MERMAN VS. SHAKESPEARE
posted by James Reel
Invisible Theatre is running a sweet little show called The Big Voice—God or Merman?
Now, here's a real odd couple. Jim is an extroverted Brooklyn Catholic who, as a boy, dreamed of becoming pope, mainly because he liked the clothes. Steve is an introverted Arkansas Baptist who, as a boy, toyed with the idea of evangelism until he learned that queers aren't welcome at the seminary, even if they never stray far from the closet.You’ll find the rest of my review here, in the Tucson Weekly. Elsewhere in town, a new little group will have a go at Will:
Jim grew up going to Broadway shows starring the likes of Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh. Steve once saw a dinner-theater production featuring Bob Crane.
Jim and Steve meet on a cruise--in the Bermuda Triangle, aboard the sister ship of the Andrea Doria. Surely, the relationship has about as much of a chance of success as Ethel Merman did when she tried to sing quietly.
Shakespearean language is rich, but it's also hard for nonprofessional actors to wrap their mouths around. Yet Shakespeare was a mainstay for the Tucson Parks and Recreation Department's Tucson Community Theatre during the 10 years Michael Givens was in charge of it.Further edifying facts may be found here.
Not surprisingly, Givens has chosen a Shakespeare work to launch a new company also backed by Parks and Rec, the El Rio Theatre Project.
Givens is the recreation coordinator at the El Rio Center, but his group is going to hie itself to a different venue, the amphitheater at Himmel Park, to present Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, a comedy of romance and hidden identity.
