Latest news with #VictoriaTheatre
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Why ‘Next to Normal' is your grief and rage catharsis in 2025
Many of us might want to yowl like a rock star, shut ourselves off in a fantasy world, alternately numb ourselves with pills and fling them in the trash or simply indulge a fit of histrionics. To all that, Ray of Light Theatre's 'Next to Normal' says, 'Hold my beer.' One of musical theater's sacred duties, exemplified by the production that opened Saturday, May 31, at the Victoria Theatre, is to give expression to all the chest-beating, teeth-gnashing, hair-tearing grief and rage that all of us feel but most of us suppress. Actors rip off their shells, and we sit quietly in the dark, thinking, 'Yes, that's what it's like,' and feel cleansed. Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt's 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner begins with a facade. Diana (Anne Warren Clark) sings of her 'perfect loving family, so adoring.' But before long, she's frantically making sandwiches on the floor, while her husband and kids back slowly away and look at her like she's a crazy person. Diana zings to life in a tango with her psychopharmacologist Dr. Fine (Courtney Merrell), with one dancing her fingers up the other's body. Under the frisky direction of Jenn BeVard, Dr. Fine grinds powders with a mortar and pestle like it's a kink, and Diana recites her side effects, including constipation, like she's a movie star giving an Oscar acceptance speech. The pill-popping Diana doesn't just have bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression and a grab bag of other hazily defined maladies that append to her diagnosis whenever she says the right thing at the right time. She's also bearing a herculean grief that's metastasized and hobbled her, preventing her from interacting with her family in the way they crave. In Yorkey and Kitt's brilliant writing, that mourning takes human form, singing with a voice of pure joy. It understands, condoles and boosts, and in Christian Mejia's lighting design, it's as colorful as a jar of candy. Between it and demanding, unhappy family members, why wouldn't Diana choose the former? Yorkey and Kitt's writing keeps turning over stones to unearth the creepy-crawlies underneath. It dares to let a mother admit she doesn't love her child that much or that a wife finds her husband 'boring.' Caring for a mentally ill family member is 'just a slower suicide,' Diana's husband Dan (Albert Hodge) sings. Elsewhere, asking her what she's so afraid of, he adds, 'Can you tell me why I'm afraid it's me?' In a show where agony succeeds agony, performers don't always find ways to show how one fresh hell is distinguished from the last, and voices aren't as tuneful as they might be. But as Diana, Clark is sensitive to microbeats within microbeats. When she remembers her younger self, singing, 'I miss the mountains,' it's as if she has a whole mighty peak within herself. When Diana realizes that in her life, 'nothing's real,' and decides to throw away all her pills, Clark combines the shock of discovery with the rage of all the time she's wasted by pretending. If 'Next to Normal' doesn't cure Diana or elbow its way into a hunky-dory ending, nor does it force its characters to just sink deeper into a quagmire of despair. The show gives Diana and her family permission to say the status quo isn't working and make different choices — still suboptimal, but at least different. In a genre famous for happily-ever-afters and kicklines, such down-to-earth restraint is a balm and a gift.
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Newtown dramatics society to host 90th anniversary shows
Newtown Amateur Dramatic Society was formed in 1934 and put on its first play – The Barrett's of Wimpole Street – early the following year. Ninety years later, the society is still going strong and entertaining the people of Newtown and beyond with regular dramatic performances at its own Powys Theatre in Canal Road. During its long and proud history, the society has faced and survived everything from a World War to the Covid epidemic and has shared over 240 plays and other entertainments with its audiences. Initially, these were performed at local venues such as St David's Church hall, the old Victoria Theatre and village halls throughout the area until, in 1969, after immense planning and hard work the society achieved its long-term aim of acquiring a permanent home and its very own theatre. To celebrate the epic milestone of its 90th anniversary, the society is mounting a unique event in July to which everyone will be very welcome. Conceived and written by Peter and Julia Francis and involving many members of the society, it will aim to both entertain and inform. The multi-media production is to involve music, projected photographs, narration and extracts from plays which the society has performed during the 90 years of its existence. Preparation has involved making use of local newspaper reports, the memories of members past and present as well as the society's vast archive of programmes, posters and photographs, not to mention minutes of meetings and financial accounts. Alongside all of this and open to all members of the audience will be an exhibition in the theatre foyer of costumes and memorabilia reflecting the highlights and memories of ninety years 'treading the boards'. The special event will take place at the Powys Theatre on Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11 at 7.30pm with a matinee performance at 2.30pm on Saturday, July 12. Tickets will be available from
Tatler Asia
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Angela Tan on how Art:Dis Singapore is breaking barriers in the arts for persons with disabilities
The executive director of Art:Dis Singapore shares how the non-profit organisation is dedicated to providing persons with disabilities equal access to arts education and professional development in the arts When Art:Dis Singapore staged Chachambo: Taking Flight as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations in 2023, the landmark disability-led music theatre work featured a main cast of 10 actors with disabilities, many of whom were graduates of its Beyond Dis:Play programme, which offers professional theatre training for persons with disabilities. In the leading role was Claire Teo, a visually-impaired artist and educator, who is also the playwright of the musical staged at Victoria Theatre. The community engagement project also included both disabled and non-disabled artists, as well as seniors from the Yong-en Active Hub, one of Art:Dis's neighbours at its Bukit Merah centre. 'During the production, the seniors got to know Claire, a trained classical soprano, and when the production ended, they asked her if she could teach them singing because they were amazed by how well she performed,' shares Angela Tan, the executive director of Art:Dis. Describing this as 'a full-circle moment' for the non-profit organisation's work in the arts and disability space, Tan adds, 'It's a whole shift in dynamics. You have a visually-impaired artist, who is now empowered by the community. I thought that it was a memorable way to cap that performance project, which has now continued [with Teo teaching the seniors].' Teo is the first visually-impaired graduate of Lasalle College of the Arts' diploma in performance programme. She recently completed a two-year industry mentorship programme with Art:Dis, and also teaches drama and mentors students at special needs and mainstream schools, senior activity centres, and performing arts colleges.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Five historic Greater Manchester theatres at risk of closing down named
Five Greater Manchester theatres have been named as being 'at risk' of closure on as part of annual list, which campaigns for their revival. Theatres Trust, the charity that campaigns to protect the UK's theatres, has published its annual Theatres at Risk Register. It highlights theatres across the UK under threat of closure, redevelopment or severe decay, but which all have the potential to be revived for their local communities with the right support. This year's list comprises 43 buildings, which all have strong architectural merit, cultural heritage or value to the local community as a performance venue. The body points out that many are of significant historical and cultural importance and could remain valuable community spaces if given the right support. READ MORE: The forgotten railways arches that will soon be one of Manchester's most important cultural hubs READ MORE: Beloved Michelin guide restaurant 'blown away' after announcement leaves locals gutted The Greater Manchester venues featured on the list includes Ashton-under-Lyne's only Grade II- listed, purpose-built theatre, Tameside Theatre, Ashton-under-Lyne. This building is of architectural and historical significance, illustrating the interwar fashion of adapting to cinema, and featuring 1930s Art Deco features. Joining it is the Co-op Hall in Ramsbottom. Built in 1874-1876 as part of The Co-operative movement, which pledged support for education, culture and the arts, it has been unused since 1944. Manchester's oldest surviving theatre building, Theatre Royal, also features. Built in 1845 Its Classical style façade is one of the finest examples of theatre architecture surviving from the first half of the 19th Century. The Grade II-listed music hall, Hulme Hippodrome, remains on the list too. Constructed for the Broadhead Circuit which operated 17 venues in the north-west of England, it made a significant contribution to working class entertainment, and campaigners what to see it restored to its former glory as a venue that serves the community in and around Hulme. Meanwhile, Victoria Theatre, Salford, known as 'Salford's Sleeping Beauty', also appears on the list. An architecturally important theatre designed by eminent theatre architect Bertie Crewe, it houses rare substage machinery believed to be the only complete surviving example of its kind in the UK. Sam Kelly, Chair of Salford Victoria Theatre Trust, said: "The Salford Victoria Theatre Trust really appreciates the work of the Theatres Trust supporting groups such as ours. The Victoria Theatre in Lower Broughton, known locally as Salford's Sleeping Beauty, is an amazing Bertie Crewe designed theatre, and has been on the Theatres at Risk register since its inception. "We look forward to the day it will come off the at Risk register as we continue to work with the owners and Salford's Heritage Commission, with the help of the Theatres Trust, to develop a restoration plan for the building." Theatre Royal Hyde in Greater Manchester has been removed from the 2025 Theatres at Risk Register as, although it has not returned to theatrical use, it is being maintained and used by its current owners so the threat of harm to the building has been greatly reduced. This year, Theatres Trust has also added five more theatres to the list, all local authority owned, mid to small scale venues located outside of major cities. Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre and Theatre and Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock are both at risk due to pressures on local authority budgets, leading to councils seeking savings by closing their theatres, cuts in subsidy and, or, a lack of ability to pay for crucial maintenance and repair work. The other three new additions, The Brunton in Musselburgh, The Harlequin in Redhill and Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre are all theatres that have been closed for more than a year due to the presence of the crumbling concrete Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). The Bruton and Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre have been recommended for demolition due to the high costs of repairs, and a decision on the future of The Harlequin is imminent. Now in its 19th year, the Theatres at Risk Register calls the public's attention to these important buildings, their challenges, and the significant cultural opportunities they can bring to local communities. Since the list began in 2006, more than 80 theatres have been restored, revived or had a suitable replacement built. Theatres Trust Director Joshua McTaggart comments; "We understand that local authorities are faced with making tough decisions, but the savings made in the short term will leave communities without vital facilities. "Buildings were RAAC is present are particularly tricky, but it is important that communities are not left without theatre provision. Theatres Trust wants to work with local authorities and theatre operators to explore all possible options and find solutions to put theatres like this on a firmer footing."
