THE RISE OF... // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "RISE & FALL"
My Sunday night visit to the Lower East Side to see a new take on an old piece was just that: fun.
About a dozen performers that have been working together in a variety of capacities for the past few years have gotten together, called themselves BREAD (www.breadartscollective.com) and crafted up a damn fun evening. In residency at People Kitchen & Lounge until at least mid-April, their unique spin on an 85-year old opera called RISE & FALL was the most fun I had watching a live show in some time. It certainly lives up to the phrase they coined to describe it: "A punk-speed bacchanalian party show."
To start off with, walking in the door you can already tell people are there to have a good time; they're welcoming and appreciative that you came out to see their show. It's amazing how infrequently that is the case. In a city where there are so many options, when the box office is rude or the ticket taker is sour, no matter how groundbreaking or well-done a show is, it can seem from the beginning as if I chose wrong. Both BREAD and PEOPLE made me feel right.
Rise & Fall happens rapidly. Once the audience has moved to their seats and the cast has nonchalantly assumed "places" the ball gets rolling and it's a whirlwind of an hour, more like eighty minutes. The creativity of the collective is quickly apparent. It's not just a play. Or just an opera. It is a show. And not just in a theater, but in a big, cool bar. And not just in the back of the bar but in the front of the bar. And out front of the bar and on the bar and behind the bar and on the lap of the three dudes sitting in front of me, then even trekking upstairs for the denouement: basically a great use of the space.
There's also a great use of talent. This bunch, I'll say it again, is incredibly fun and skillful. Andrew Lynch did a heckuva job working up a couple tunes to play on his guitar to make the show sound great. Katie Melby dressed as man Jimmy Gallagher was especially entertaining, butt and all! What a guy! And Kate Gunther brought a delightful laugh, smile and sensuality as Jenny Smith, as well as some blushing on the cheeks of a few audience members. The ensemble worked well together, was tight and obviously comfortable. The creativity and inventiveness kept my attention taut.
DEREK'S GRADE: A
DIRECTED BY: Eric Powell Holm STARRING: Joshua Allen, Lyndsey Anderson , Toni Ann DeNoble , John Egan , Kate Gunther , Kelly Klein , Benjamin Lewis , Andrew Lynch , Katie Melby , and Giverny Petitmermet
FINAL THOUGHTS: For a cool $15, you should definitely pop over to People Lounge and see what BREAD has cooked up. It's a good time.
W. DEREK JORDEN is an actor currently living and working in New York City. He and his wife live on a Spaceship on the top of a building, which makes for some interesting dinner parties.