The Milwaukee Post

14 • Milwaukee County Post • March 31, 2017 By JULIE MCHALE Post Theater Critic MILWAUKEE — We all love an underdog, whether it be the Elephant Man, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the kid that's bullied or handicapped and beats the odds or the forlorn stepchild that gets the prince. Thus, "Cinderella," the musical that was writ- ten for TV to feature the inimitable Julie Andrews, began the long successful journey of this story set to music by the incomparable team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. The present version being offered at the Marcus Center follows a new book by Douglas Carter Beane but keeps the basic premise and the beautiful songs that enhance the narrative. Songs such as "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible," "Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" still provide a large meas- ure of the beauty of this creation. This present script is more relevant and includes some allusions to one's responsibilities as a mem- ber of a society and the qualities needed in a true leader. It also has many more doses of humor than the one written by Hammerstein. It's fun to see a fresh version of an old story, especially if the changes are respectful of the original. The factors that stand out in this production are the mobile staging (Anna Louizos), the colorful and lush costuming (William Ivey Long), the choreogra- phy (Lee Willkins and Josh Rhodes), the unexpected transformations in costume and stage props, and the quality of the voices. All are quite breathtaking. There were times when the audience gasped in sur- prise, wondering: "How did they do THAT?" The two leads, Tatyana Lubov and Hayden Stanes, have beautiful voices and vibrant acting abilities. (Lubov is from Cottage Grove, by the way.) This pair meshes nicely together. Another outstanding pres- ence is Leslie Jackson as the fairy godmother and friend. Her voice is power- ful and her presence, magic. I also enjoyed listening to Vincent B. Davis as Lord Pinkleton. The quality of his voice is striking. Stepdaughter Charlotte (Joanna Johnson) adds a lot of humor in her brusque asides. There is also more subtle humor in the addi- tion of the character Jean- Michel (Chris Woods), the man who is out to save the world, singlehandedly, if necessary. His clumsy attempts at romanticism fall far short of his soapbox- ing, but you got the feeling that he might be able to bal- ance both someday. We hope so, for the sake of Gabrielle (Mimi Robinson), the step- sister who broke the rules and followed her dream. The end result is a pleas- ure from start to finish. There were many young girls in the audience, all dressed up in their finery to watch, and they were thrilled with what they wit- nessed. But people of all ages love a story where love and kindness win and every person's worth is acknowl- edged, and that's what this production served up in its sumptuous banquet of sights and sounds and sub- stance. Carol Rosegg Hayden Stanes, Tatyana Lubov and the company of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." The musical runs through Sunday at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. ENTERTAINMENT Ewan McGregor is flanked by Jonny Lee Miller, left, and Ewen Bremner, right, in the dark comedy "T2: Trainspotting." Jaap Buitendijk By TOM JOZWIK Post Film Critic "That was really fresh," I heard a guy say in a theater lobby the other night. He might've been referring to any of sev- eral movies at the multiplex, or to some- thing else entirely. But if he was talking about the dark comedy that was previewed — "T2: Trainspotting" — I have to agree with him. "Inventive" is the word that came to my mind in the aftermath of that two-hour film laid and enacted in picturesque Scotland. "Inventive" in that it told its story with a combination of photographic flourishes (Oscar winner Anthony Dod Mantle) and obtrusive music (Rick Smith), plus atypical flashbacks and graphics. Not to mention versatile Ewan McGregor's heading up a tal- ented cast composed considerably of returnees from "T2's" 1996 prequel, "Trainspotting." Both films have employed Academy Award laureate Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") as director and John Hodge as screenwriter (adapting mate- rial from novelist, and "T2" executive pro- ducer, Irvine Welsh). Some things have changed and some have remained the same in the two decades since Mark Renton (McGregor) absconded with his gang's heroin-connected booty. "Sick Boy" (Jonny Lee Miller) and "Spud" (Ewen Bremner), pals since boyhood of the no- longer addicted Renton (McGregor), are still into drugs and are all for wringing Mark's neck upon his return to Edinburgh. (They get over it.) Viagra has become the drug of choice for fearsome recent jailbreaker Frank Begbie (Robert Carlyle), another buddy of yesteryear whose desire for neck- wringing never wanes from the minute he reunites with Renton (at a toilet stall, of all venues). The actors and their characters have all aged, of course. Spud and Begbie even have family concerns, as does franchise newcom- er Anjela Nedyalkova, the attractive native Bulgarian actress who portrays Sick Boy's two-timing girlfriend/business partner, Veronika. Watching Bremner's performance as the perpetually perplexed Spud, who writes as an avocation, is worth the price of admis- sion. Bremner's castmates, too, are delight- ful to watch. The funniest sequence finds Renton and Sick Boy, at the behest of a bouncer, singing and playing piano in a Glasgow night club — and then burglarizing the patrons. Director Boyle has pointed out that the "Trainspotting" sequel "is saturated with images of disappointed men ... women ... and children." The movie deals with time, Boyle has also stated, and "masculinity over time." Flashbacks show the four principal characters, played understandably by differ- ent actors, at age 9 and again at 20. There's quite a bit going on in "T2" — and at a rapid pace. For optimal understanding, it probably would help one to have seen the 1996 prequel, or to view "T2," as a colleague confided that he beneficially did, a second time. 'Cinderella':The ultimate underdog tale flourishes "Cinderella" The musical runs through Sunday at the Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St., Milwaukee. Call 414-273-7121 or visit mar- cuscenter.org for times and tickets. At a glance 'T2:Trainspotting' — call it inventive, call it fresh Dark comedic sequel wears well 21 years later "T2: Trainspotting" ★★★ Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Anjela Nedyalkova, Kelly Macdonald Director: Danny Boyle MPAA rating: R Running time: 117 minutes Showings: www.landmarktheatres.com

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