Somebody/Nobody

Herberger, April 2-19, $30-63

Published description:
"Sheena is a somebody who wants to be a nobody. Loli is a nobody desperate to be a somebody. In this hilarious world premiere comedy about Hollywood, fame and the TMZ, renowned playwright Jane Martin takes dead aim at our culture of celebrity. So you think you want to be famous? So did teen idol and “shark-movie” star Sheena Keener, the darling of the press, the obsession of the paparazzi, and the goddess of the E! Channel. But now she can’t stand to be looked at anymore and her Godzilla of an agent is on the warpath. When Sheena ends up on the doorstep of naïve newcomer Loli, a recent arrival from Flatt, Kansas, it’s a wild ride on the road to fame. Somebody/Nobody is a laugh-out-loud look at modern life and our unending quest for fifteen minutes of fame"

This is an original production. I got to see it on opening night in Phoenix after it debuted in Tucson. The whole thing is rather silly really and seems a bit disjointed until you realize you just spent two hours laughing and giggling.

A Raisin in the Sun

At the Herberger, produced by Arizona Theater Company, 2/5/09 - 2/22/09

Ok, I'm going to cheat here and copy my Yelp review and some of the play info from The New York Times.

"Lorraine Hansberry's powerful drama of family, hope and the struggle to realize dreams...

A gripping and explosive tale of one family living and learning together on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s, A Raisin in the Sun was the first authentic voice of an African American playwright to hit the Broadway stage. In this award-winning drama, the Younger family searches for a way to grab their piece of the dream, even in the face of prejudice and discrimination. Since the play's premiere exactly 50 years ago, Lorraine Hansberry's towering masterpiece has moved audiences and broken down barriers wherever it has played. "The play that changed American theatre forever...a seething interplay of past and present, of wisdom and passion."
- The New York Times"

Last evening I got to attend opening night of A Raisin in the Sun. As I am coming to expect the presentation by the supporting crew was flawless. The play itself was well done and held my interest. While parts of it were specific to African Americans,and thus one of it's original acclaims 50 years ago, most of it could apply to any working family. You could hear smirks and giggles flowing around the audience as a person recognized "I have a sibling, parent, grandparent, whatever that acts like that" or they had been in a similar situation. It is drama and sometimes moves slow just like any drama so if getting involved with characters in that type of venue isn't your thing then you might not like it. The actors (and script) do a real good job of building the characters.

As usual the staff of the Herberger very organized and professional.

And I got to meet 4 more Yelpers!

Hair

Last evening I had the pleasure of attending the 40th anniversary production of Hair the musical as a guest of Yelp and the ATC. I was in High School when the play first opened in 1968. Thus the sounds and dress were very familiar to me. And to this day I still think the production is an accurate reflection of the times and some of the things that went on. Having spent 4 years in stage crew in school I still watch the mechanics of the people behind the scenes as they are just as much responsible for the show. I saw only one slip and they caught it so quick most folks would not have noticed, very good for opening night on a different stage! The show itself was awesome. One of many things I gauge the quality of a show is whether I check the time or how far along it is in the program. I never once did that.



Last night marked a couple of firsts for me. This is my first visit to the Herberger and I think it is a first class facility in all respects other than the number of folks that can be accommodated at one time in the restrooms. Not that this facility is distinct in that category. The other first was it was my first Yelp event and I got to meet 5 new friends. Wait until they find out I almost always have my camera. :-)

Yelpers:


The Herberger