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Section: Arts
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Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business at TOY; artwork by Jean-Pierre Thimot.
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Theatre of Youth has long been a great choice for a family visit to the theater, and TOY opens its 2009–10 season with the return of the highest-selling show in its history: Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business.
As with its 2006 production, the show stars Leah Russo as a charming kindergartner with a little brother on the way. Russo’s song and dance talents were highlighted in this delightful musical, with whimsical designs by TOY’s inventive Ken Shaw and direction from Michael J. Walline (Go, Dog! Go!).
“What I love about the character of Junie is that children connect to her,” says TOY artistic director Meg Quinn. “Everyone feels like the world is unfair or that they got gypped, even though they think they’re following the rules. All the confusion and worry that kids feel, she represents — she questions and confronts them. Junie steps up and tries to deal with a world that kids can’t control.
“For adults, parents, grandparents and teachers, she’s a reminder that the world is confusing for kids. They don’t have reference points. It’s important for adults to realize that kids take things literally and realize who they’re talking to.”
Quinn credits playwright Joan Cushing’s script, adapted from the books by Barbara Park, for working on a number of levels. “I like the balance, in that Junie is entertaining and funny, but it’s not patronizing,” she says, as Junie learns to cope with no longer being the primary focus of her family. “Kids don’t feel that they’re being laughed at. This show rings true for them.”
She also notes that Leah Russo, who is returning to Buffalo from New York City to play Junie, has an affinity for the part. “She loves the role; it’s coming from a place that’s really honest. She gets it.”
Along with Russo, the cast includes Junie veteran Nicole Cimato and Junie newbies Kelly Cammaratta, James Heffron, Katima Gomillion and Kevin Kennedy playing double (or triple) roles as Junie’s schoolmates, parents and grandparents.
Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business is a perfect show for families to share the unique experience of live theater. The show is appropriate for children ages 4 and up. It opens October 9 and runs through November 1 at the Allendale Theatre, 203 Allen Street in Buffalo.
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Christina Rausa stars in Rose for Jewish Repertory Theatre.
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A Singular Sensation
In June 2008, Christina Rausa impressed audiences with her performance as late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the one-woman show Golda’s Balcony. This month, she returns to the Jewish Repertory Theatre for Rose by Martin Sherman.
In another one-woman show directed by JRT artistic director Saul Elkin, Rausa tells the decades-spanning tale of a Jewish woman’s journey across history. While Golda’s life was more epic in scope (considering the nuclear geo-political consequences at stake), Rose’s tale is a bit more down-to-Earth — though the times were no less dire.
Once again, Rausa fills the shoes of portentous talent that preceded her (Tovah Feldshuh and Valerie Harper for Golda) and now Olympia Dukakis for Rose. But that’s little concern for Rausa, who has made her own mark in historic solo roles, including Susan B. Anthony (developed for and by herself) and Emily Dickinson.
Rose opens October 15 and runs through November 1. It will be performed at the Alleyway Theatre, 1 Curtain Up Alley in Buffalo.
Happy Love in Lancaster
Over at the Lancaster Opera House (21 Central Avenue), Opera-Lytes is offering a production of Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella. Loesser, best known for the music and lyrics for Guys and Dolls, wrote this musical about an older winemaker who falls in love with a young waitress.
Fearing that she won’t be attracted to him, he initially leads her to believe he is a young, handsome farm worker in his employ. Naturally, things get complicated from there.
Opera-Lytes President Gayle Nason-Churchill, who is directing the show, says The Most Happy Fella is “a star-crossed romance and Italian celebration. It’s a rousing story with a dark side.”
The production possesses a cast of thirty people, but the principals are three actors familiar to local theater-goers: David Bondrow, fresh from appearing in Irish Classical’s Blood Brothers, is the winemaker; Katy Miner, notably seen in the Kavinoky’s Hot N’ Cole last season is the waitress; and Chris Turton is Joe, the farm hand.
The Most Happy Fella runs for two weekends, from October 16–25.
Darwin McPherson is theater previewer for Buffalo Spree and Forever Young’s monthly theater writer.
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