The first batch of reviews are in, and its official- Josh Kornbluth’s accidentally academic exploration of the complications of Founding Fatherhood is a hit!

But NEVER take our word for it. The Oregonian says…

“Noticing that you’ve come to look like Benjamin Franklin might not be the greatest of epiphanies. But Kornbluth, who has taken up an eight-week residence in Portland Center Stage’s Ellyn Bye Studio, figures “maybe I can continue to do autobiography — only someone else’s.”

In his unlikely, but hilariously engaging, way, he does both, using a blow-by-blow account of his research on “the first American” to get at the heart of family dynamics in Franklin’s life and his own. At the same time, he makes an intriguing case that the way each of us views history is shaped by whatever narrative of the past resonates most with our own experiences and emotional themes.” – Marty Hughley, The Oregonian

Read the rest of the review.

Geoff Kleinman from ONPDX.com had this to share:

“Through out the piece we learn a tremendous amount about Benjamin Franklin as Kornbluth literally wrestles with the fact and fiction surrounding one of the most recognizable figures in American history. For fans of American history this show is a literal smorgasbord, an immense feast of knowledge and insight that will leave even the most ardent history buff spinning. But the piece doesn’t work because it’ll thrill history buffs, it works because it’ll thrill those who aren’t particularly enamored with history. Kornbluth manges to make the world of one of our founding fathers come alive and contextualizes it in a way that makes it exciting and entertaining. He literally dusts off the history books and shows the humanity contained within. Merging that narrative with his own he creates an evening that is extraordinarily entertaining.” -Geoff Kleinman

Read the whole review.

But wait! Here’s Ben Waterhouse from the Willamette Week:

“OK, I know what you’re thinking. Ben Franklin: Unplugged? When did PCS get into the historical impersonation business?

Don’t worry—this is no after-school special. Josh Kornbluth, a Bay Area monologuist who earns his bread with long, nebbishy rants, isn’t here to recite the highlights of Franklin’s life and interminable supply of pithy quips… Kornbluth finds himself struggling to sort through academic rivalries, popular myth and Franklin’s own self-aggrandizement in hopes of understanding the complicated relationship between the revolutionary father and Tory son. Along the way he meets a mildly crazy Franklin scholar, gallivants around Manhattan in a Franklin costume, gets revenge on Yale University and, of course, winds up thinking about his dad. Kornbluth’s persona is a schlemiel in the classic mold, but he—like all comedians feigning incompetence—is cannier than he looks, and his toying with the self-generated myth of Franklin is a blast to watch.” – Ben Waterhouse, Willamette Week.

Read the rest of the review.

And finally, we’ll leave you with some thoughts from Bob Hicks at Art Scatter:

“Like a lot of successful one-person shows, Ben Franklin: Unplugged takes its audience on a dual journey: one into the psyche and obsessions of the performer himself, the second into the performer’s discoveries about his external subject — in this case, Ben.

The link is fathers and sons: Kornbluth’s unresolved relationship with his own father, who died when Kornbluth was in college, and Franklin’s tortured relationship with his illegitimate but favored son William, who seemed the apple of his eye until the two took opposite sides on the issue of the Revolutionary War: the father the unrepentant radical, the son the extreme and sometimes ruthless loyalist.

Along the way Kornbluth creates a marvelous supporting character in the aged, accidental scholar Claude and unearths little pieces of fascinating biography in search of “my own Ben Franklin.” The wry blend of famous-man biography and obscure-entertainer autobiography makes for an engaging evening.” -Bob Hicks, Art Scatter.

Read the rest of the review.

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In case the Oregonian and audience raves weren’t enough, we’re delighted to report that both the Willamette Week and the Mercury found Chris Coleman’s production of Ragtime very strong. But don’t take our word for it…

First, Alison Hallett from The Mercury:

“Portland Center Stage (PCS) does tremendous work here. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a better treatment: Every single aspect of the production seems geared toward counterbalancing the script’s overblown elements, with some success. Joel Ferrell’s choreography is balanced and effective; the set is deceptively simple, a multi-tiered backdrop that takes on shades of menace or wistfulness courtesy of Peter Maradudin’s spectacular lighting. The cast is the best money can buy, and as always, it’s satisfying to note that standout performances come from a couple of locals: Leif Norby as Tateh, the bearded Jewish father, and Susannah Mars as the stymied housewife. There’s even a performance from a little boy (Alex Thede) that isn’t the theatrical equivalent of chewing on tinfoil—a rarity among child performers.”

Read the rest of the review.

And last, but by no means least, Ben Waterhouse from the Willamette Week:

“As a subversive work of musical theater… Ragtime is a rousing success.”

“The greatest achievement of the musical is granting much-needed pathos to the character of Coalhouse Walker—a black piano player who responds to the trashing of his car by a gang of white volunteer firefighters by forming a revolutionary terrorist organization—for whom Doctorow shows little sympathy. Broadway veteran Gavin Gregory assaults the role with smoldering fury. His two big numbers are crushing. He is the face of defeated aspiration, of the American dream destroyed by careless cruelty. We may like to pretend, as we enter the new century, that the troubles of the last are buried; watching Coalhouse, you know they’re anything but.”

Read the rest of the review.

What did you think of the show? Join the conversation about Ragtime here.

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We’re delighted to have Ragtime open and garnering rave reviews- from the press and from our own audience!

First, the audience weighs in…on our website, on Facebook, and on Twitter:

On Our Site

“Ragtime is one of my three favorite musicals, so I was apprehensive when PCS announced it for their season. I had seen the original production (breathtaking!), a touring show in Seattle (still good though on a smaller scale), and a really scaled down version in Portland at the Keller (only OK). Now for yours: Brilliant!!! The singing was extraordinary, the story came more into focus, I loved the use of chairs and the screens. And to top it all was Susannah Mars. Mother finally came into focus where she should have been in all previous showings. Thank you. I plan to see it at PCS many more times.” – Jerry Lesch

Read more audience reviews. (And write your own!)

{Mother (Susannah Mars) decides to keep a baby found abandoned in her garden (and transforms her whole life in the process) in Ragtime. Photo by Owen Carey}

Twitter

@MiracleInsider:  “Saw RAGTIME last night at PCS – a huge success – wonderful vocals – Musical Director Rick Lewis really triumphs – will be big hit.”

@toddmintz: “Ragtime rocked the F’ing house yesterday…awesome performance!”

@misconstrue: “Enjoyed the heck out of Portland Center Stage’s Ragtime last night. First rate voices, acting, and stagecraft. Kudos.”

Follow us on Twitter.

{Coalhouse (Gavin Gregory) gets a new car and a whole new slice of the American Dream in Ragtime. Photo by Owen Carey.}

Facebook

“The show was fantastic! A good refresher of American history and of how our nation got it’s start from “wheels of a dream”. Change begins with dreams and the journey of change begins with the support of family & friends working tog…ether to endure the obstacles of life. After seeing this show, and watching the decline of the industrial revolution in our country with hard working people loosing their jobs to cheaper overseas labor, it seems History is repeating its self. HATS off (yep…puns intended) to PCS and the Ragtime cast for instilling the importance of keeping dreams in America!” – Laura Henderson Kennedy

“Ragtime was amazing! A classy production. Beautiful sights and sounds. Entertaining and educational. It kept making me cry but I laughed as well. What a show.” – Katherine Fitch

“Just saw Ragtime tonight (thanks, Kelsey!) This is one of the most amazing and powerful productions I’ve ever seen at PCS. And I’ve seen some great ones. The cast is superb. I was blown away by the vocals and orchestra, the beautiful costumes and the profound story. Thank you for a brilliant show.” – Michael Todd Pozycki

“I was “bowled” over by the amazingly talented cast of Ragtime last night. The ensemble singing was so beautiful, as was the directing and scenery. Bravo, Chris!” – Carole Penner

“Loved, loved, loved the show last night. The cast was absolutely incredible and the singing was fantastic. And that was only the first preview night. Can’t wait to see where it goes from here.” – Heather Adams

Friend us on Facebook (and tell us what you thought!)

{What a Game! The men of Ragtime celebrate the profundities (and profanities) of a baseball game. Photo by Owen Carey.}

And what did the press think so far? Here’s a brief excerpt of Michael McGregor’s review for the Oregonian:

Distilled by Terrence McNally from E.L. Doctorow’s wide-ranging novel and pulsed by Stephen Flaherty’s lean but luscious rag-based score, Ragtime highlights three versions of the American Dream at the end of the Gilded Age …

Coleman’s unexpectedly apt less-is-more approach places in the foreground not only Ragtime’s Tony-winning book and score but also the powerful voices he’s found for both major and minor roles. Chief among these are local favorites Susannah Mars as a wealthy white woman discovering abilities and desires beyond being a wife and Leif Norby as a Latvian Jewish immigrant transformed from poor street artist to privileged filmmaker.”

Read the rest of the review.

And here’s a bit from Barry Johnson’s Arts Watch commentary:

The orchestra, led by Rick Lewis, had the musical goods and so did the cast, which was jam-packed with good singers — most notably the two locals in the cast, Susannah Mars and Leif Norby, along with Gavin Gregory as Coalhouse Walker…

Yes, it’s far easier to keep the door closed to the human misery at your doorstep, in Mother’s case the arrival of Sarah and her infant son (the child of Coalhouse Walker). But when it’s a specific misery, sometimes we find it within ourselves to do something about it, if we can. Mars, who sings beautifully throughout, is particularly poignant here, and as the play progresses, Father is right: She is always carrying the symbol of that pain, the infant son of Coalhouse and Sarah. Mother’s caring doesn’t matter to the vast social forces in movement outside of her home in New Rochelle, of course; it matters at a strictly local level, though, and at a personal level, too. Mars’ ability to suggest this is one of the prime achievements of this production.

Read the rest of Barry’s take on the show.

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Two emails about Crazy Enough I had to share:

First from Daniel Stern, the wonderful film actor (Breaking Away, Diner, Hannah and her Sisters), who is here in town casting American Buffalo for Third Rail:

“I got to see Crazy Enough tonight.  I need to thank you for one of the great nights in the theater that I have ever had.   Storm Large is a force of nature, a truth teller, a comedian, a story-teller and one of the most brilliant voices I have ever heard.  It was like if Melissa Etheridge could act.  This is an unbelievably great play and I hope there is a long, long future in it.  I have not seen something so original since Hedwig and the Angry Inch, with a fearless performer, a director who gets to the absolute essence of the talent at hand and a production that is scaled perfectly to tell the story.  Hedwig also made a great film and I can certainly see the possibilities of telling this story that way as well, knowing the talents involved would burst off the screen to a very appreciative audience.  Please pass on my love, respect and admiration to Ms. Large and tell her I will never forget the ride she took me on tonight.”

And from Marie Gettel-Gilmartin:

“I just had to write and tell you that Crazy Enough was phenomenal!  We bought only Main Stage shows this year, but added Crazy Enough to our subscription because I knew I had to see Storm Large again . . . My husband truly enjoyed it, but I LOVED it.  What a great celebration of survival and strong, gutsy womanhood.  I left the show feeling emotionally exhausted, exhilarated and inspired.”

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We’ve received a ton of emails in response to Crazy Enough.   A few fun ones to share:

“As a 60-something grandmother (and great-grandmother), I didn’t expect to like Crazy Enough; it was just part of my subscription package.  But something happened in the two hours I spent in the Ellyn Bye Studio last week and I came out awe-struck by Storm, her story, and the way she presented it.  Not only me, but everyone in that full-house ’senior’ matinee was impressed – the ‘talk back’ audience was far larger than any I’d ever seen and we all walked out raving about what a wonderful experience we’d just had!   I hope to see it again- and to take my (30 and 40-something) children!”

On Twitter, we heard: 

“LOVED seeing Storm Large’s Crazy Enough last nite with whole family.  Now we all have song with unmentionable lyrics stuck in heads.”

And my favorite:

“OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD

And WOW!

I finally saw CRAZY ENOUGH this evening.

BRILLIANT, Powerful, Fist in my stomach, Uplifting, Funny, Amazing.

Congratulations on bringing this story to the stage.

I know it was quite a journey.

I am so very pleased for all involved.

I will see it again at least once more.  I plan to have my 16 year old daughter see it as well.  I think it is suitably provocative.”

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