout was Brooke Papritz as Mrs. Teavee, which would never have been a character I would have thought warranted much attention. Papritz, however, managed to make Mike Teavee’s introduction just as entertaining with an almost entirely solo performance as the other kids’ intros were with all the glitz and glamor an onstage musical has to offer.
The character of Willy Wonka has a duality in this musical, as he disguises himself as a mere chocolate shop owner during the first half of the show. Jimmy Rustenhaven’s Wonka in act one is somewhat quiet and unassuming, though by act two we are introduced to someone who doesn’t seem particularly bothered by occasionally straying over the line that separates eccentric, creative genius from rich, outlandish asshole. Watching that transformation take place was a highlight of the show.
For a musical about chocolate and candy, I expected the production to be visually decadent, an expectation that was met and surpassed. Lindsay Schmeling’s costume design was spectacular to look at, with a variety of textures, colors, sequins, and accessories constantly on display. The reporter Cherry Sundae? Style icon. The choreography of the ensemble was also highly entertaining, at times like watching a delightfully riotous fever dream (I’m thinking particularly of the squirrel ballet that delivers Veruca Salt’s comeuppance).
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has much to offer to Memphis audiences: It’s sweet, uplifting, and, more than anything, fun.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory runs at Playhouse on the Square through February 18th.
The Indie Memphis showing of The Taste of Things will be followed by an actual food tasting.
Moviegoers often wish they could be eating what the characters are eating in certain scenes in a film. Think of the famous dinner scene in Tom Jones. Or everything edible in Julie & Julia, the movie about chef Julia Child. And then, of course, there’s that spaghetti in Walt Disney’s animated classic, Lady and the Tramp.
Well, Dan Kopera is making that a reality. He will serve some of the cuisine featured in The Taste of Things following the 11:30 a.m. movie showing, which will be Saturday, October 28th at Playhouse on the Square. Those who bought tickets to the 2023 movie, directed by Tran Anh Hung ,will then walk to the old Pantà restaurant at 2146 Monroe Avenue for Kopera’s take on some of the dishes in the film.
Chef Dan Kopera (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Describing the movie, Kopera, 49, a chef at The Second Line, says, “It’s a romantic relationship between the chef and his cook, and it all revolves around food. There’s so much food in the movie. It’s primarily French food. It does take place in France in the 19th century.
“They sent me a screening line. I enjoyed it. It’s not a movie I would have sought out for myself. It’s not my style. But it was very good.”
Then, he says, “I copied a few things from the movie that were interesting to me.
“I spent a couple of hours the next day just brainstorming and doing some research. Which then I took to chef Kelly English [owner of The Second Line] and consulted with him to get his thoughts on it. He added his opinions and that’s how we came up with these four items.”
Some dishes in the film were unfamiliar to Kopera. But, he says, “A couple of things from the movie I could do. Baked Alaska was one. It’s the only dessert featured in the movie.”
Making Baked Alaska is “much easier to make in modern days than it was in the 19th century when it was invented.”
Back then, making the dessert “was kind of an all-day-long process.
“For one, we have refrigeration. And they had to use ice chests to make the ice cream. And, also we have modern equipment. The blow torch to cook the outside of the meringue. Rather than what they did, which was light brandy on fire and roll it over it to cook the outside. Meringue protects the ice cream from melting.”
He’s also doing chicken vol-au-vent. “They did a very large version of this. It’s a puff pastry filled with various things. I’m doing a chicken dish with it. It’s one of those things you can fill with anything. Almost a cream puff kind of thing. I’m going to be doing little mini vol-au-vents for everyone to try.”
Kopera will make croque monsieur dip with crostini. “The original dish is a sandwich. A grilled ham and cheese. I’m taking it to another level. I’m French toasting it.”
And, finally, he will be serving ratatouille skewers. “It’s eggplant, zucchini, tomato, peppers — taking the basic ingredients of ratatouille, which is usually baked in a sort of casserole — and I’m making that into hand-held bite-sized skewers.”
Like popcorn, everything Kopera is serving will be finger food. “These are little tastes, so people can get the taste of the movie and the taste of France.”
For more information on The Taste of Things showing and tasting, go here.
Playhouse’s production of The Prom overcomes a lackluster script. (Photo: Sean Moore)
At the end of the soliloquy in act 2 scene 2 of Hamlet, the audience is offered the line, “The play’s the thing,” a phrase with layered meaning according to most Shakespeare devotees. In examining Playhouse on the Square’s production of the musical The Prom, I need to make a clear distinction between the play, which I mostly didn’t care for, and the performance, which I mostly enjoyed.
The Prom takes place for the most part in the small town of Edgewater, Indiana, where high school student Emma Nolan is banned from bringing her girlfriend to prom. The musical opens on four Broadway stars lamenting their bad press — they are (correctly) lambasted for being narcissists — and deciding their only possible recourse to regain some good PR is to find a cause to champion and become activists. They stumble upon Nolan’s story online, hitch a ride on a touring Godspell cast bus, and make their way to Edgewater. In their misguided attempt to leech onto Nolan’s hardship, the four actors end up finding their long-latent humanity.
I can’t say I entirely disliked the show, as there were some moments, such as the PTA scene in act 1 and the song “Barry Is Going to Prom” in act 2, that were scripted and executed incredibly well. My number one complaint with this musical is that, thematically, I feel it missed the mark. The conflict of The Prom centers around intolerance, which is such a deep, pervasive problem in our society that overcoming it with a song or simple conversation, as happens in The Prom, seems like a slap in the face. The stakes are too low.
If the world portrayed in the musical was meant to be a rich idealistic universe in which singing to a group of teenagers actually could change minds and reverse years of indoctrinated hate, then maybe I wouldn’t have been so irked. But it’s obviously meant to take place in our real, actual world. It’s as if the playwrights are saying, “If only you would do this simple thing, the world will be changed! Hooray!” It came off as preachy, which is ironic given that the script pulls no punches in criticizing small-town religious culture. I’m not suggesting that the play’s central theme of fighting against intolerance is distasteful; if anything, I’m disappointed to see intolerance portrayed as something so easily overcome. Watching a play that celebrates the LGBTQ community so unabashedly was a joy — until the play suggested, more than once, that people can and will change their minds if we can just sing a song heartfelt enough.
While I had qualms with the source material, the cast made the show worth watching. Annie Freres in particular was a monumental presence on the stage as Dee Dee Allen, the biggest diva of the Broadway stars in TheProm. Her powerhouse vocals could bring the house down in any musical, and she certainly knows how to wield them. Whitney Branan’s lithe, sensual materialization of Angie Dickinson was also a standout of the production.
Most of TheProm’s appeal lies in the over-the-top classic big Broadway musical numbers — “Barry is Going to Prom” being my favorite — but there were a few intimate moments that brought the show back down to Earth. Arielle Mitchell’s rendition of “Alyssa Greene” came across as raw and utterly genuine, saving that character from being mishandled by the playwrights as simply a caricature of a typical popular high schooler. Jonathan Christian as Barry Glickman and Katy Cotten as Emma Nolan also achieved a real intimacy not often seen onstage, as it was one not of romantic overtones, but of found family and friendship transcending age and circumstance. Their makeover scene together was the moment in the production that seemed the most real to me, Christian and Cotten having succeeded in creating a personal bond between their characters.
Though TheProm suffered from a starry-eyed vision of the redemptive power of a musical number, Playhouse’s production of it overcame the hurdles of the script itself. There’s something hopeful in the realization that — to paraphrase Shakespeare for a second time in this column — if all the world’s a stage, the players can sometimes rise above a lackluster script.
The Prom runs at Playhouse on the Square through September 17th.
Nathan McHenry as Anatole and Katy Cotten as Natasha (Photo: D’angelo Connell Photography)
The week before I saw Playhouse on the Square’s regional debut of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, I was asked what the play was about. I wasn’t quite sure, having deliberately avoided finding out beforehand, as is sometimes my practice when seeing a show I’m unfamiliar with. This continued until the morning I was to attend, when a coworker read aloud a short synopsis. The words “electropop,” “opera,” and “Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace” gave me the impression it had the potential to be either really cool or a complete disaster. I’ll tell you now: It was utterly insane, and I loved it.
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is a sung-through musical; there is no spoken dialogue. Everything is performed in song, which can be a lot to take in for the average theatergoer. Coupled with the fact that it’s is an adaptation of Part 8 of War and Peace, you might be forgiven in expecting the effect to be too much. Instead, the show leans into its own weirdness, breaking the fourth wall before the action even begins. Performers enter through the lobby, where they mingle with the audience before the show. Almost immediately the musical makes fun of itself; in the first number, the company scatters additional programs containing a family tree with notes about each character, such as “eccentric” and “slut” (it’s tongue-in-cheek, don’t worry). The actors warn to pay attention because everybody has, like, eight names.
The set design feels like a cast member in its own right. Throughout the show, the ensemble performs in and around the audience, entering from the back of the auditorium and moving toward to stage, or utilizing the half-moon runway that goes from downstage out into the rows. A staircase curves artfully up from stage left to the balcony overhead. Scenic designer Phillip Hughen created something that lends itself to the spectacle called for by the script and also feels incredibly intimate, as if the audience were peering into the secret back room of a speakeasy or brothel.
Another unique aspect is the live music performed by an orchestra half-hidden by velvet curtains nestled upstage. The music is wild, ranging from moving operatic solos to a bouncing bass-heavy rave. At one point, the characters attend an opera-within-the-opera, which can only be described as delightfully bizarre. The note I jotted down reads, “Holy shit. This is hot.”
I’m refraining from going over the broad strokes — such as the plot — if only because I was so enamored with the details. Every actor, from the leads to the individuals of the ensemble, brought such an energy that everywhere you looked there was something interesting going on — which is an accomplishment in a musical this busy. Dave Malloy has written a play scattered with poignant vignettes. One such moment especially stood out, during a song in which an old man repeatedly asks, “Where are my glasses?” only for his daughter to remark that they are on top of his head. She then says quietly, “I disgust myself,” a moment I found incredibly relatable (from both perspectives).
While Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I found it a fully immersive escape from reality and a complete theater success.
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 runs at Playhouse on the Square through May 21st.
