A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES A new tradition for Auburn

Review by Tom Woods, Special to the Citizen Grade: A When I wrote last year that I hoped the Auburn Public Theater would make “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” an annual event, I thought perhaps that its creators would allow the theater to mount the play on its own. I didn’t expect Polly Hogan and Ron Ritchell to bring it back themselves. Hogan and Ritchell, together with APT co-founder Carey Eidel and local actor Dave Tobin, are reunited for another round of the play running this December the downtown theater.

For those who missed this extraordinary event last year, “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” is an adaptation by Hogan taken from the writings of Dylan Thomas. Her script is absolutely marvelous, weaving Thomas’ poetry and narrative together brilliantly and creating a work that is evocative and emotive. The unusual effect of this play is not that it takes you back so vividly to the Swansea Christmases of Thomas’ youth, but to your own. The performances are just as good as the material, with Hogan and Ritchell in a variety of roles and Tobin and Eidel as Thomas and his friend Jim at a variety of ages.

Ritchell is superb in every detail, particularly effective opening and closing the show with Thomas’ poetry. Hogan is a joy as an assortment of mothers, aunts and spinsters, all clearly delineated and unique, each familiar and redolent. Eidel is masterful as Jim, delivering a detailed and consistent performance, using traits of the boy to inform the actions of the man. Whether hunting cats in the snow or passing judgment on his fellow villagers he is completely believable. Tobin tightens what was a good performance last year, finding more detail and comfort as Thomas. He, too, uses the youngster to help create the man but has the additional burden of commentator. His transitions between narration and character are much smoother now, and his work throughout is more confident and seamless.

The technical aspects of the production show improvement as well. There is more and better lighting and some additions to the set that help both the look and the flow.There is nothing objectionable for families, but some of the material may not hold the attention of very young children.

General Information
http://www.auburnpublictheater.org/contactus.html#
info@auburnpublictheater.com

Artistic Producing Director: Angela Daddabbo
angela@auburnpublictheater.com

Managing Director/Rentals: Carey Eidel
carey@auburnpublictheater.com

Friday/Saturday/Sunday Dec. 11th-20th, 2009

A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES

A new tradition for Auburn

Review by Tom Woods, Special to the Citizen
Grade: A

“When I wrote last year that I hoped the Auburn
Public Theater would make “A Child’s Christmas in
Wales” an annual event, I thought perhaps that its
creators would allow the theater to mount the play on
its own. I didn’t expect Polly Hogan and Ron Ritchell
to bring it back themselves. Hogan and Ritchell, together
with APT co-founder Carey Eidel and local actor Dave Tobin,
are reunited for another round of the play running…
this December the downtown theater. (more…)

Frank Vignola is considered by many to be among the top ranked guitarists on the music scene today. An extremely versatile jazz guitarist, Frank Vignola has demonstrated that he is capable of playing everything from fusion and commercial pop-jazz to hard bop, post-bop, and swing. Frank performs and/or records with such varied artists as Chet Atkins, Madonna, Jon Faddis, Woody Allen, Ringo Starr, Manhattan Transfer, Frank Wess, Elvin Jones, Lionel Hampton and countless legends from the golden age of jazz; he is currently the guitarist with the David Grisman Quintet.

For more than half a century, John “Bucky” Pizzarelli has been a part of the fraternity of musicians who have kept mainstream and traditional jazz alive. For many years, at NBC, he played in the Doc Severinson Band on the Tonight Show. One of the era’s most solid rhythm players, Pizzarelli is in high demand to provide propulsion and background for other musicians. He played and toured with Benny Goodman, forming a close association with him that lasted until Goodman’s death; he also led his own trio and recorded duos with Zoot Sims (1976), Bud Freeman (1975), and Stephane Grappelli (1979).

4/18/09 8pm

Center for Arts of Homer, Inc.
72 S. Main Street
Homer, NY 13077-0191.
PHONE & FAX:
LOCAL: (607) 749-4900
TOLL FREE: (877) 749-ARTS
FAX: (607) 749-4910
http://www.center4art.org

Hi everybody,

Please join us for our new show this Friday…December 5, 2008 from 5 -10pm. We’ll be opening new artists whom will be in attendance for the event. All of the artwork will be for sale, and again the artists will be in attendance to answer you questions. This show is a private opening, so please contact Melissa at (315) 263-5780 to RSVP. This show opens to the public on Friday Dec. 13, but the private opening is going to be special!!

Email Melissa (mtiffany@orangelinegallery.com) or respond to this message for the postcard.

See you all Friday!!!!
Mel

ORANGE LINE GALLERY
(315) 263-5780

305 Montgomery Street Syracuse, NY  13202

www.orangelinegallery.com