Reviews: Guild offers sweet, uneven Broadway; 'Pickleball Wars' is well-acted, confusing

Editor's note: Because of an editing error, the review of the College Light Opera Compamy was changed Aug. 11 to correct a caption on the third photo. Alvaro Medina plays King Herod in the CLOC's "Jesus Christ Superstar," which runs through Saturday, Aug. 12.

Pickleball is the sport that is taking the world by storm. My brother and his friends introduced me to the game when we were all high schoolers. Those boys would shove their skinny legs into whatever pair of shorts they could find and hit the courts, armed with paddles and plastic balls. Never did I imagine that the game I used to make fun of them for would be infiltrating every aspect of our society a few years down the line.

In a testament to its influence, we now have a play which on the outside appears to be about the game. “The Pickleball Wars” at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater left me surprised, to say the least. Just go in with an open mind, and maybe some insight surrounding geopolitics.

Kevin Rice's ‘The Pickleball Wars’ premieres in Wellfleet

Written and performed by: “The Pickleball Wars” was written by WHAT cofounder Kevin Rice. Daisy Walker directs. Robin Bloodworth stars as the lead Fred Fallon, better known by his radio host name Freddy “Free Fallin’” Fallon.

What’s it about: Fred Fallon has a vendetta. A vendetta against the sport taking over the nation, and more importantly, his neighbors’ backyard. The recent retiree is working on finishing his first novel — a feat he is taking his sweet time with — in between shifts as the host of a rock n’ roll radio show for his local station. But is the issue just pickleball related or is there something more at stake?

My thoughts: What looks like a comedic show about pickleball turned into some sort of a geopolitical commentary, which is hinted at in the program’s blurb of the play, but I was confused as to how we ended up there.

We begin with a funny “war” between Fallon and his pickleball playing neighbors Tina Mae Perks (Tatiana Chavez) and K.A. Bottoms (Kathy McCafferty) as Fallon becomes exasperated by the noises of the game while he “attempts” to write his book. We soon find ourselves following Fallon’s day as he goes to work as a rock n roll radio show host under the pseudonym “Free Fallin’ Freddy — his bit is to play “Free Fallin’” every time he goes on the air, that got old to me very quickly. During his show, hints at what’s to come show up as Fallon brings his war against pickleball and political beliefs to the airwaves all while he’s supposed to be earning pledges to fund a new antenna for the station. We go back and forth from Fallon to his neighbors teaching the audience the magic of pickleball and then a dispute between them and Fallon’s wife, Sue (Kelly Christopher), where Perks and Bottoms claim that Fallon isn’t who he seems.

As act one ended on a tense note and intermission began, I was left trying to connect the dots of how we went from a comedic “pickleball war” to a budding political commentary. There were so many plots trying to work together at once, it left me confused, with a myriad of questions I only hoped would be answered later on.

While some of the questions I had at intermission were answered, new ones were left in their place. Are Tina Mae Perks and K.A. Bottoms lesbians or just federal agents on a mission? Are they even federal agents at all? Is Fred Fallon actually a mole? And is pickleball a metaphor for international diplomacy and peace?

The show seems to try and comment on so many things like race, geopolitics, aging and so on, that it lost me and, it seemed, some other members of the audience. If you have a wealth of geopolitical knowledge, you might be able to follow a bit better. But to the average audience member, like myself, I got lost in all the Central Asian geopolitical relations being commented on.

Maybe I’m just not the target audience. I was one of the younger folks in the crowd and many of the jokes everyone else was howling at just  didn’t do it for me. Or maybe this play this just trying to do too many things at once. I really wanted to enjoy it, and there were many parts that I found comical, but overall, I was left questioning everything as I exited.

Highlight of the show: However confusing the plot, the acting carries the show. Everyone was brilliantly cast but the stars had to be Chavez and McCafferty. Their dynamic is hilarious and charming and kept me engaged with the play long after the confusion had set in.

Fun Fact: “The Pickleball Wars” is celebrating its world premiere at WHAT during its almost-month-long stint at the theater.

See it or not: To be honest, it was an experience to watch. I wouldn’t say run over to Wellfleet to go and see it, but if you want to see something different, sure, give it a whirl. Just be prepared to love it or leave feeling confused.

Worth noting: Hats off to scenic designer Justin Lahue for figuring out how to fit a house, pickleball court, and radio booth in a pretty small space.

If you go “The Pickleball Wars” will be playing at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater until Sept. 9. Tickets range from $15 to $40 plus fees if purchased online. Showtime is at 8 p.m.

Frankie Rowley

Chatham Drama Guild offers pleasant but uneven Broadway revue

The Chatham Drama Guild is offering a relaxing evening at the theater, with a selection of Broadway hits comprising a revue it’s calling “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes/Broadway Speakeasy Favorites.” While “speakeasy” is a bit of a misnomer — in that the selection includes tunes from the 1920s through the 1990s — there is a pleasant mix of favorites from Broadway. With a simple set built around a grand piano and bar, the cast of 10 takes turns at the mic, sometimes pairing up for a duet. There are 25 tunes on tap (if you’ll pardon the pun), an ambitious undertaking that— for the most part — doesn’t prove too ambitious.

About the production: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes/Broadway Speakeasy Favorites,” directed by Deb Mahaney, musical direction and accompaniment by Geraldine Boles.

What it's about: For a revue of this kind, there really is no plot. The vocalists simply gather at little cocktail tables on the set, with champagne glasses and cigarettes in-hand as a backdrop to whichever singer or duo is at the mic. And off to the side next to the piano sits The Host (Scott Hamilton), who leads into each performance with historical tidbits about the songs and shows from whence they came.

I know — it all sounds just too simple. But I really did find myself sitting back and taking a little breath and smiling. Here’s why: It has been an unsurpassed theater season on the Cape, filled with riveting and impactful drama, rollicking comedy and incomparable musical productions, with fabulously talented vocalists and dancers and 20-member chorus lines. We are almost unbelievably lucky to have access to that level of performance in our theaters.

But every now and then it feels good to be reminded of the sweet, uncomplicated taste of a small community theater offering. It’s like an after-dinner mint after a four-course meal at a five-star restaurant.

Highlights of the show: I have to admit there is an uneven level of performance. Some of the vocalists were quite good, with Laura Barabe, who opens the show with “All That Jazz,” especially comfortable at the mic. And Amy Kraskoukas turns in a touching performance of “Maybe This Time.” Then there’s Hamilton’s pleasant rendering of “Ol’ Man River,” and Rob Grady’s stirring handling of “I’ve Got Plenty of Nothin’,” “All I Ask of You” and “The Music of the Night.” On the other hand, some vocalists were a bit off the mark.

Go or no-go: Go if you’re looking for a sweet little end to the summer season, but don’t expect perfection.

Worth noting: Costumes were suitably sparkly and attractive.

One more thing: The cabaret seating in the theater fits perfectly with this production.

Interesting fact: Grady is a trained opera singer who has handled a number of roles, including The Phantom, Sweeney Todd and Don Quixote.

If you go: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Sundays at 4 p.m. through Sept. 3. The Chatham Drama Guild, 134 Crowell Road, Chatham, 508-945-0510 chathamdramaguild.org, tickets: $30 cabaret, $26 stadium.

Sue Mellen  

College Light Opera Company stages powerful 'Superstar' in Falmouth

FALMOUTH ― College Light Opera Company delivered a dark, raw and powerfully moving production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” Tuesday night, making a great stab at all those high-C notes Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote three decades ago.

Christian Leigh and Christian Atherton, respectively, play the notoriously difficult-to-sing roles of Jesus Christ and his betrayer, Judas Iscariot.

The decision to have them in the high register, nearly screaming, for the entire sung-through rock opera made it hard to hear some of the words but was a passionate tribute to the rock opera that came out first as a record in 1970 and then as a Broadway show in 1971.

The show: “Jesus Christ Superstar”

About the show: Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics by Tim Rice; CLOC music director David Möschler (who will talk about the production in a free session at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, at Highfield Hall); CLOC stage director Devon Hunt.

What it’s about: “Jesus Christ Superstar” follows the story of The Passion, detailing Christ’s last days – returning to Jerusalem, the Last Supper, Judas betraying him to the authorities, Jesus pleading with God in the Garden of Gethsemane after his disciples fall asleep on the watch, and the searingly painful Crucifixion.

Moments you will remember: Brooklyn Stanley, playing Pontius Pilate (against gender), begging Jesus to defend himself as she screams out each one of the 39 lashes ― the whip cracking over and over as Jesus writhes against his shackles. The cruelty and desperation in this scene made me want to weep and leave the theater.

Christy Jean as Mary Magdalene was one of the few using her natural range. Her voice was sweet, her performance sane, as she reassured Jesus that “Everything’s All Right” and debated her feelings for him in “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” Her performance was a moment of redemption in a show that had few such moments. “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” is widely known for the airplay received by Helen Reddy’s 1970 version, which is probably what you hear in your head.

A musical note: Guest musician Mario Yniguez, an Arizona composer who has done additional music for “In The Heights,” “Bright Star” and others, joined the orchestra on guitar, lending that quintessentially '70s feel to “Superstar.” I also loved how the horns popped in for a few bars to emphasize strategic moments.

See it or not: It’s brilliant, so see it, but be prepared for the crushing darkness and you may also worry about the singers hurting their voices. One patron described, in passing, the show as having a “Mad Max” feel and I agree.

One more thing: I can’t be the only one noticing that the top two roles, Jesus and Judas, are played by performers named Christian.

If you go: College Light Opera Company, 58 Highfield Drive, stages a different show every week: Shows are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. (Next up on Aug. 15 is the last show of the season “Singin' In The Rain.”) Tickets, at $40, can be purchased online at collegelightoperacompany.com or by calling the box office, 508-548-0668, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays

Gwenn Friss

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Reviews: Chatham Guild's Broadway uneven; WHAT 'Pickleball' premieres