Pleasantly Surprised by LCP's G.I. Holiday Jukebox
I went to the Lincoln Community Playhouse production of G.I. Holiday Jukebox, directed by Tom Crew, with the expectation that it would be a long, somewhat boring revue of Christmas songs from the '40s and geared mostly to the elderly who wished to relieve the Christmases past. As a twenty-year-old I didn't plan on being too highly entertained. I went because my mom, Mollie Baldwin Manner, was the pianist and music director. I myself had auditioned for the show at my mother's prompting, not necessarily because I thought it would be a fun show. Obviously, I didn't make it in. However, because of the small amount of people who auditioned for the show, I had gotten to know the five members of the cast through the auditions and I was eager to see how they all worked together on stage. Mr. Crew did made great choices in casting Anna Geis, Bruce Hahn, Leticia Martinez, Bret Olson and Lisa A. Taylor.
From the beginning I was impressed by the quality of the actor's voices and the way they blended. However, the lack of microphones and the blocking often meant that I heard one person better than the rest. Being a very vocally and physically demanding show, I was impressed by how the actors help up under the stress.
Even when things got a little sluggish, my attention was still held by the obvious joy the actors had being on stage. Where the music sometimes lost my attention, the actors' excellent chemistry and ability to improvise kept me smiling. Their interactions with each other and the audience made up for the long length of the show. Even a small boy in the audience responded to Leticia Martinez when she came on stage asking, "Did you miss me?" A hearty "Yes!" was the response.
The choreography was fun, especially when Bruce Hahn and Leticia Martinez tap danced for It's Only a Paper Moon. Bret Olson was a hoot dressed as a girl for the Henderson Sisters Medley (he also had to sing and dance like a girl, which was fantastic). I enjoyed the sing along and the free candy passed out to the audience by the actors. It really made me feel that I was in a tavern in 1943, listening to some talented men and women trying to bring us all some Christmas cheer.
My mom, the pianist, did a wonderful job at the keyboard, which at times sounded like a full band playing. All the songs were fit appropriately with different sounds. She always does a good job with things like this, but I've never seen so many people appreciate it. I leisurely made my way over to the keyboard after the show only to be trampled down by about half a dozen middle aged and elderly folk who were eager to offer their praises to her talent. I'm not complaining, my mom deserves it; although, it did mean I had to wait around a bit longer for her to show up at Village Inn (our traditional post-play stop). Even there, an older couple approached her on their way out saying how much they enjoyed the music and how talented my mom was.
Saturday morning, Jeff Korbelik's review described G.I. Holiday Jukebox as being "mediocre at best". He used the phrase "didn't click" adding that the actor's chemistry was bad. However, I do have to commend him for an excellent review of my mother as the show's saving grace. It's about time she got some public recognition for all the work she puts into shows at the LCP. However, I couldn't disagree more with his review of the actors. The chemistry on stage and with the audience was what I enjoyed most about the show. I would go see this production a second time and highly recommend it even to the younger crowd.
I went to the Lincoln Community Playhouse production of G.I. Holiday Jukebox, directed by Tom Crew, with the expectation that it would be a long, somewhat boring revue of Christmas songs from the '40s and geared mostly to the elderly who wished to relieve the Christmases past. As a twenty-year-old I didn't plan on being too highly entertained. I went because my mom, Mollie Baldwin Manner, was the pianist and music director. I myself had auditioned for the show at my mother's prompting, not necessarily because I thought it would be a fun show. Obviously, I didn't make it in. However, because of the small amount of people who auditioned for the show, I had gotten to know the five members of the cast through the auditions and I was eager to see how they all worked together on stage. Mr. Crew did made great choices in casting Anna Geis, Bruce Hahn, Leticia Martinez, Bret Olson and Lisa A. Taylor.
From the beginning I was impressed by the quality of the actor's voices and the way they blended. However, the lack of microphones and the blocking often meant that I heard one person better than the rest. Being a very vocally and physically demanding show, I was impressed by how the actors help up under the stress.
Even when things got a little sluggish, my attention was still held by the obvious joy the actors had being on stage. Where the music sometimes lost my attention, the actors' excellent chemistry and ability to improvise kept me smiling. Their interactions with each other and the audience made up for the long length of the show. Even a small boy in the audience responded to Leticia Martinez when she came on stage asking, "Did you miss me?" A hearty "Yes!" was the response.
The choreography was fun, especially when Bruce Hahn and Leticia Martinez tap danced for It's Only a Paper Moon. Bret Olson was a hoot dressed as a girl for the Henderson Sisters Medley (he also had to sing and dance like a girl, which was fantastic). I enjoyed the sing along and the free candy passed out to the audience by the actors. It really made me feel that I was in a tavern in 1943, listening to some talented men and women trying to bring us all some Christmas cheer.
My mom, the pianist, did a wonderful job at the keyboard, which at times sounded like a full band playing. All the songs were fit appropriately with different sounds. She always does a good job with things like this, but I've never seen so many people appreciate it. I leisurely made my way over to the keyboard after the show only to be trampled down by about half a dozen middle aged and elderly folk who were eager to offer their praises to her talent. I'm not complaining, my mom deserves it; although, it did mean I had to wait around a bit longer for her to show up at Village Inn (our traditional post-play stop). Even there, an older couple approached her on their way out saying how much they enjoyed the music and how talented my mom was.
Saturday morning, Jeff Korbelik's review described G.I. Holiday Jukebox as being "mediocre at best". He used the phrase "didn't click" adding that the actor's chemistry was bad. However, I do have to commend him for an excellent review of my mother as the show's saving grace. It's about time she got some public recognition for all the work she puts into shows at the LCP. However, I couldn't disagree more with his review of the actors. The chemistry on stage and with the audience was what I enjoyed most about the show. I would go see this production a second time and highly recommend it even to the younger crowd.
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